[Suspected Spam]Day 10 July 06 2009

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Banff to Calgary

Depart: 7:15am
Arrive: 6:00 pm

Daily Dist: 130.97km
Time: 8:08.42
Odo: 1112.0km
Max: 45.7km
Avg speed: 16.1km/hr

I left Banff and had a leisurly 25 km cruise into Canmore, cool, overcst and mostly downhill ,perfect conditions.
I stopped at the information booth in Canmore and asked about hwy 1a which runs through Exshaw and Cochrane, parrallel to the Trans Canada. The girl in the booth said it was good and the prefered route for cyclist. I had read that this was a quieter route and it came into Calgary just a few blocks from my Moms place where I am staying.
I got on the 1a and like most secondary routes it was quieter and slighty more hilly, but again I was quit happy to take it and it would give me a chance to focus on my quads this time, (I have to be sure I focus on each muscle group so I don,t become mis-proportioned)
About 10km down the road a truck pulls up in front of me and a guy waves me over, "I need to warn you, the shoulder disappears and this road is dangerous" he goes on to tell me he is a touring cyclist and that he has travelled through most of the west coast of the States and. All through BC and how he hates seeing bikes on the road with all the truck traffic. The guy was about my age so I knew he must know everything, I took his advise and took the Seebe turn off and got back onto the Trans Canada, Hwy 1.
I had been very fortunate to make it through BC with only one small shower as I entered Golden and that was just sent to give me an excuse to stay in a Motel, my luck was about to come to an end. About 50km from Calgary it statred, not much at first, just enough to make me glad I was getting use of the $ 12 front fender I had installed prior to leaving. I pulled over, put on my rain jacket, and grumbled along. Shortly after the skies opened up, it was pouring hard and the spray from the traffic made it difficult to see or more importantly, be seen. I was lucky enough to be passing a weigh scale so I pulled in and ducked into a shed that was under construction. After providing the Ministry of Highways with a. complimentry building envelope condition assesment, I was again on my way.
As I approached Calgary the hills started levelling out and I was making better time than I did when I was coming. through the foot hills east Canmore.
Since the rain had given me a shower and washed one set of biking clothes, I only had one small bag of laundry to take to Mom's.
We had a perfectly done prime rib roast for dinner with an apple pie for desert. While we ate the same thing happened here that happens at home, like magic, when I got up from eating laying cleaned and folded in a basket was my laundry..
Calgary was a milestone for me and I had complted it in the 10 days planned including the one day un-planned rest in Salmon Arm.
I'll be revisiting my rear wheel troubles while in Calgary for 2 days and will resume my trip on July 9th, just 9 more provinces.

Day 9 July 05 2009

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.

Day 08 July 04 2009

Canyon Hot Springs to Golden

Depart: 6:15am
Arrive: 4:30pm
Daily dist: 118.9km
Time: 7:44.26
Odo: 833.7
Max:44Km/hr
Avg speed: 15.3km/hr

The day started with a climb that didn't end until after 10:am at the Rogers Pass summit.
Lots of ups and downs all day.
Tomorrow I climb for 15km out of Golden and plan to end the day somewhere between Banff and Lake Louise that should be the worst of the big hill climbs until Ontario.
I,m not able to receive my Gmails on the Blackberry. If you want to send a note use glen.peters@chatwinengineering.com

Day 7 July 03 2009

Salmon Arm to Canyon Hot Springs

Depart time: 5:45am
Arrival Time: 4:15 pm
Daily distance:139.41
Time:7:38.47
Odo:714.7
Max speed: 43.8:
Avg speed: 18.2

Pullimg into Salmon Arm the other day my nephew Greg and his wife Ruth pulled up and stopped me tp say Hi, they were doing a winery tour in the Okanogan. Today my good neighbours Judy and Vic pulled me over halfway betweeen Salmon Arm and Revelstoke, they said they were returning from Alberta after picking up a trailer for their son, but the real reason was that Vic was hunting me down to make me take back my derogatory comments regarding Englishmen that I had made the previous day.
I was in Revelstoke by noon which was my original destination but felt good so I. decided to continue on.
Todays ride was great, long but very managable grades, felt strong after resting my legs yesterday.
The campsite here is but the most expensive so far at $30.00 a night.
Tomorrow I plan to get to Golden which will take me over Rogers Pass, should be down hill all the way to St. John's from there.

Day 6 July 02 2009

Day Off Salmon Arm

Had the bike into Skookum Cycles in Salmon Arm today to have the rear wheel tuned up.
I was able to get my laundry done and a few other chores at Sue's.
Joe and Deb came for dinner, Sue and Joe's daughter  Kendra joined us for dinner too but left right after, I guess her friends are more fun to hang out with than me even though I rode my bike 600km to see her.
Bob and Martha came for desert and I went to bed shortly after,

Day 5 Canada Day

Kamloops to Salmon Arm

Depart: 8:00am
Arrive: 6:03pm

Daily distance: 123.26
Time: 7:52.3
Odo: 575.3
Max: 42.8
Avg. Speed:  15.7km/hr
The Canadian flag that Laurel had given me is sticking out of the pannier and I'm off for what should be an easy Canada day ride. And why wouldn't it be easy, its as "flat as a pancake" between Kamloops  and Salmon Arm.
The young Englishman Philip that I met yesterday also rode Duffy Lake road. When he planned his trip, he, like the father son team Wayne and James thought it looked like the shorter route.  Philip was a really nice kid who just graduated with a degree in Physics at 21.  When he suggested I take the road from Kamloops to Chase on a road on the other side of the Thompson I had to consider it, after all, the road was "flat as a pancake"  he has a degree, he's 21 and he was British. What I forgot was he thought the Duffy lake road was the easier route, so off I went. Although it was nice to be off the main highway away from the noise and diesel smell, it was a tougher way to go, but hey, that's what's going to sculpt my glutes.
Leaving Chase I was dreading the hill before me but was happy when I rode up the whole thing in one shot, I'm happy with how much easier hills are becoming As I carried on, it was getting late in the day and  I heard a flopping noise, first flat. While I was fixing my flat, along came Philip, he kindly helped me repair the tire but I was secretly thrilled I had stayed ahead of him most of the day. Phil pulled into a campsite before Salmon Arm so we parted ways,  I hope to run into him again.
I am staying with our old friend Sue Shores and will take tomorrow  for a rest day.  and get my bike into Skookem Cycles to tune up the back wheel.

Day 4 June 30 2009

Merritt to Kamloops

Daily Distance: 106.31
Time: 6:48.23
Odo: 451.7
Max Speed: 45.7km/hr
Avg speed: 15.6 km/hr
Dep time 7:00am
Arr time: 4:15pm

Took Hwy 5a from Merritt to Kamloops that goes for 30 perfecly flat kilometers, my kind of riding. Part way through I decided to check out an annoying rubbing sound coming from the back wheel, broken spoke. The previous day the rear corner of my pannier folded into the rear wheel while I was heading down a hill on the Coq, didn,t think much of it at the time, just re-secured the panniers and headed off. I,m hoping it was the previous days events that caused the damage, at least I,d know the cause. I carried onto Kamloops hoping I could get the rear wheel fixed there but it was too late in the day for the shop to repair it. I bought 3 spokes so I could replace them myself and carry on as tomorrow is Canada day and I don,t want to lose a cycliing day, especially in Kamloops.
My sister Nancy met me in the Silver Sage Campground stragically located in the Industrial part of the town, right next to the truss plant. We went for dinner at the Keg and then went and did a tour of the town which included a drive by of all the Scotiabanks, I was glad to see her and I know how proud she is to have me as her brother.
After I got back to my campsite, replaced the spoke (turned out to be two) and met my neighbours.
When I checked in the girl at the desk told me I would be staying next to a father and son who were biking from Richmond to Ontario Via Whistler, Oh crap I thought, these people sound extreme, I know they,ll be wearing Cervelo gear, have european accents and laugh at my tent. Instead the dad Wayne was a regular guy (just like me) we had a good evening talking and were later joined by a 21 year old English chap, Philip.