Some days you just keep in the memory file for a long time. Today was one of these days. We had planned to ride some serious distance today so we left Invermere at 8:30, which was early for us. We rode the four kilometres to the highway, gassed up and headed north to Radium where we followed Highway 93 into Kootenay National Park. There was a $21 charge to ride through the national parks because we were going to ride a part of the Icefields Parkway to Jasper. Fortunately, just as a full car costs the same no matter how many people are in it, apparently groups travelling on motorcycles get the same break.
The highway into the park is cut through a steep walled canyon with a high contrast between light and shadows, It was a real challenge to ride the first part of the road because with my artificial lenses, my eyes don't seem to be able to deal with the contrast as well as regular eyes can. However, the landscape opened up and that became less of a problem. Just as has been the case for the past several days, the highway was a great riding road with light traffic. We stopped to take some photos of the mountains because they are absolutely magnificent! The rivers are a bluish colour with all the suspended rock flour from the glacial meltwater.
Mountain scenery in Kootenay National Park.
Jim took the lead to Lake Louise where we pulled in to refuel and to figure out where to go to get back on Highway 93N because it had merged with Highway 1 at the junction of the two highways. A short stop at the visitor centre set us right. I met three women who were riding to Edmonton from somewhere in Minnesota. They had left Minnesota 3-1/2 days before so they have been putting serious miles under their wheels. You meet some interesting people when you are on the road. We left Lake Louise rode north toward Saskatchewan Crossing.
Way back in the mists of time I stopped at Peyto Lake not knowing what to expect. I saw the most incredibly beautiful blue water coming off a glacier. Now, many years later, we pulled in to see it again. Jim stayed with the bikes as I hiked up to the viewpoint. Climbing steep paths with motorcycle boots and full leathers can be a bit of a challenge, but I managed it. The crowded parking lot was a harbinger of what I saw at the outlook. The platform was filled with people all trying to edge up to the railing to take photos of the lake. I got my chance and took several photos before the hike back to the parking lot. The walk was a lot longer than I remembered.
Our route has been determined, in part, by where we could find hotel rooms so we rolled on north to Saskatchewan Crossing where we turned onto Highway 11. This highway runs through some spectacular scenery as well and wildlife abounds. On the way to Rocky Mountain House we saw a light coloured deer, three bighorn sheep at the side of the road, and for me, a real eye-opener, I saw a grizzly bear grazing beside the river. It was a fleeting glance, but the bear had the characteristic grizzly hump. His/her fur looked a little worse for wear, though. This grizzly only the second one I have ever seen. The first was along the Gallatin River in Montana. I saw it when exited Yellowstone Park after my first trip to Sturgis.
Further on we rode along a most incredibly blue lake with mountains in the background. The colours and landscapes here are incredibly beautiful. However, we rode toward heavy clouds and the air became much cooler. At our gas stop in Nordegg, I put my gauntlets on because my hands were getting very cold. The last ninety kilometres to Rocky Mountain House took about an hour.
Cline Lake, AB
The hotel was easy to find but the lobby seemed to half a kilometre from the lot where we had parked. So now we are checked in, we have figured out the route for tomorrow and hope that the weather holds. Today's ride was 420 kilometres through some of the most amazing geography in the world. We are indeed fortunate to be able to have this almost figuratively in our back yard in BC.
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