START LOCATION: Nelson, BC
END LOCATION: Banff, AB
MILES TRAVELED: 318.7
TOTAL MILES TO DATE: 5535
WEATHER SUMMARY: Overcast to perfect
First - there are four days of updates in one post. This is due in part to the fact that I have been so tired I simply can't take time to post. I have pushed us hard this year. Maybe the fatigue is because I'm getting old. It could have something to do with the medication I'm taking. Of course, the challenging pace has a lot to do with it. But I know I must rest. And then there's another important factor: My girl is here with me now, and spending meaningful time with her is a priority. So... not posts for several days. Here's a quick update. It's 4 in 1.
I posted a brief update of Day 11 previously. I'll add pics here. Days 11, 12, and 13 are all about the "prize" of the 2018 adventure. This is what we came to do. These days, we experienced the Columbia Icefields Parkway.
The Icefields Parkway is one of Canada's national treasures and most rewarding destinations. Stretching 144 miles (or 232 kilometers, as we found ourselves calculating for these days) through the heart of the Canadian Rocky Mountains, this world-class journey offers access to a vast wildeness of pristine mountain lakes, ancient glaciers, and broad sweeping valleys. I'll let the pictures describe what we experienced.
Day 12 started with a rainy but still pleasant ride on the Kootenay Bay-Balfour Ferry. We completed the Kootenay Lake route, then made our way to Banff.
We had planned to visit Lake Louise on this day, but drawing close to Banff, we decided to go directly to our hotel. We met friends Ben and Tami Kreitl there, had a pleasant dinner, and called it a night.
END LOCATION: Calgary, AB
MILES TRAVELED: 314.6
TOTAL MILES TO DATE: 5849.6
WEATHER SUMMARY: Snowing!
The idea was to relax a bit on this day. We desperately needed to catch up on some rest before the girls arrived. We set out to "scout" a few things on the Parkway in anticipation of the girls joining us for the adventure, and we did just that. We then made our way to Calgary to meet the girls via the Kananaskis Trail.
We visited five sites on the Parkway: Lake Louise (which we elected to postpone on Day 11), Hector Lake Lookout, Crowfoot Glacier Overlook, Bow Lake Overlook, and Peyto Lake Lookout. Each was rewarding, as the pics below prove. Ben and Tami told us about another site we should try to visit - Maligne Lake - that was not on our itinerary, but the parking lot was full on our way up to Lake Louise and was fill on our way back down again, so we were unable to see this site. Postponing experiencing this site would prove to be a blessing, as we ending up finishing our time on the Parkway with this gem. More on that later in the post...
It was cold and SNOWING on this day. If I had know we would experience snow will riding at elevation, I might have reconsidered - but the snow was light and didn't impact our riding at all. It certainly made for a memory, though!
 |
| Ben and Tami |
 |
| The Steves |
 |
| Matt |
 |
| Snow on my seat! |
 |
| Peyto Lake Overlook |
The Kananaskis Trail was one of those unexpected blessings we experience so often on these trips. The scenery was stunning. The ride was exhilarating. And we found wildlife we didn't expect. First, we came screaming around a curve to jam on brakes as we saw a family of grizzlies just down a little embankment next to the road. We saw a family of little birds of some sort (no pics of these), and then encountered a herd of mountain goats of some sort. I love animals!
Finally arriving in Calgary, we were able to get settled - and deal with a bike issue I'll address in another post - before I headed to the airport to meet the girls. It sure was great to get to see Annette!
END LOCATION: Jasper, AB
MILES TRAVELED: 296.8
TOTAL MILES TO DATE: 6146.4
WEATHER SUMMARY: Absolutely beautiful
We started this day bright and early. Though not a long mileage day, we had a full ride plan.We stopped at a couple of easy-to-access sights on the way north, but pushed hard to get to the Columbia Icefield and Skywalk Visitor Center, where we would have lunch and then enjoy two amazing experiences - a ride in a giant snow coach up to the Columbia Glacier, and a walk on the Skywalk, a glass walkway suspended over a deep gorge. Along the way north toward Jasper, the northern-most point in our adventure, we visited a number of awe-inspiring wonders, including Howse Pass Lookout, the Weeping Wall, Big Bend, and others. We visited two powerful waterfalls, Sunwapta Falls and Athabasca Falls. Finally, we made our way to Jasper, where we enjoyed dinner together before retiring for the evening.
 |
| Find the rainbow in this one! |
END LOCATION: Banff, AB
MILES TRAVELED: 207.0
TOTAL MILES TO DATE: 6353.4
WEATHER SUMMARY: Overcast and cold
On this last day on the Icefields Parkway, we would make our way from Jasper back to Banff - and officially begin the turn south, toward home. While at dinner the previous evening, we made the difficult decision to skip a planned boat ride on Maligne Lake. While I had been looking forward to this experience, we knew we would be cold, that the forecast was less than favorable, and that the experience would make for a really long day. Given our fatigue factor, we opted to sleep in, start our ride at 9 AM, and head for Banff.
Along the way, we saw beautiful sights, including Tower Falls, Peyto Overlook, and Lake Louise. This also turned out to be great animal sighting day. We finished Day 14 with the highlight of our time on the Parkway, Moraine Lake, before ending up in Banff for dinner.
These are the evidences of the handiwork of God we came so far to experience. To say we were not disappointed is an understatement. Lyrics to songs I sing so often were rolling through my heart and mind as we beheld all of this together...
O Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder
Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made
I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder
Thy power throughout the universe displayed
Then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee
How great Thou art!
and
The splendor of a King clothed in majesty
Let all the earth rejoice...
How great is our God!
O friends, if you don't know this God of creation - look for Him in all of this beauty. Marvel at the power that must be at the disposal of this One who fashioned all of this. And consider this truth that is almost too much to comprehend: The God who formed all of this formed YOU and desires a personal, intimate relationship with you.
See Him. Marvel. And step into life-changing relationship. He's as close as the mention of His name. Not sure about how to begin a journey that is far more meaningful than the Canadian Rockies Adventure? Ask me. I'd love to help you start down a REAL road less traveled... an adventure far greater than Canadian Rockies '18... and one that will last far longer than a lifetime. Yes, I'd love to share the "what" and the "how" with you. Really. I would!
No comments:
Post a Comment