Golden to Banff
Depart: 6:00am
Arrive : 8:15pm (pst)
Dist : 147.21km
Time : 10: 02.21
Odo: 981km
Max speed: 39.8
Avg speed: 14.6 km/hr
Had a good nights sleep last night and was ready for what I knew was going to be a big hill climb day.
The first attack was rght out of the gate leaving Golden, steep and narrow. My timing couldn't have been better leaving this 15km climb for Sunday morning not only for safety but for heat, looked like it could get a tad warm through there. The trip over the new Kicking Horse bridge was well worth the long climb, it's very high up.
I've been running into Dale, an Engineer from Nova Scotia on and off since Aggasiz, I thought I had lost him in between Merrit and Kamloops but he caught up with me and we rode together most of the day but parted company at Lake Louise.
The weather and scenery were perfect, high clouds so the mountains were still visible in all their magnificence, also caught my first look at mountain goats and a glimpse of my first bear, he took off quickly when he saw me, I thinkhe heard the bear bell in my pannier, thanks for that Lorraine.
By 4:30 I had only made it 85 km to Lake Louise, I was tired but was disappointed with my milage so I decided to head to a campsite somewhere closer to Banff. Had I taken the Bow Valley Parkway I may have found a campsite but I took Hwy 1 and there are none. Although the road was straight and flat the headwinds were strong and progress was slow but hey, I,m well clear of BC. This was the longest most tiring day.
Staying at a nice place tonight, The Homestead Inn, had a nice chat with the lady at the desk the headed off for greek salad at my favorite chain of Scottish restraunts.
