Cross-Canada Cycle Journey 3:
Alberta
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One province down, nine to go. After almost three weeks on wheels, that seemed rather absurd to digest. Then again, I built my life on the pillars of the absurd, the non-conventional and, preferably, the extreme. This Great Canadian Escapade was only 10% downloaded, which simply meant I still had 9 times the rapture to gain. The colossal “Welcome to Alberta” sign looked down on me with a glance of suspense and promise… 1.5 weeks of unsung adventures of a nature yet unknown. I wiped a stream of sweat and rain off my forehead and shortly paused, offering myself a brief relief from the vile headwind. Hardships set simple travels apart from satisfying accomplishments, I whispered to myself. Then I pedalled onward, deeper into the Rockies, ready to not just see, but be rewarded with yet another section of the world’s second largest country.
Day 20: Jasper National Park – Beauty Creek (Ice Fields)
Distance: 88.5km
GPS: All Trails
Terrain: Asphalt with shoulder.
Views: Mountains, national park, glaciers.
Water Situation: Shops available in Jasper. After that, filtering is possible from natural water sources along the way.
Food Situation: Supermarkets only in Jasper. There’s an expensive restaurant 55km in. It’s recommended to buy groceries that’ll last you all the way until Lake Louise / Banff. Note: you won’t have internet or phone reception during the entire length of the Icefields Parkway.
(Cloudy, but sunny in the end, side- and tailwind)
Jasper recently gained international attention for a rather tragic reason. A raging wildfire, which is a common summer occurrence all over Canada, ravaged the surroundings and a big chunk of the historical downtown area of this cherished tourist destination (together with Banff and the Niagara Falls the most well-known and heavily visited location in the land). I cycled in just before that, and decided to spend 3 nights here. Yes, I might be here to cycle, but that’s just a means to accomplish the goal of “seeing as much as possible from Canada” in the most satisfying and thorough manner. Photos of sublime natural settings such as Jasper National Park are the reason I travelled to Canada to begin with. Plus, any time off the throbbing bike-seat is a bonus I’ll greedily grab. Based in a 6-bed dormitory of the Jasper Downtown Hostel, I set out to hike, being able to morph all 9 most popular day-hikes into a more challenging combined 2-day, long-distance endeavour. The Athabasca Falls, the Old Fort Point Lookout, the Sunwapta Falls, the Pyramid, Annette and Edith Lake Loop, the Maligne Canyon, Pyramid Island, the Valley of the Five Lakes... Rest days aren’t for resting, obviously. Not in Jasper.
Day 20: Jasper National Park – Beauty Creek (Ice Fields)
Distance: 88.5km
GPS: All Trails
Terrain: Asphalt with shoulder.
Views: Mountains, national park, glaciers.
Water Situation: Shops available in Jasper. After that, filtering is possible from natural water sources along the way.
Food Situation: Supermarkets only in Jasper. There’s an expensive restaurant 55km in. It’s recommended to buy groceries that’ll last you all the way until Lake Louise / Banff. Note: you won’t have internet or phone reception during the entire length of the Icefields Parkway.
(Cloudy, but sunny in the end, side- and tailwind)
Jasper recently gained international attention for a rather tragic reason. A raging wildfire, which is a common summer occurrence all over Canada, ravaged the surroundings and a big chunk of the historical downtown area of this cherished tourist destination (together with Banff and the Niagara Falls the most well-known and heavily visited location in the land). I cycled in just before that, and decided to spend 3 nights here. Yes, I might be here to cycle, but that’s just a means to accomplish the goal of “seeing as much as possible from Canada” in the most satisfying and thorough manner. Photos of sublime natural settings such as Jasper National Park are the reason I travelled to Canada to begin with. Plus, any time off the throbbing bike-seat is a bonus I’ll greedily grab. Based in a 6-bed dormitory of the Jasper Downtown Hostel, I set out to hike, being able to morph all 9 most popular day-hikes into a more challenging combined 2-day, long-distance endeavour. The Athabasca Falls, the Old Fort Point Lookout, the Sunwapta Falls, the Pyramid, Annette and Edith Lake Loop, the Maligne Canyon, Pyramid Island, the Valley of the Five Lakes... Rest days aren’t for resting, obviously. Not in Jasper.
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Pumped up from this refreshing dose of outdoor-dopamine, it was hard to fathom that the best was yet to come. Right here, right now! The 230-kilometre-long Icefields Parkway, which starts right at Jasper and stretches out until Lake Louise, is classified is one of the (or THE) most scenic highways of Canada. It’s the highest road of the entire 9,985-million-km²-country, with its peaks at Wilcox Pass, Parker Ridge, and the Bow Summit. Landscape-wise, think backcountry lakes, alpine meadows, waterfalls and most notably: not just one, but an entire network of glaciers, dripping off the mountains as partial edges of the giant 325km² Columbia Icefield. It’s downright extraordinary. Even I, a weathered full-time traveler, 10 years on the road and (at that moment) with 88 countries in my backpocket, hadn’t seen anything like this. Sure, I had checked out a glacier here and there, from New Zealand to Switzerland to all the way down to Patagonia. But not to this extent. My eyes were seeing it, my body was moving through it… but my being was unable to fully grasp that I was here. I could shudder under the magnitude of this inapprehensible beauty, but I remained overwhelmed and baffled.
Bears, moose and mountain goats enriched the scenery, seemingly not noticing nor minding my presence. Yet, the ravens spied my arrival for miles away, decisively awaiting the prime moment to thief away my belongings when I entered the only restaurant I’d pass that day to treat myself on a well-deserved coffee. Ravens might very well be the most shrewd and intelligent animals I had encountered. Not only did they observe and assess the situation, they managed to open all my bike-bag-zippers (something I even struggle with, and I have hands) and search through my luggage items to find the specific objects that interest them. If it wasn’t for the bear canister, I would’ve lost all my food and be forced to return to Jasper (as there are no resupply options until Lake Louise). Robbed by ravens, that’s a bucket list item I didn’t know I had!
The weather agreed with me today. After hiding under the shades of thick rainclouds in the early hours, the sunrays smiled through over the course of the afternoon. The wind hesitantly pushed me sideways and occasionally forward. I could’ve made a long day. Yet, once the Beauty Creek Hostel came in sight, I remembered the words of my cyclist-buddy Sergi. He had spent several days here, exchanging some labour for a free bed, and had made fond memories of the owner Grant. As Wi-Fi or phone reception is non-existent in the Ice Fields, he had asked me to greet the man in person on his behalf. This warm greeting swiftly turned into an animated conversation… and once I sat around a campfire, 2 wines in, I knew I wasn’t going anywhere. If I’d varnish the picnic tables the next morning, I’d have a warm bed that night, Grant smiled. I smiled back and nodded.
Bears, moose and mountain goats enriched the scenery, seemingly not noticing nor minding my presence. Yet, the ravens spied my arrival for miles away, decisively awaiting the prime moment to thief away my belongings when I entered the only restaurant I’d pass that day to treat myself on a well-deserved coffee. Ravens might very well be the most shrewd and intelligent animals I had encountered. Not only did they observe and assess the situation, they managed to open all my bike-bag-zippers (something I even struggle with, and I have hands) and search through my luggage items to find the specific objects that interest them. If it wasn’t for the bear canister, I would’ve lost all my food and be forced to return to Jasper (as there are no resupply options until Lake Louise). Robbed by ravens, that’s a bucket list item I didn’t know I had!
The weather agreed with me today. After hiding under the shades of thick rainclouds in the early hours, the sunrays smiled through over the course of the afternoon. The wind hesitantly pushed me sideways and occasionally forward. I could’ve made a long day. Yet, once the Beauty Creek Hostel came in sight, I remembered the words of my cyclist-buddy Sergi. He had spent several days here, exchanging some labour for a free bed, and had made fond memories of the owner Grant. As Wi-Fi or phone reception is non-existent in the Ice Fields, he had asked me to greet the man in person on his behalf. This warm greeting swiftly turned into an animated conversation… and once I sat around a campfire, 2 wines in, I knew I wasn’t going anywhere. If I’d varnish the picnic tables the next morning, I’d have a warm bed that night, Grant smiled. I smiled back and nodded.
Day 21: Beauty Creek – Waterfowl Lakes (Ice Fields)
Distance: 90.2km
GPS: All Trails
Terrain: Asphalt with relatively wide shoulder (many cars pulling over to view wildlife).
Views: Mountains, national park, glaciers.
Water Situation: Filtering is possible from natural water sources along the way. You’ll also pass an Icefield Centre / Museum and a restaurant at the crossing, where you can refill.
Food Situation: No supermarkets. There’s an incredibly expensive restaurant and small shop at the crossing.
(Cloudy, drizzle, wind from all sides depending on mountains)
After a warm and toasty night in one of the coldest places of Canada, I started the day, as per agreement, with varnishing the outdoor picnic tables of the Beauty Creek Hostel. I appreciate the feeling of earning my keep, especially if it’s paired with an eternal memory of companionship and nomadery. This primitive shelter had no running water, showers or Wi-Fi, but it’s got something few man-built accommodations have: soul. At 11AM I laid down my paintbrush and hit the road. Ready for yet another extraordinary day in the Ice Fields.
Whereas yesterday was rather cruisy, today I had the Wilcox Pass to conquer. A monster of a mountain. It might be interesting to notice that I was born on one of the flattest countries in the world, -7m below sea level, and never in my life had to cycle any form of elevation. So I guess the (m*therf*cking) Canadian Rockies will do for a friendly introduction. I let out a shriek once I saw this giant dauntingly rise up in the distance, seeming higher and higher as I nervously approached it, like a David to his Goliath. Impossible. There’s just no way, I told myself. Hiking, maybe, cycling, nah-ahhhh. Maybe the first little stretch, but that’s it! But then… something beautiful happened. 5 minutes into the climb, with my calves burning and my heart pounding, someone rolled down a car window. “Go get it girl, you’ve got this, you’re incredible!” a voice shouted. Well, okay… I can’t stop now, I have an audience to please apparently. Then at the first lookout point people started pointing at me, and cheers and kudos arose from the crowds. I felt like I was dying, but suddenly my legs took over and started leading their own lives, dragging me along. Keep going, keep pedalling, all eyes are on you. It was a Saturday afternoon, with thick crowds of tourists, and everyone seemed to cooperate in a unnegotiated pact to support this red and sweaty little lady-cyclist. At every corner, at ever take-over, people honked, had fists up in the air and encouraging words to share, right until I reached the summit, where the contents of an overloaded tourist-bus burst out in applause. I was still sitting on my bicycle. I did it. I slayed the beast. I looked down into the depts and couldn’t believe my own body. After a childhood drenched with bullying and harassment, I could now personally feel the power of positive affirmation and social support. Why does the first even occur, if the latter is an option? Look at this! What emotion, what joy.
Distance: 90.2km
GPS: All Trails
Terrain: Asphalt with relatively wide shoulder (many cars pulling over to view wildlife).
Views: Mountains, national park, glaciers.
Water Situation: Filtering is possible from natural water sources along the way. You’ll also pass an Icefield Centre / Museum and a restaurant at the crossing, where you can refill.
Food Situation: No supermarkets. There’s an incredibly expensive restaurant and small shop at the crossing.
(Cloudy, drizzle, wind from all sides depending on mountains)
After a warm and toasty night in one of the coldest places of Canada, I started the day, as per agreement, with varnishing the outdoor picnic tables of the Beauty Creek Hostel. I appreciate the feeling of earning my keep, especially if it’s paired with an eternal memory of companionship and nomadery. This primitive shelter had no running water, showers or Wi-Fi, but it’s got something few man-built accommodations have: soul. At 11AM I laid down my paintbrush and hit the road. Ready for yet another extraordinary day in the Ice Fields.
Whereas yesterday was rather cruisy, today I had the Wilcox Pass to conquer. A monster of a mountain. It might be interesting to notice that I was born on one of the flattest countries in the world, -7m below sea level, and never in my life had to cycle any form of elevation. So I guess the (m*therf*cking) Canadian Rockies will do for a friendly introduction. I let out a shriek once I saw this giant dauntingly rise up in the distance, seeming higher and higher as I nervously approached it, like a David to his Goliath. Impossible. There’s just no way, I told myself. Hiking, maybe, cycling, nah-ahhhh. Maybe the first little stretch, but that’s it! But then… something beautiful happened. 5 minutes into the climb, with my calves burning and my heart pounding, someone rolled down a car window. “Go get it girl, you’ve got this, you’re incredible!” a voice shouted. Well, okay… I can’t stop now, I have an audience to please apparently. Then at the first lookout point people started pointing at me, and cheers and kudos arose from the crowds. I felt like I was dying, but suddenly my legs took over and started leading their own lives, dragging me along. Keep going, keep pedalling, all eyes are on you. It was a Saturday afternoon, with thick crowds of tourists, and everyone seemed to cooperate in a unnegotiated pact to support this red and sweaty little lady-cyclist. At every corner, at ever take-over, people honked, had fists up in the air and encouraging words to share, right until I reached the summit, where the contents of an overloaded tourist-bus burst out in applause. I was still sitting on my bicycle. I did it. I slayed the beast. I looked down into the depts and couldn’t believe my own body. After a childhood drenched with bullying and harassment, I could now personally feel the power of positive affirmation and social support. Why does the first even occur, if the latter is an option? Look at this! What emotion, what joy.
Surfing on satisfaction and pride I embraced the downhill, but I got a frontal storm instead. I wasn’t there yet. I looked forward, tears being blown from my eyes by an abrupt and unforgiving polar wind, creating icy trails on my cheeks… to my great delight I saw the grand Athabasca Glacier entering my vision. Is this real life? Is this MY life? You bet it is. You might be grinding away on that green bike of yours, you might be freezing your lil’ butt off, but look around you! Look where you are! Quickly I stepped into the Icefield Centre, only to warm up my frosty fingers, trying to ignore the absolute avalanche of tourists. After the relative peace and quiet of an off-season bike journey, I can’t deal with this anymore. Out of my ears, out of my space. Within a minute I was outside again, ready for another modest climb and then – at last – the downhill. For real this time.
The first 20km took me 2 hours. The next 20km not even an hour. A satisfying reward accompanied by wildlife sightings, waterfalls (Stanley Falls / Panther Falls) and a little brush of drizzle. I continued on to the Waterfowl Lake Campground. Which was, as every other campsite on the Ice Fields, still closed this early in the season. To car tourists, that is. As wild camping is absolutely illegal in this national park area and there is no alternative, in between the lines it’s silently agreed upon that biketourers may enter, as 230km through strenuous mountainous terrain generally can’t be cycled in just a day. A great money-saver, as in high season you easily pay $35 for two square meters of ground space. Fair enough, the toilets are closed and the water is turned off, but rivers and lakes are all around and as the camp’s sole visitor, nobody is bothered if you pitch your tent nice and dry in the cooking shelter. A wilderness luxury!
The first 20km took me 2 hours. The next 20km not even an hour. A satisfying reward accompanied by wildlife sightings, waterfalls (Stanley Falls / Panther Falls) and a little brush of drizzle. I continued on to the Waterfowl Lake Campground. Which was, as every other campsite on the Ice Fields, still closed this early in the season. To car tourists, that is. As wild camping is absolutely illegal in this national park area and there is no alternative, in between the lines it’s silently agreed upon that biketourers may enter, as 230km through strenuous mountainous terrain generally can’t be cycled in just a day. A great money-saver, as in high season you easily pay $35 for two square meters of ground space. Fair enough, the toilets are closed and the water is turned off, but rivers and lakes are all around and as the camp’s sole visitor, nobody is bothered if you pitch your tent nice and dry in the cooking shelter. A wilderness luxury!
Day 22: Waterfowl Lakes – Banff (Ice Fields)
Distance: 126.1km
GPS: All Trails
Terrain: Asphalt with relatively wide shoulders (many cars pulling over to view wildlife). Bicycle road from Lake Louise to Banff: 1a. Bicycle lanes in Banff.
Views: Mountains, national park, glaciers.
Water Situation: Filtering is possible from natural water sources along the way. Lake Louise and Banff have shops.
Food Situation: No supermarkets until Lake Louise. However, it’s better to save your shopping for Banff a little further down the road, as Lake Louise is more expensive.
(Cloudy, mild wind)
Another day, another mountain pass. I had barely rubbed the gunk out of my eyes, or I stood face to face with the Bow Pass. No cheering audience this time, too early for that… just the two of us, me and that mountain. The peptalk had to come from myself, so I tried to strictly remind myself that if I could tackle yesterday’s behemoth, I should be better trained and more mentally resilient at today’s day and age. I was. It didn’t hurt that the incline was considerably more gradual either. I felt like I was just starting, when a humble street sign congratulated me with the reach of the Bow Peak. Take a bow!
After a mellow downhill, the Bow Lake makes for an excellent lunch break opportunity. One of the most gorgeous lakes of the Ice Fields at an altitude of 1920m, the astonishing blue waters are crowned by the Bow Glacier, which in its turn forms part of the 80km² Wapta Ice Field. Take it in deep and thorough, as this marks the final stretch of the phenomenal Ice Fields journey. All good things must eventually come to an end.
Distance: 126.1km
GPS: All Trails
Terrain: Asphalt with relatively wide shoulders (many cars pulling over to view wildlife). Bicycle road from Lake Louise to Banff: 1a. Bicycle lanes in Banff.
Views: Mountains, national park, glaciers.
Water Situation: Filtering is possible from natural water sources along the way. Lake Louise and Banff have shops.
Food Situation: No supermarkets until Lake Louise. However, it’s better to save your shopping for Banff a little further down the road, as Lake Louise is more expensive.
(Cloudy, mild wind)
Another day, another mountain pass. I had barely rubbed the gunk out of my eyes, or I stood face to face with the Bow Pass. No cheering audience this time, too early for that… just the two of us, me and that mountain. The peptalk had to come from myself, so I tried to strictly remind myself that if I could tackle yesterday’s behemoth, I should be better trained and more mentally resilient at today’s day and age. I was. It didn’t hurt that the incline was considerably more gradual either. I felt like I was just starting, when a humble street sign congratulated me with the reach of the Bow Peak. Take a bow!
After a mellow downhill, the Bow Lake makes for an excellent lunch break opportunity. One of the most gorgeous lakes of the Ice Fields at an altitude of 1920m, the astonishing blue waters are crowned by the Bow Glacier, which in its turn forms part of the 80km² Wapta Ice Field. Take it in deep and thorough, as this marks the final stretch of the phenomenal Ice Fields journey. All good things must eventually come to an end.
Luckily, in the case of Canada, after one good thing, another good thing follows. This country is the gift that keeps on giving. Lake Louise, another bright blue showstopper, grew a proper town around its splendour to cater to rightfully excited tourist swarms. It’s expensive, it’s jam-packed, but is it overrated? I think not. With it’s almost unearthly surroundings and a whole network of hiking trails sprouting from its core, it’s out there competing with both Jasper and Banff. I’m convinced of its qualities, but with the limited daylight hours I was (after a swift coffee break) off to the latter: Banff, a destination I approached with scepticism. Having experienced the soul crushing process of extraordinary destinations collapsing under their own success all over the globe, I doubted if Banff could be that rare exception to the rule. I was one of the 4.29 million visitors they would receive that year... would there be any piece left for me?
Whatever my judgement would be after the 3 nights I had planned here, for now I was just experiencing the remarkable bicycle-friendliness. A level I hadn’t experienced in Canada before. Where generally cyclists are just of secondary (to non-existent) importance in Canadian traffic, with “cycle lanes” (in the rare occasions there is such a thing) never being cycle lanes, but just cracked and ill-maintained pull-over strips for motorized vehicles, Banff actually has bike paths! Shielded off and everything, separated from the road. If I fell on my head and forgot where I was geographically located in the world, I might as well believed I was back home in #1 cycle-country the Netherlands. I raise you an even better one: the entire section from Lake Louise to Banff can be cycled on Highway 1A, an alternative road away from the busy Highway 1, which is entirely dedicated to cyclists, and to cyclists only! Praise be: A nearly religious experience for a bikepacker in Canada.
Just be aware of the grizzlies. Yes, I said grizzlies. I SAW A GRIZZLY. Stephanie vs. Grizzly. Stephanie van Hoeijen, a Dutch woman who had never seen bears outside of the zoo for the first 36 years of her life, suddenly stood eye to eye with an actual grizzly bear, ringing her bike-bell, waving her arms and hysterically bursting out in song just as the youtube-videos had told her to do. She lived to tell the story. Breathes in. Breathes out.
Whatever my judgement would be after the 3 nights I had planned here, for now I was just experiencing the remarkable bicycle-friendliness. A level I hadn’t experienced in Canada before. Where generally cyclists are just of secondary (to non-existent) importance in Canadian traffic, with “cycle lanes” (in the rare occasions there is such a thing) never being cycle lanes, but just cracked and ill-maintained pull-over strips for motorized vehicles, Banff actually has bike paths! Shielded off and everything, separated from the road. If I fell on my head and forgot where I was geographically located in the world, I might as well believed I was back home in #1 cycle-country the Netherlands. I raise you an even better one: the entire section from Lake Louise to Banff can be cycled on Highway 1A, an alternative road away from the busy Highway 1, which is entirely dedicated to cyclists, and to cyclists only! Praise be: A nearly religious experience for a bikepacker in Canada.
Just be aware of the grizzlies. Yes, I said grizzlies. I SAW A GRIZZLY. Stephanie vs. Grizzly. Stephanie van Hoeijen, a Dutch woman who had never seen bears outside of the zoo for the first 36 years of her life, suddenly stood eye to eye with an actual grizzly bear, ringing her bike-bell, waving her arms and hysterically bursting out in song just as the youtube-videos had told her to do. She lived to tell the story. Breathes in. Breathes out.
Day 23: Banff – Calgary
Distance: 148.7km
GPS: All Trails
Terrain: Bicycle lane from Banff to Canmore. Then asphalt with pull-over strip. Continue on 1a for less traffic (varying road quality though).
Views: Mountains, nature, town, city.
Water Situation: Filtering is possible from natural water sources along the way. There are plenty of supermarkets and shops along the way in Banff, Canmore, Cochrane and Calgary.
Food Situation: Supermarkets in Banff, Canmore, Cochrane and Calgary.
(Sunny, strong tailwind)
I’m happy to announce that I had a Warm Showers host in Banff, willing to accommodate me for 3 full nights. Happy to announce it to my wallet, specifically, as in mass-tourism-destination Banff you’re looking at $100 per night… in a dormitory bunk bed, sharing the room with 11 other people! Seeing the “vacancy”-signs on all those rundown hostel facades, I had to suppress an evil laugh. Of course you’ve got vacancy, you unethical fools, that’s what you get for shamelessly extorting tourists! Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Banff is second in size to Jasper when it comes to national-park-size, but the town itself far exceeds both surface area and tourism numbers of any other Rockies destination. It made me doubt if I even wanted to stop there in the first place, but the 1,500+ kilometres of hiking trails (more than any other mountain park) finally talked me into it.
So hiking I did. Popular hikes close to Banff include the Sunshine Meadows, Tunnel Mountain, Hoodoos, Spray River Loop, Mount Rundle, Sulphur mountain (gondola or up-and-down), Sundance Canyon, Johnson lake Loop, C Level Cirque, Lake Minnewanka, Stoney Squaw Lookout and the Cascade Amphitheatre. Due to my limited time available, I opted for the ones that are walkable from the downtown area, starting off with the Tunnel Walk, combining it with the Hoodoos (which are natural rock columns). Just like in Jasper, the popularity of this national park made for very accessible trails, catering to all levels of fitness… which means: easy, way too easy. It’s almost entertaining to read the “recommended hiking times” of about 1km/hr for the flattest, most straightforward trails. Even my gran could probably beat that. On the bright side, that means that whenever it gets even slightly more challenging, in terms of a tiny hill or a distance exceeding a couple of k’s, the masses die out, even in an overcrowded destination like Banff. The trail up to Mount Rundle, the town’s icon I climbed the following day, I had entirely to myself. It’s actually pretty cruisy and gradual up until the high end of the forest line… but then you’re regrettably subjected to a sea of loose gravel, demanding hand- and feet climbing. It's the absolute worst surface, especially at the steep sections. I’m a bit of a mountain goat, effortlessly rushing uphill like some creepy little forest creature, but going down is a personal hardship, I’m not made for it. Parts I had to slide down on my butt, trying to painfully glide towards the trees that could break my fall. The ice plates on the peak and a hailstorm blasting me sideways did not facilitate the experience. Yet, before this slight misfortune took place (blurring the visibility entirely), the gratification of conquering a mountain filled me with delight. It always does. A mountain peak is a hiker’s throne, the views being the metaphorical medal.
Distance: 148.7km
GPS: All Trails
Terrain: Bicycle lane from Banff to Canmore. Then asphalt with pull-over strip. Continue on 1a for less traffic (varying road quality though).
Views: Mountains, nature, town, city.
Water Situation: Filtering is possible from natural water sources along the way. There are plenty of supermarkets and shops along the way in Banff, Canmore, Cochrane and Calgary.
Food Situation: Supermarkets in Banff, Canmore, Cochrane and Calgary.
(Sunny, strong tailwind)
I’m happy to announce that I had a Warm Showers host in Banff, willing to accommodate me for 3 full nights. Happy to announce it to my wallet, specifically, as in mass-tourism-destination Banff you’re looking at $100 per night… in a dormitory bunk bed, sharing the room with 11 other people! Seeing the “vacancy”-signs on all those rundown hostel facades, I had to suppress an evil laugh. Of course you’ve got vacancy, you unethical fools, that’s what you get for shamelessly extorting tourists! Just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Banff is second in size to Jasper when it comes to national-park-size, but the town itself far exceeds both surface area and tourism numbers of any other Rockies destination. It made me doubt if I even wanted to stop there in the first place, but the 1,500+ kilometres of hiking trails (more than any other mountain park) finally talked me into it.
So hiking I did. Popular hikes close to Banff include the Sunshine Meadows, Tunnel Mountain, Hoodoos, Spray River Loop, Mount Rundle, Sulphur mountain (gondola or up-and-down), Sundance Canyon, Johnson lake Loop, C Level Cirque, Lake Minnewanka, Stoney Squaw Lookout and the Cascade Amphitheatre. Due to my limited time available, I opted for the ones that are walkable from the downtown area, starting off with the Tunnel Walk, combining it with the Hoodoos (which are natural rock columns). Just like in Jasper, the popularity of this national park made for very accessible trails, catering to all levels of fitness… which means: easy, way too easy. It’s almost entertaining to read the “recommended hiking times” of about 1km/hr for the flattest, most straightforward trails. Even my gran could probably beat that. On the bright side, that means that whenever it gets even slightly more challenging, in terms of a tiny hill or a distance exceeding a couple of k’s, the masses die out, even in an overcrowded destination like Banff. The trail up to Mount Rundle, the town’s icon I climbed the following day, I had entirely to myself. It’s actually pretty cruisy and gradual up until the high end of the forest line… but then you’re regrettably subjected to a sea of loose gravel, demanding hand- and feet climbing. It's the absolute worst surface, especially at the steep sections. I’m a bit of a mountain goat, effortlessly rushing uphill like some creepy little forest creature, but going down is a personal hardship, I’m not made for it. Parts I had to slide down on my butt, trying to painfully glide towards the trees that could break my fall. The ice plates on the peak and a hailstorm blasting me sideways did not facilitate the experience. Yet, before this slight misfortune took place (blurring the visibility entirely), the gratification of conquering a mountain filled me with delight. It always does. A mountain peak is a hiker’s throne, the views being the metaphorical medal.
So twice I had a 2-day break off the saddle, as two of Canada’s main tourist hotspots just happened to cross my path over here. Fingers crossed that means an energized body to break my standing cycle record: I had about 150km to go to Calgary, where my travel friend Pete was excitingly awaiting my arrival, and I refused to split it up in 2 days. The weather gods decided to support my untamed enthusiasm and pushed the wind in my back like there was no tomorrow. It almost felt like I was driving a motorcycle at times, rather sketchy. Another supportive element was an ongoing downhill, as I left the Canadian Rockies behind me while heading for the flatter-than-flat Prairies. A realisation that filled me with sadness, as I’m 100% a mountain woman. This is my happy place. Witnessing the peaks getting lower and lower until they vanished from sight entirely was just heartbreaking.
A cycle path connects Banff to Canmore, yet another hiking destination which feels a bit more personal and friendly, opposed to the soulless tourist giant Banff. The kind of place where people still greet each other and pop over for a swift lil’ chitchat (which can also be tied to the fact that more Canadians live here, one of the kindest nations in the world, whose people simply tend to be kinder than most nationalities, of which almost all pass through Banff). I continued on the secondary Highway 1a, to avoid the busier main freeway, and pedalled onwards to Cochrane (I’m still not sure if it’s pronounced kinda like Cockring or more like Cocaine). Then I threw myself in the traffic madhouse that’s called Calgary, the city with the highest near-death-experiences-per-square-feet-ratio of my entire cycle-quest through Canada. Time for yet another day off. You’d almost think I’m on a holiday!
A cycle path connects Banff to Canmore, yet another hiking destination which feels a bit more personal and friendly, opposed to the soulless tourist giant Banff. The kind of place where people still greet each other and pop over for a swift lil’ chitchat (which can also be tied to the fact that more Canadians live here, one of the kindest nations in the world, whose people simply tend to be kinder than most nationalities, of which almost all pass through Banff). I continued on the secondary Highway 1a, to avoid the busier main freeway, and pedalled onwards to Cochrane (I’m still not sure if it’s pronounced kinda like Cockring or more like Cocaine). Then I threw myself in the traffic madhouse that’s called Calgary, the city with the highest near-death-experiences-per-square-feet-ratio of my entire cycle-quest through Canada. Time for yet another day off. You’d almost think I’m on a holiday!
Day 24: Calgary – Drumheller (East Coulee)
Distance: 175.6km
GPS: All Trails
Terrain: Bicycle lanes in Calgary, which can be traced down with an app called “Cycle Travel”. Don't use that app outside of the city though, as it sends you to gravel roads even if you select "paved only." Then there’s a terrible stretch out of Calgary with heavy traffic, a bad shoulder and a million traffic lights. Then main roads with varying shoulder.
Views: City, farm fields.
Water Situation: Shops and campsites in Calgary and Irricana. One small shop somewhere in a field in the middle between the two. Then in Beiseker and Drumheller. No streams or anything else to filter water from, but you can ring the doorbell of houses along the way.
Food Situation: Supermarkets and shops in Calgary, Irricana (and a shop in between the two), Beiseker and Drumheller.
(Sunny, heavy side- and headwind)
I wouldn’t necessarily call my day off in Calgary a “rest day”, as my buddy Pete took his task as my personal tour guide quite seriously. Name an artwork, a viewpoint or a tourist attraction in Alberta’s biggest city and I’ve seen it. And boy, was that fun! Add to that a proper night rest, being hosted in the residence of not only Pete, but also Joe: a former professional soccer player of Canada’s national team and co-owner of the Sport Chek chain that can be found all over the country (and where some of my cycle gear came from)… but most importantly: a wine lover. It was hard to decline their attempts to have my stay some longer, but I couldn’t afford to lose focus: I had the world’s second largest county to conquer on leg power, and I barely started! The notorious Prairies were stretching out ahead of me… about 1500-2000 kilometres of endless flats, dust and monotony. Infinite nothing stretching out to the horizon, without a single tree, house or hill to break the boredom. A place where people joke about that you can see your dog run away from home for 3 days. Quite the abrupt change of scenery after Canada’s dramatic mountainscapes and brilliant natural panoramas. It’s like they present you with the absolute best of the country and then take it all away, just to bully you.
Distance: 175.6km
GPS: All Trails
Terrain: Bicycle lanes in Calgary, which can be traced down with an app called “Cycle Travel”. Don't use that app outside of the city though, as it sends you to gravel roads even if you select "paved only." Then there’s a terrible stretch out of Calgary with heavy traffic, a bad shoulder and a million traffic lights. Then main roads with varying shoulder.
Views: City, farm fields.
Water Situation: Shops and campsites in Calgary and Irricana. One small shop somewhere in a field in the middle between the two. Then in Beiseker and Drumheller. No streams or anything else to filter water from, but you can ring the doorbell of houses along the way.
Food Situation: Supermarkets and shops in Calgary, Irricana (and a shop in between the two), Beiseker and Drumheller.
(Sunny, heavy side- and headwind)
I wouldn’t necessarily call my day off in Calgary a “rest day”, as my buddy Pete took his task as my personal tour guide quite seriously. Name an artwork, a viewpoint or a tourist attraction in Alberta’s biggest city and I’ve seen it. And boy, was that fun! Add to that a proper night rest, being hosted in the residence of not only Pete, but also Joe: a former professional soccer player of Canada’s national team and co-owner of the Sport Chek chain that can be found all over the country (and where some of my cycle gear came from)… but most importantly: a wine lover. It was hard to decline their attempts to have my stay some longer, but I couldn’t afford to lose focus: I had the world’s second largest county to conquer on leg power, and I barely started! The notorious Prairies were stretching out ahead of me… about 1500-2000 kilometres of endless flats, dust and monotony. Infinite nothing stretching out to the horizon, without a single tree, house or hill to break the boredom. A place where people joke about that you can see your dog run away from home for 3 days. Quite the abrupt change of scenery after Canada’s dramatic mountainscapes and brilliant natural panoramas. It’s like they present you with the absolute best of the country and then take it all away, just to bully you.
People told me to skip it, take the train across. Nothing to find here, they uttered. But: no. NO is the answer. I’m hear to cycle across Canada and it’s all or nothing, goddamnit. How can I ever claim I completed this undertaking while a little voice of consciousness keeps reminding me that I actually really didn’t. If the hills will disappear and grant my body some (relative) rest, let this be a challenge for the mind! I glanced at the map and realised there were 3 routes to potentially take: The fastest and most popular one across Highway 1… a 4-lane highway full of heavy traffic, but with a solid and spacious shoulder; the Northern route heading through Saskatoon, containing more scenic country roads, which however don’t always have a paved shoulder and are known to have quite some trash scattered at the side; or the southern Red Coat Trail, lingering just above the American border, which used to be the path taken by the mounted police force to “bring law and order to the west.” It was pretty obvious to me: of course the latter. I didn’t come to Canada to cycle alongside loud and wearisome traffic racing passed me every second of the ride. The northern one could’ve been acceptable, but the Red Coat Trail with its historical value as well as its small, rural villages every 20-30km or so definitely had the biggest appeal. If the landscapes are not going to bring any excitement to my life for the next few weeks, let at least bank on some random encounters with the cowboy-folks inhabiting the dusty old villages consisting of 2 dirt roads and a cow.
That said, as the route would only be paved from Saskatchewan on, I opted for a little detour in the Prairies of Alberta. Not in the least because I had the strong desire to check out the “Dinosaur Capital of the World” (withing the province that contains the world’s highest diversity of dinosaurs) and its celebrated Royal Tyrrell Museum. But to reach Drumheller, I first had to head north… a bawling 175km, to be exact. Against the bitter wind. My cycle buddy, who was a tad ahead of me, had enticed me with tales of glorious tailwinds, thrusting you forward over the endless flats of the Prairies, as if you were driving a space shuttle. But the opposite is also true: The wind can by your ruthless nemesis when it decides to turn against you, blasting you backward in full force, with not a single tree to stop it. Even though the west-to-east cycle direction is said to have more favorable winds, the summer of 2024 was an exception to the rule. The Prairies is where I started to understand the windforce as a master to obey, worship and live by. Starting with Day 1.
Getting out of Calgary was as miserable as driving into it. I don’t fully understand this city’s fetish with traffic lights, but there is most definitely not a single crossing without it. Every block, up until a proper 18km out of town, you have to come to a halt, lose 2-4 minutes of your time, and get your wheels rolling again. Absolutely draining. The northwards stretch becomes more doable once the city smokes clear up to make place for the absolute bumfuck countryside. Villages like Irricana and Beiseker feel an entire (western) universe away from metropolitan city life, complete with goatherds and rodeo fields.
Turning right into the direction of Drumheller, I had another 72km to battle the winds before I reached the Royal Tyrell Museum, about 7.5km out of town. Worn down and strung out by the road I stumbled inside, with only an hour left to explore. Way too short for some of the world’s largest display of dinosaurs, including the (lo and behold) “Albertasaurus”… but hey, that’s a potential result of overambitious plans. With about 145km under my belt, I had little energy to continue… but a lovely home of Pete’s friend (a person I had never met before) was awaiting me, so I crammed down a meal of Alberta Beef (the local specialty) and pushed another 30k forward to East Coulee. What a rewarding, yet completely exhausting day. Over and out!
That said, as the route would only be paved from Saskatchewan on, I opted for a little detour in the Prairies of Alberta. Not in the least because I had the strong desire to check out the “Dinosaur Capital of the World” (withing the province that contains the world’s highest diversity of dinosaurs) and its celebrated Royal Tyrrell Museum. But to reach Drumheller, I first had to head north… a bawling 175km, to be exact. Against the bitter wind. My cycle buddy, who was a tad ahead of me, had enticed me with tales of glorious tailwinds, thrusting you forward over the endless flats of the Prairies, as if you were driving a space shuttle. But the opposite is also true: The wind can by your ruthless nemesis when it decides to turn against you, blasting you backward in full force, with not a single tree to stop it. Even though the west-to-east cycle direction is said to have more favorable winds, the summer of 2024 was an exception to the rule. The Prairies is where I started to understand the windforce as a master to obey, worship and live by. Starting with Day 1.
Getting out of Calgary was as miserable as driving into it. I don’t fully understand this city’s fetish with traffic lights, but there is most definitely not a single crossing without it. Every block, up until a proper 18km out of town, you have to come to a halt, lose 2-4 minutes of your time, and get your wheels rolling again. Absolutely draining. The northwards stretch becomes more doable once the city smokes clear up to make place for the absolute bumfuck countryside. Villages like Irricana and Beiseker feel an entire (western) universe away from metropolitan city life, complete with goatherds and rodeo fields.
Turning right into the direction of Drumheller, I had another 72km to battle the winds before I reached the Royal Tyrell Museum, about 7.5km out of town. Worn down and strung out by the road I stumbled inside, with only an hour left to explore. Way too short for some of the world’s largest display of dinosaurs, including the (lo and behold) “Albertasaurus”… but hey, that’s a potential result of overambitious plans. With about 145km under my belt, I had little energy to continue… but a lovely home of Pete’s friend (a person I had never met before) was awaiting me, so I crammed down a meal of Alberta Beef (the local specialty) and pushed another 30k forward to East Coulee. What a rewarding, yet completely exhausting day. Over and out!
Day 25: Drumheller (East Coulee) – Southesk
Distance: 120.1km
GPS: All Trails
Terrain: Narrow and cracked shoulder on the 56. Wide, asphalted shoulder on Highway 1.
Views: Canyon, farm fields.
Water Situation: Nothing. No streams or anything else to filter water from, farming ponds may contain fertilizer. There are hardly any houses along the way either besides the tiny villages of Hassar (2km off-road) and Bassano, so bring plenty from Drumheller.
Food Situation: Shops in Hassar (2km off road) and Bassano.
(Cloudy, frontal, side- and also tailwind, depending on the direction I was cycling)
I decided to extend my slow morning in East Coulee well into the afternoon. My legs were in both denial and recovery, but I was gonna give them a sobering reality check with yet another 120km to ride today. The illusion of the Prairie’s flatness triggered something in me, so it seems… even though it’s indeed just that: an illusion. One that you might stubbornly hold onto when driving a vehicle, as the elevation gains are so gradual, they stealthily hide under a cloak of invisibility. How different is it to actually have to cycle through these deceiving “flats” though, and feel the constant strain on your knees and calves while continuously climbing up a camouflaged hill in a landscape that doesn’t change. Like in a nightmare, when you’re running, running and running but you seemingly don’t advance a single meter. Talking of nightmare material, an unusual sight made its permanent entrance: the Prairies Pumpjack. A terrifying larger-than-life device used to mechanically lift oils out of the deep wells. Its black, rotating hammer has the power to stir up this ominous feeling into my stomach and make my skin crawl with uncanny anxiety.
As today’s bland landscape offered zero distraction of these Machines of Horror, I allowed my thoughts to wonder off to Drumheller. An extraordinary place surrounded by nothing, absolutely nothing. About 10km away from it I was still unable to detect even the slightest appearance of a town, and I started to wonder if Google Maps was playing some prank on me. How is this possible? Where is this place? Then all of a sudden the Earth cracked open, revealing a gateway into a red-hued concealed canyon, boasting surreal, almost extraterrestrial landscapes of centuries long gone. Cycling across the Hoodoos – fierce, eroded pillars of red and white sandstone -, occasionally interrupted by a quirky full-scale dinosaur statue, is an experience hard to anticipate. Worth the 250+km detour, by all means.
Yet, today I had to pay the price: returning 65km down the uninspiring Route 56, to unwillingly turn left onto the Highway 1 I frantically tried to avoid (but couldn’t, with unpaved roads as an alternative). I continued to Bassano, where I had a bland Subway-meal to match the day, but decided to push onwards to… yeah, nowhere actually. A ditch. Literally a ditch. Sideways on some dirt road in a flat field of nothing, far enough of Highway 1 to not hear the traffic noises through my earplugs. I wasn’t bothering anyone, and hopefully no one would be bothering me. That includes the rattle snakes and skunks the Prairie-ditches are notorious for.
Distance: 120.1km
GPS: All Trails
Terrain: Narrow and cracked shoulder on the 56. Wide, asphalted shoulder on Highway 1.
Views: Canyon, farm fields.
Water Situation: Nothing. No streams or anything else to filter water from, farming ponds may contain fertilizer. There are hardly any houses along the way either besides the tiny villages of Hassar (2km off-road) and Bassano, so bring plenty from Drumheller.
Food Situation: Shops in Hassar (2km off road) and Bassano.
(Cloudy, frontal, side- and also tailwind, depending on the direction I was cycling)
I decided to extend my slow morning in East Coulee well into the afternoon. My legs were in both denial and recovery, but I was gonna give them a sobering reality check with yet another 120km to ride today. The illusion of the Prairie’s flatness triggered something in me, so it seems… even though it’s indeed just that: an illusion. One that you might stubbornly hold onto when driving a vehicle, as the elevation gains are so gradual, they stealthily hide under a cloak of invisibility. How different is it to actually have to cycle through these deceiving “flats” though, and feel the constant strain on your knees and calves while continuously climbing up a camouflaged hill in a landscape that doesn’t change. Like in a nightmare, when you’re running, running and running but you seemingly don’t advance a single meter. Talking of nightmare material, an unusual sight made its permanent entrance: the Prairies Pumpjack. A terrifying larger-than-life device used to mechanically lift oils out of the deep wells. Its black, rotating hammer has the power to stir up this ominous feeling into my stomach and make my skin crawl with uncanny anxiety.
As today’s bland landscape offered zero distraction of these Machines of Horror, I allowed my thoughts to wonder off to Drumheller. An extraordinary place surrounded by nothing, absolutely nothing. About 10km away from it I was still unable to detect even the slightest appearance of a town, and I started to wonder if Google Maps was playing some prank on me. How is this possible? Where is this place? Then all of a sudden the Earth cracked open, revealing a gateway into a red-hued concealed canyon, boasting surreal, almost extraterrestrial landscapes of centuries long gone. Cycling across the Hoodoos – fierce, eroded pillars of red and white sandstone -, occasionally interrupted by a quirky full-scale dinosaur statue, is an experience hard to anticipate. Worth the 250+km detour, by all means.
Yet, today I had to pay the price: returning 65km down the uninspiring Route 56, to unwillingly turn left onto the Highway 1 I frantically tried to avoid (but couldn’t, with unpaved roads as an alternative). I continued to Bassano, where I had a bland Subway-meal to match the day, but decided to push onwards to… yeah, nowhere actually. A ditch. Literally a ditch. Sideways on some dirt road in a flat field of nothing, far enough of Highway 1 to not hear the traffic noises through my earplugs. I wasn’t bothering anyone, and hopefully no one would be bothering me. That includes the rattle snakes and skunks the Prairie-ditches are notorious for.
Day 26: Southesk - Redcliff
Distance: 124km
GPS: All Trails
Terrain: Wide, asphalted shoulder on Highway 1.
Views: Farm fields.
Water Situation: Water in wel-serviced town Brooks. Tourist info at Tillebrook Provincial Park (10km later). Then nothing until Redcliff, which is 90km further, not even streams to filter from. Rather problematic! Carry plenty of water.
Food Situation: Brooks. Tilley (4km off-trail, one-way). Redcliff.
(Cloudy, headwind)
Only the third day in the Prairies and I was already over it. I found it hard to find stimulation in anything, as honestly, there wasn’t anything around to begin with. Besides, perhaps, the very first coyote sighting in my life - which honestly was pretty damn sweet. I had to suck up that dreadful Highway 1 until the turnoff in Saskatchewan, and I had still 2 full and long days to reach it. The only way to get through this monotony was simply turning my senses off and let my thoughts ship me away to elsewhere more exciting. It didn’t help that the wind was, once again, far from cooperative. Oh yeah, and the water situation: non-existent for a stretch of 90km from Tillebrook Provincial Park (don’t let the name mislead you, it’s incredibly underwhelming) onwards. Not even a stream to sparsely filter from! Of course I was entirely unprepared, as this was a situation I never experienced before and this information is nowhere to be found (well: here it is!), so I faced severe dehydration. It also meant that even though I really wanted to stop, I was unable to do so: I needed to find a water source first, as I couldn’t spend the night on an empty water bottle, which would also mean an empty stomach with nothing to cook with.
So on I went, through thirst and exhaustion. Until I reached a town called Redcliff. A standard, boring little town to most, but an oasis to me. You see, the universe has watched me fumble and stumble that day, so it surprised me with an incredible reward at the finish line. It wasn’t quite obvious at the beginning, as I had squeezed out my very last energy, battling the bitter wind, to defeat all odds and reach downtown before 10PM when all businesses would close their doors. I managed, 5 minutes before closing time… but the sandwich bar was wrapping up its ingredients, the restaurants were putting their signs inside and the pizza joint just sold its last slice. A pack of ramen noodles was all I could lay my hands on. Sitting down on the sidewalk, sipping away this woeful meal, I suddenly heard a voice behind me. The pizzabar-owner, Mr. Azer, was intrigued about that fully-packed bicycle behind me. My story made him smile from ear to ear and he asked where I was planning on spending the night. The municipal campground, I shrugged. He shook his head: “Too cold, plus it may rain!” and pointed at the staff accommodation next door. “It’s empty, everyone’s on holiday, you’ll have it to yourself!” A key was tossed in my direction. A fresh pizza was delivered half an hour later.
A shower. A washing machine. A warm meal. A bed… And a friendly stranger. Going back to the basics turn the small things into nothing less than magic.
Distance: 124km
GPS: All Trails
Terrain: Wide, asphalted shoulder on Highway 1.
Views: Farm fields.
Water Situation: Water in wel-serviced town Brooks. Tourist info at Tillebrook Provincial Park (10km later). Then nothing until Redcliff, which is 90km further, not even streams to filter from. Rather problematic! Carry plenty of water.
Food Situation: Brooks. Tilley (4km off-trail, one-way). Redcliff.
(Cloudy, headwind)
Only the third day in the Prairies and I was already over it. I found it hard to find stimulation in anything, as honestly, there wasn’t anything around to begin with. Besides, perhaps, the very first coyote sighting in my life - which honestly was pretty damn sweet. I had to suck up that dreadful Highway 1 until the turnoff in Saskatchewan, and I had still 2 full and long days to reach it. The only way to get through this monotony was simply turning my senses off and let my thoughts ship me away to elsewhere more exciting. It didn’t help that the wind was, once again, far from cooperative. Oh yeah, and the water situation: non-existent for a stretch of 90km from Tillebrook Provincial Park (don’t let the name mislead you, it’s incredibly underwhelming) onwards. Not even a stream to sparsely filter from! Of course I was entirely unprepared, as this was a situation I never experienced before and this information is nowhere to be found (well: here it is!), so I faced severe dehydration. It also meant that even though I really wanted to stop, I was unable to do so: I needed to find a water source first, as I couldn’t spend the night on an empty water bottle, which would also mean an empty stomach with nothing to cook with.
So on I went, through thirst and exhaustion. Until I reached a town called Redcliff. A standard, boring little town to most, but an oasis to me. You see, the universe has watched me fumble and stumble that day, so it surprised me with an incredible reward at the finish line. It wasn’t quite obvious at the beginning, as I had squeezed out my very last energy, battling the bitter wind, to defeat all odds and reach downtown before 10PM when all businesses would close their doors. I managed, 5 minutes before closing time… but the sandwich bar was wrapping up its ingredients, the restaurants were putting their signs inside and the pizza joint just sold its last slice. A pack of ramen noodles was all I could lay my hands on. Sitting down on the sidewalk, sipping away this woeful meal, I suddenly heard a voice behind me. The pizzabar-owner, Mr. Azer, was intrigued about that fully-packed bicycle behind me. My story made him smile from ear to ear and he asked where I was planning on spending the night. The municipal campground, I shrugged. He shook his head: “Too cold, plus it may rain!” and pointed at the staff accommodation next door. “It’s empty, everyone’s on holiday, you’ll have it to yourself!” A key was tossed in my direction. A fresh pizza was delivered half an hour later.
A shower. A washing machine. A warm meal. A bed… And a friendly stranger. Going back to the basics turn the small things into nothing less than magic.
Day 27: Redcliff – Maple Creek
Distance: 119.9km
GPS: All Trails
Terrain: Wide, asphalted shoulder on Highway 1.
Views: Farm fields.
Water Situation: Water in well serviced town Medicine Hat. Then you pass a town called Irvine (no shops here, but houses to get water from). There are 2 gas stations along the way as well. It’s all farmlands, so no safe drinking water to filter from the ponds. Maple Creek is a town.
Food Situation: Medicine Hat. 2 gas stations. Maple Creek.
(Both sunny and rainy, tailwind )
After a night – literally – in the ditch, I now stretched myself out in an actual comfortable bed! What a life’s kindness! I left before the pizza joint opened, so I pinned a heartfelt thank-you-letter on Mr. Azer’s door. A new day lay ahead of me, hopefully full of new interesting meetups, which seemed to be the leading theme in this wonderful country called Canada. Ask and thou shalt receive: After only 20km I pulled over in the substantially-sized town listening to the odd name Medicine Hat, where a coffee bar called “Country Crumbs” caught my positive attention. Within minutes an interested local turned around to enquire about my whereabouts and origins… upon which we shorty found out that not only did he know my exact (completely obscure and off the beaten-tourist-trail) hometown in The Netherlands, his father actually helped liberate it during WWII. He survived the war and even returned to the Canadian cemetery (a stone’s throw away from my house!) to visit his fallen comrades. I literally am able to travel the world and live this life of freedom, thanks to this man’s dad! What a small world we live in, and how much do we owe to the people we haven’t met or will ever meet.
Another interesting event in Medicine Hat, which could be classified as quite a busy city for Prairie-standards: an ANTELOPE walked straight through its bustling main street and no one even looked up! Completely normal to them! An antelope out grocery shopping!
Distance: 119.9km
GPS: All Trails
Terrain: Wide, asphalted shoulder on Highway 1.
Views: Farm fields.
Water Situation: Water in well serviced town Medicine Hat. Then you pass a town called Irvine (no shops here, but houses to get water from). There are 2 gas stations along the way as well. It’s all farmlands, so no safe drinking water to filter from the ponds. Maple Creek is a town.
Food Situation: Medicine Hat. 2 gas stations. Maple Creek.
(Both sunny and rainy, tailwind )
After a night – literally – in the ditch, I now stretched myself out in an actual comfortable bed! What a life’s kindness! I left before the pizza joint opened, so I pinned a heartfelt thank-you-letter on Mr. Azer’s door. A new day lay ahead of me, hopefully full of new interesting meetups, which seemed to be the leading theme in this wonderful country called Canada. Ask and thou shalt receive: After only 20km I pulled over in the substantially-sized town listening to the odd name Medicine Hat, where a coffee bar called “Country Crumbs” caught my positive attention. Within minutes an interested local turned around to enquire about my whereabouts and origins… upon which we shorty found out that not only did he know my exact (completely obscure and off the beaten-tourist-trail) hometown in The Netherlands, his father actually helped liberate it during WWII. He survived the war and even returned to the Canadian cemetery (a stone’s throw away from my house!) to visit his fallen comrades. I literally am able to travel the world and live this life of freedom, thanks to this man’s dad! What a small world we live in, and how much do we owe to the people we haven’t met or will ever meet.
Another interesting event in Medicine Hat, which could be classified as quite a busy city for Prairie-standards: an ANTELOPE walked straight through its bustling main street and no one even looked up! Completely normal to them! An antelope out grocery shopping!
As I was still on Highway 1, the scenery was otherwise entirely uninspiring. Yet, I managed to find joy in the little things. In a conversation with a toothless woman in Irvine, a village where absolutely nothing can be found. In a “sign-war” full of grammatical errors and allegations between two rivalling gas stations right next to one another. And in a surreal chase by pitch-black mountains creeping up on my swiftly, heavy thunders menacingly rolling out of them, and me trying to “out-race” them on Ennio Morricone music as if I were in a video game.
Before I realized it, that glorious moment was there after three days of cycling: a simple right turn, off the Highway 1. I slayed the monster, at last. I took the effort to get off my bike and hold both middle fingers in the air as a final goodbye. Just as the thought of a celebratory drink entered my consciousness, a winery appeared in the middle of absolutely nowhere. Once again, the universe provides! I promptly steered right and almost ran to its doorstep. Closed! I pushed my nose against the window and saw people suddenly looking up. A private tasting, yet, I was more than welcome to join, especially once they heard I cycled 120km to get there. The privilege of a long-distance cyclist. 10 free glasses full of delicious fruit wine were generously poured, including the typically local Saskatoon Berry variety. A victory never tasted so sweet!
After Alberta: 27 days, 2693.9km
Before I realized it, that glorious moment was there after three days of cycling: a simple right turn, off the Highway 1. I slayed the monster, at last. I took the effort to get off my bike and hold both middle fingers in the air as a final goodbye. Just as the thought of a celebratory drink entered my consciousness, a winery appeared in the middle of absolutely nowhere. Once again, the universe provides! I promptly steered right and almost ran to its doorstep. Closed! I pushed my nose against the window and saw people suddenly looking up. A private tasting, yet, I was more than welcome to join, especially once they heard I cycled 120km to get there. The privilege of a long-distance cyclist. 10 free glasses full of delicious fruit wine were generously poured, including the typically local Saskatoon Berry variety. A victory never tasted so sweet!
After Alberta: 27 days, 2693.9km
Quick Budget Fact Overview
Canada Facts
Short History Recap
Ice Age: First humans migrate from Asia. 11th century: Norse establish first known European settlement on Newfoundland island. 1583: Newfoundland England's first overseas colony. 1701: 38 indigenous groups sign peace treaty with France. ’56: Seven Years' War between New France and larger / economically-stronger British colonies. ’63: Treaty of Paris → England acquires all French colonies east of the Mississippi incl. New France (becomes Quebec). ‘74: Quebec Act recognises French language & Roman Catholic religion. ‘76 onwards: Refugees from American War of Independence settle in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec & Ontario. 1800s: Immigration from UK. ’37-38: Armed rebellions, dissatisfaction with ruling elites, poverty and social divisions. ’67: British North America Act → unites Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in Dominion of Canada. ’85: Canadian Pacific railroad. 1914: WWI → Canada fights on side of England and France. ’39: WWII → Canadian forces in Europe and Atlantic. ’49: Founder member of Nato. ’50: Canada/UN participates in War in Korea. ’65: New flag. ’70: Front de Liberation du Quebec kidnap an English trade official and murder a Quebec minister. ’82: England transfers final legal powers over to Canada. New constitution. ’91: Canadian forces participate in Gulf War. ’92: Canada, US & Mexico finalise North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta). ’95: Referendum in Quebec rejects independence by a margin of 1%. ’99: Territory of Nunavut created in northern Canada (self-governing region with majority of indigenous population). 2002: Troops in Afghanistan. ’10: Winter Olympics. ’14: Mission to map Arctic seabed, in support of bid to extend territory up to North Pole. ’16: Free trade agreement with EU. ’17: Promised compensation to indigenous people who were kidnapped to be brought up by primarily white middle-class families. New trade deal replacing Nafta.
Canada Facts
- Capital: Ottawa
- Language: English, French
- Population: ± 39 mln (Ottawa: 1.76mln)
- Sq km: ± 9.985 (Montreal: 365)
- Currency: Canadian Dollar ($ - CAD)
- Electricity Outlet: A + B / 120 V / 60 Hz. Check here.
- Country Code Phone: +1
- Emergency Phone: 911
- Visa: Some countries need to apply for a visa, which can be done here or here.The ones that don’t need to apply for a visa waiver, called an ETA, which is a very cheap and fast process.
- Vaccinations: None.
- Climate: The country is so huge, that we’re dealing with several climate zones. The far north has a Tundra Climate (ET). Below that a zone of Subarctic Climate (Dfc), with patches of Dwc and Dsc. The southern stretch along the US border is mainly Humid Continental (Dfb), with patches of Temperate Oceanic (Cfb).
- High season: June-September. Summer is most pleasant due to the harsh climates in the colder seasons.
Short History Recap
Ice Age: First humans migrate from Asia. 11th century: Norse establish first known European settlement on Newfoundland island. 1583: Newfoundland England's first overseas colony. 1701: 38 indigenous groups sign peace treaty with France. ’56: Seven Years' War between New France and larger / economically-stronger British colonies. ’63: Treaty of Paris → England acquires all French colonies east of the Mississippi incl. New France (becomes Quebec). ‘74: Quebec Act recognises French language & Roman Catholic religion. ‘76 onwards: Refugees from American War of Independence settle in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Quebec & Ontario. 1800s: Immigration from UK. ’37-38: Armed rebellions, dissatisfaction with ruling elites, poverty and social divisions. ’67: British North America Act → unites Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick in Dominion of Canada. ’85: Canadian Pacific railroad. 1914: WWI → Canada fights on side of England and France. ’39: WWII → Canadian forces in Europe and Atlantic. ’49: Founder member of Nato. ’50: Canada/UN participates in War in Korea. ’65: New flag. ’70: Front de Liberation du Quebec kidnap an English trade official and murder a Quebec minister. ’82: England transfers final legal powers over to Canada. New constitution. ’91: Canadian forces participate in Gulf War. ’92: Canada, US & Mexico finalise North American Free Trade Agreement (Nafta). ’95: Referendum in Quebec rejects independence by a margin of 1%. ’99: Territory of Nunavut created in northern Canada (self-governing region with majority of indigenous population). 2002: Troops in Afghanistan. ’10: Winter Olympics. ’14: Mission to map Arctic seabed, in support of bid to extend territory up to North Pole. ’16: Free trade agreement with EU. ’17: Promised compensation to indigenous people who were kidnapped to be brought up by primarily white middle-class families. New trade deal replacing Nafta.
Budget Bites
Sleep Cheap
- Main Supermarket Chains Canada: Sobeys, Metro, Walmart, No Frills, Foodland, Maxi, Your Independent Grocer, Real Canadian Superstore, Safeway.
- Local Dishes: Poutine (fries with cheese curds and gravy), Tourtiere (meat pie), Wild Pacific Salmon, Pate Chinois (layered ground beef, cream corn and mashed potato), Alberta Beef, Rappie Pie (grated potatoes pattie with pork fat, sea food and ground meat), Hodge Podge (vegetable/potato stew), Yukon Reindeer, Caraquets (oysters), Nova Scotia / Newfoundland Lobster, Fish and Brewis (hard biscuits mixed with cod or pork), Pealmeal Bacon (broiled lean pork loin), Split Pea Soup (incl. pork), Jiggs Dinner (beef, greens and split pea pudding), Fiddle Heads (cooked rolled fern leaves), Bannock (typical bread), Beavertails (deepfried bread with sweet toppings / Canadian donut), Montreal Bagel (boiled in honeyed water), Trempettes (crispy sweet pancakes), Touton (thick pancake), Cipaille (meat pie), Maple Taffy / Tire d’Erable (maple syrup frozen over snow), Butter Tarts (pastry), Saskatoon Berry Pie, Nanaimo Bars (crumb-custard-chocolate cake), Pouding Chomeur (cake with hot syrup), Cretons (pork spread), Oreilles de Crisses (deepfried pork rinds).
- The Veg Situation: Going veg is not so complicated in Canada, as vegetarianism and veganism is widely accepted. Most supermarkets contain veg products, be it very processed at times. Veg restaurants can be found here.
- National Drink: Ceasar Cocktail (Canadian bloody mary, sometimes with food hanging off of it), beer, wine.
Sleep Cheap
- Hostels / Hotels / Guesthouses: You probably knew already, before even booking your trip, that visiting Canada isn’t cheap. This goes for accommodation as well. Without being paid to say so, I love Booking.com: They have the biggest selection, are transparent about the final price and have an efficient search engine tailored to your specific needs (cheapest first!). If you use it often enough, Genius-discounts are applied. Air BnB is not what it used to be, price-wise, but in Canada they usually offer cheaper stays than in hotels or even hostels. Be mindful of the additional booking and cleaning costs though, as they can really add up. Writer’s Choice: In Alberta I mainly stayed with friends, friends-of-friends and the occasional Couchsurfing hosts. The other nigthts I camped out.
- Couchsurfing: allows you to stay with locals. Nowadays it has a moderate sign-up cost (unless you put a third-world country as homebase), but paying extra for verification is unnecessary: Positive reviews are way more important. Once active, there are no costs for staying at someone’s house. In order to get accepted, make sure to write an elaborate review explaining why you applied to this specific profile and think you and your host are a good match (copy-pastes tend to be ignored). The Couchsurfing community in Canada definitely is a rather active one, incl. events organized in most of the cities. If your’re biketouring you can also look into Warm Showers, which is a bikepacking community focussing primarily on 1-night stays.
- Wild Camping: is officially legal in Canada. You can pitch your tent anywhere on crown land and you’ll even be abe to find free camping spots. The WikiCamps App Canada is extremely useful for finding these, with community reviews. If public land is scarce, you can ask permission to camp on someone’s private land. Canadians are very kind and hospitable and will likely allow you to do so. In national and provincial parks camping is only allowed on designated campsites or with a permit, and you’ll have to pay a nightly fee (wild camping in these areas is heavily fined).
Mama Said
Transport
Next?
- Safety: Canada is a very safe country with a low crime rate. Outside of the main cities, I met people who don’t lock their houses or cars. In nature, there are several wide animals to take into account, including black bears, grizzly bears, rattle snakes, coyotes, lynxes and cougars.
- Tap Water: is safe to drink.
- The best credit/debit card for traveling is Wise, as they use the live conversion rates with minimal exchange fees. Wise also has the lowest fees for sending money to foreign accounts. That said, I do find their customer service rather questionable. Revolut is comparable, but they have higher exchange fees in the weekend and less wallet-options. Also, you can only wire money to Revolut in the currency you opened the account with, whereas Wise has IBAN’s from a wide variety of currencies, so you don’t have to pay a double exchange fee. Both Revolut and Wise have the option to open a Canadian Dollar wallet. Most Canadian ATMs charge a fee for cash outs, but card payments are accepted everywhere.
- Simcard: Data is known to be incredibly expensive in Canada, with one of the highest rate-per-gb in the world. Prices are even higher if you buy your SIM at the airport. Therefore, either go to the flagship stores to buy a sim (yes, you also pay seperately for the sim, without anything on it), or simply buy one in supermarkets, post offices, gas stations and even in the Dollarama. You can then add credit or a bundle online or via the app. The brands with the cheapest deals are known to be Lucky Mobile, Chatr, Koodo Mobile and Fido (although still terrible money-worth compared to basically everywhere else in the world). The best network coverage is known to be by Telus, Bell and Rogers. If your phone supports eSims, this might be worth looking into, as it’s in most cases more affordable. I used Lucky Mobile which had the cheapest data packages (sim bought in Dollarama), and noticed I had a similar coverage compared to any of the more expensive brands.
Transport
- Walking: Montreal is a pedestrian friendly city. Yet, as it’s rather big, alternative transport from neighbourhood to neighbourhood might be recommended.
- Cycling: Montreal has 1065km of bicycle lanes. Find a map here. There’s a bikesharing system called BIXI, which charges an unlocking fee and a rate-per-minute.
- Public Transport: Montreal has buses and an efficient metro system. You can pay per ride (incl. 1 transfer to bus) or 2 rides, or get a 3-day, unlimited evening, unlimited weekend or week ticket. Oddly enough, the week ticket runs from Monday to Sunday, so if you buy it on a Sunday it only works one day. The weekend ticket starts Friday 4PM. You can pay at the ticket machines, at the metro desks or get an Opus Card. Buses also sell tickets. Children travel free.
- Taxi / Uber: Canada has taxi apps such as Uber, Lyft and Zoomzoom. Car2Go is a car sharing app.
- Train: Canada has a train network operated by Via Rail, but this is a notoriously expensive option (generally double the bus prices, which are also not cheap). Book as early as possible and buy tickets on Tuesday to save some money. There’s a train line to the suburbs as well, called Exo.
- Car Rental: This is not a cheap endeavour in Canada. However, the best deals can generally be found when the car is picked up from an airport.
- Airport: Montreal Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport. Reached by Bus 747 (special ticket needed) runs 24/7.
- Hitchhiking: is relatively safe and easy in Canada, but definitively not common. Don’t bother with the ride-share websites or Facebook groups, as people dare to ask more than the bus and even train tickets. More info on hitchhiking in and out of Montreal can be found on Hitchwiki.
Next?
- In Canada: Saskatchewan.
- International Destinations Close By: United States, Greenland.
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