A Day for the Books

Yes, Day 10 of our ride was one for the books: 94 miles, 8.5 hours of seat time, over 6,000 feet of climbing, two national parks (Mt. Revelstoke and Glacier), and two significant passes: Rogers Pass and Kicking Horse Pass. We accomplished something I didn't know I could do! (My previous longest ride was 90 miles, which was much flatter and had a tailwind.)

We began early at 8:00 AM in the morning chill and immediately started climbing. In fact, we climbed steadily for the next 45 miles. The route was beautiful, and even though we were riding on the Trans-Canada Highway, it was amazing how little traffic there was. There were even long stretches where it seemed like there were no cars at all! We later learned why: September and October are peak months for road construction before the snow settles in, so we experienced the ebb and flow of traffic caused by numerous construction stops ahead. We even passed through a long section where they were expanding the two-lane highway to four lanes, tearing down mountainsides and relocating massive amounts of rock.

The pass we climbed was through the Selkirk Mountain Range, part of the Canadian Rockies. As we ascended and the higher peaks came into view, it looked impossible to pass over them without scaling their massive walls. However, we discovered that the road rose up along the flanks of those peaks and curved north to a pass we couldn't see earlier. This was Rogers Pass—a remarkable piece of engineering for the Trans-Canadian Railway. Apparently, over 200 fatalities occurred among the work crews building the railroad up the pass, and they installed 31 avalanche sheds to protect the trains. The highway also has eight avalanche sheds, which we had to pass through, giving a somewhat eerie feeling.

The wall of the Selkirk Range

When we finally reached the top of Rogers Pass, we felt good about making the climb. However, we were disheartened to realize we had only gone halfway to Golden, BC, and had already been riding for five hours! We began to worry about reaching our destination before nightfall, especially since we still had two more big climbs ahead and the clouds were moving in. But what goes up must come down, and what a downhill we had off the pass! Wow! It was long, fast, and exhilarating!

Then climb #2 began. This climb featured multiple false summits, and the hours in the saddle were taking their toll. Still, we kept pushing forward. In the middle of the climb, after the first false summit, we passed a sign indicating we were now in the Mountain Time Zone and needed to set our clocks ahead one hour. Gulp! What was around 3:00 PM suddenly became 4:00 PM. The last three hours of our ride turned into an all-out push to reach Golden before dark. We were now on the lee side of the Selkirks, descending back into the Columbia River Valley, and everything was in the shadow of the peaks.

We made it in time (barely) exhausted and a bit shaky, glad to be done. The ride had been a real test of stamina. Andy had found a terrific Air BnB in the heart of town and we are content to be taking a day off to rest and enjoy the town of Golden.

A view of Golden's covered bridge over the Columbia River with Kicking Horse Ski Resort in the background.

Oh, and one last thing: it was another day for the books for one more reason—I hit the 8,000-mile mark on my bike odometer! All in just over a year. Had I thought any of this was possible 13 months ago, I would have thought I was crazy! Yet, here I am!

8,000 miles!