Day 12
Golden to Field, BC
Distance 89 km
Temperature: hot

Day 13
Field to Banff, Alberta
Distance: 82 km
Temperature-cooling down

Day 14
Banff to Cochrane, Alberta
Distance: 105 km
Temp: cold this morning, hot later on

Tough couple of days, hence the lack of blogging-lots of climbing over the past week, as we’ve been in the Rockies.

Day 12 started with a tough 18 km climb, followed by a couple of descents, and then a continued climb up through Kicking Horse Pass.
I love the names of some of these places-I can’t remember them now, but all conjure up images of violence, and animals (Kicking Horse Pass is named so because the first person (European) explorer was a doctor who discovered the area, but was kicked in the head by his horse, and went unconscious.)
I guess he recovered, and hence the name.
I thought maybe it was named so because climbing the pass made it feel like I’d been kicked in legs by a horse!
We stopped along the way at Emerald Lake, and ‘Natural Bridge’ both amazing sites to see.
The water in the Rockies is an amazing aqua blue-almost the color of mouthwash.
We followed the river for most of the way, so kept getting glimpses of these aqua lakes-very beautiful.
We stopped for lunch in Field, which looks like a tiny European little town, tucked into the mountain side.
Apparently this area is huge for back country skiing, snow boarding and mountain biking, so either people are really fit, or are hiding from the law out here, as there is really nothing else to do-it’s very remote.
When the only place in the little town was descended upon by a horde of hungry cyclists they weren’t quite prepared.
We saw two waitresses come running down the hill to come and help feed the hungry people-they must have put out an APB to their wait staff.

On our way into camp we came across a black bear; she (or he) was ambling along the camp road, doing his/her bear thing. I was quite happy to get a lot closer, but Lewis has a serious bear phobia and we waited a very healthy distance from the bear, until it had gone back into bear-land (our camp site pretty much.)

Lewis and I, along with two others were on galley duty that night.
Everyone always feels very sorry for the poor buggers on duty as it’s a lot of work having to feed 28 people, fetch water, have wash basins ready for hand and dish clean up, as well as having to prepare a full meal in what sometimes turns out to be pretty basic campsites.
At this camp site the water was quite a distance from the cooking area, so we had to lug a few jugs of the stuff-it felt very retro.

Our galley duty group has still a few kinks to work out-apparently this is the area where most of the friction between people occurs-as we’re all tired and all trying to get away with doing the least amount of work as possible-except for Rapid-Fire-Questioner, who is an absolute fireball of energy.
While we’re all trying to get away from doing galley duty, she insists on helping others with their duty, on her days off.
We all think she’s completely mad, but love her for her selfless, tireless energy.
I overheard her talking to one of the older women in the group, and she enquired if said woman had finishing her tea.
She had, and she was then told that she could then go to the bathroom once she was done.
When she talks to you, she narrows her eyes, leans in, and speaks in an urgent whisper, speaking as if warning of dire, impending danger.
All manner of communication is carried out this way, whether it be telling me that the oatmeal is good that morning, or if perhaps there was a crazed rabid grizzy waiting for us around the corner.

This woman is as mad as a box of frogs, but like I mentioned, we all love her for her energy.

Since this was bear country, everyone was really vigilant about keeping food out of the tents.
At bed time, I was subjected to a bag search by Lewis before I was allowed to get to sleep for the night.
I had the idea of planting food at someone else’s tent to keep any nosy bears away, but thought better of it.

Our ride from Field to Banff was incredible; since Lewis and I got stuck on breakfast clean-up we left later, and caught the three Aussies on the climb out of Field (a steep 7km climb, first thing in the morning.)
We ended riding the whole way with them, which was a lot of fun, as they are hilarious.
Our map suggested that we take the old road to Lake Louise, a road that used to be the Trans-Canada, but was closed down due to too many bears, or something like that.

We thought it was going to be a 5 km stretch, but 23 km later, it was still going.
Since we had stopped and spoken to a warden before we ventured past the ‘Road Closed sign’ she had warned us that a grizzly had been spotted on the road the day or so before.
She told us to stick together, avoid eye contact with any bears, and make as much noise as possible.
We’re glad we spoke to her, as some members of the group thought that one was supposed to stare the bear down.
Apparently they’re not as into staring game contests as much as you’d think.

So off we ventured, onto this closed road. It was the setting of a bad, B-scene horror movie, as one of the Aussies was lagging a bit behind.
We of course started to freak each other out, and ended up riding practically on top of each other.
Two of the Aussies had bear bells, and decided to ring it the whole way; since the bell ringing was raising the level of anxiety (of course no one admitted to it) we all started to sing-every show tune and hymn under the sun, including Oh, Canada (with many made up words from the Aussies,) and God Save the Queen, It’s a Long Way to Tipperary, and many, many more.
It was a lot of fun, and at times we forgot we were singing as a bear repellant (or anything with ears.)
Along this road we crossed the Continental Divide, which also serves as a border from BC to Alberta.
We sang and clanged our way over the border a few times to capture it all on film.

Eventually we reached Lake Louise, which looks like it is out of a storybook; with its glacier covered mountains standing there huge and glorious and the mouthwash blue-green Lake in the foreground.
Apparently Hollywood in the 20’s used it for a Switzerland setting.
We hung out there for a while, as long as we could stand all the ‘tourists’ (somehow we have elevated ourselves above the other tourists, cyclists tend to climb onto their high horses, or bikes as it were in this case.)

The rest of the ride was equally amazing, taking us on twisty, windy roads that followed the river, and had us ride along the mountain side, with the sometimes astonishing view of the Rockies, in their entire splendor.

As we neared Banff, we were warned on our trusty maps about ‘Texas Gates’.
They are those spaced out metal grates that are designed to keep animals in or, out.
We were told to get off our bikes, take our shoes off, and walk across them (I think we were on candid camera.)
At one point Lewis was slowly working his way over the gate, using his bike to steady himself, but Ozzie Pete, being the gallant gentleman that he is, quickly leapt to the rescue (he was ahead of Lewis) and took Lewis’ bike from him, thinking that this would be of help.
Poor Lewis had to then get onto his all fours and crawl his way across the gate, just as a local cyclist came whizzing by on his bike, riding right over the gate, no problem.
I wish I had my camera for that one.

We got into camp just as the skies let loose, lashing us with a wind and rain storm that would have impressed Noah; we were trying to set up our tent in this wind storm, and each time I grabbed the fly it was ripped from my hands.
Lewis, in haste to get the pegs into the ground missed the peg and hit his thumb-ouch.
I was hiding in the truck at this point, eating GORP with the other wimps who were waiting out the storm.
Luckily it cleared up pretty quickly and the galley crew set about with preparing dinner-poor sods.

Later Lewis and I took the shuttle into Banff town; it was strange being back in civilization, as all the little towns we have come across in the meantime look like they belong in times of yore, or some B-scene horror movie (see above.)

Our ride today from Banff (pronounced Bee-YANFF by our driver, Megan,) was amazing for the fact that we left the Rockies, and entered foot hills and prairies.
The change of scenery was instant, again as if someone had clicked the slide to the next one.
We all stopped at some point (riding separately) to take in the view of the receding Rockies, and the oncoming prairies.
It’s hard to believe that we’re leaving the mountains and are entering an entirely new topography-at least we won’t be climbing for a while-hopefully.
Apparently the next few days are pretty flat; we’re just hoping these alleged prevailing winds will be at our backs.