The beauty and grandeur of our first overseas cycling trip has never been surpassed. In May1992, we flew to Vancouver via Los Angeles and Seattle to join the other eight cyclists on a trip organised by Jim and Evelyn Gray and Bicycle SA. For the next two days we stayed at the Youth Hostel near the University of British Columbia and explored this beautiful city on our bikes. There was plenty to see and experience as we cycled the spectacular bicycle track out to Stanley Park, Capillano National Park with its famous swing bridge and Grose Mountain.
Once the rest of the group had arrived, we travelled by train on the long trip to Jasper. The train left in the late afternoon and headed for the beautiful Canadian Rockies. It was a truly spectacular sight sitting in the observation car and watching the sun rising over the mountains the next morning. We arrived in Jasper at noon. After unloading the bikes and stocking up on food, we headed for the youth hostel which was at the top of a long climb. Great for riding down but not so great going up with our loaded bikes.
After spending the next day taking in the sights around Jasper, we were ready to embark on the major part of our trip. The Icefields Parkway runs 300km from Jasper to Banff. We were cycling to Banff and back, a total of 600km. Our plan was to stay in youth hostels which we had pre-booked.
Our first day took us to Athabasca Falls which was the location for the movie 'A River of No Return' featuring Marilyn Monroe rafting down the river. The weather was overcast and cool but this didn't detract from the magnificent scenery. The next day we rode to the rustic log cabin hostel at Beauty Creek. The hostel had no running water and had a very quaint long drop toilet equipped with a well-stocked library. We had to carry our water in 20 litre containers from a pipe about 500 metres away. As well as the two bunk cabins, there was a wood heated sauna and a cosy common area.
The following day we rode our unloaded bikes to the Colombian Icefields where we were taken onto the glacier in a tracked bus. This was quite an experience. After another night at Beauty Creek we retraced our route up to the icefields but this time with our fully loaded bikes. The slower riders in the group set off earlier each morning and we all met up at a pre-determined place for lunch.
From the top of the icefields there was a wonderful descent in to a magnificent valley until we reached Lake Louise. The scenery was awesome and the picture postcard blue of Peyto Lake had to be seen to be believed. There was plenty of wild life coming. Cheeky little ground squirrels, bighorn sheep, deer and black bears. Give the bears a wide berth as they can be aggressive when searching for food or protecting their young.
Lake Louise is a major ski resort and tourist destination. The view of the lake stretches out from the chateau across the deep blue waters to a backdrop of glaciers a and mountains. It is truly a magnificent sight. From here it was an easy ride to Banff. Again the hostel was at the top a hill.
The Banff Springs hotel and resort is a magnificent building originally built by the Canadian Pacific Railway. From near the resort, you can take a cable car to the top of the mountain where you can sit over a coffee while taking in the spectacular 360 degree panorama that stretched for miles across the Rockies. There are lots of day rides from Banff. One beautiful ride was around Lake Minnewanka. This name caused much joking by us Aussies. We abandoned the bikes for one day and hired a minibus to drive the 80km to Calgary. We did all the touristy things and walked until we were ready to drop.
After four days in Banff, it was time to load our bikes and head back to Jasper. Some of the group decided to take the easy way back and caught the bus. The scenery was just as magnificent in the return direction and it was surprising to see the change that had occurred since we had ridden through a couple of weeks earlier. The last of the snow had melted and beautiful wildflowers were growing along the roadside. Best of all though was the realisation that it was much easier to ride from Banff to Jasper than the other way (and those squibs in the bus missed out!). The weather was now in the upper twenties and it seemed very hot when climbing the mountains.
For our last night in Jasper, Jim surprised us by taking us to a restaurant that was on top of the world. Located on top of the mountain, it was only accessible by funicular railway. This wonderful climax to a great trip was included in the total fees we had paid but we hadn't been aware of it.
Next day we boarded the train for the spectacular return trip to Vancouver. Here the group dispersed. We went to visit family in the United Kingdom and rode the beautiful English countryside. It had been a holiday we would never forget.