In Jasper: down the parkway

July 31, 2023

We’ve got excellent cycling conditions today - dry, comfortably warm, light winds - conditions that look like they’ll see us through our final week of this excursion. Excellent except for the smoke that is, which although fairly light mars visibility significantly so that only the outlines of peaks in the distance are discernible through the haze. There doesn’t appear to be any fire of significance anywhere near here, so it must be drifting in from fairly far away.

We can’t complain though. We left Portland three weeks ago uncertain about whether fires would significantly impact our plans, but really it’s only been the Saint Mary’s River fire near Cranbrook that’s affected us. On the whole we’ve really had exceptional luck with the weather up here.

Today’s ride is an OAB that starts from our AirBnB and makes its way south on the Icefields Parkway after first routing past the same inner lakes we passed yesterday. We’ve included the lakes to add some flat miles to the course, rather than continuing further south on the parkway into a hillier section. To be honest this is one of the less spectacular stretches of the famously beautiful parkway, but we both like the simplicity of just starting from home rather than driving thirty miles to the next flattish section.

Even a less stellar section of the parkway is a pretty wonderful ride though. Let’s start with a preview:

Video sound track: Grandfather’s Waltz, by Stan Getz

It’s chilly when we wake up so we take our time getting started, letting the day warm up before starting out. It’s lovely biking across the river and past the lakes again. This is such a beautiful area to have available so close in to town.

We’re maybe two miles into the ride when it finally occurs to me that we’ve forgotten to bring our national park passes with us, which we’ll need when we get to the booths at the start of the parkway. There’s some mild cursing and frustrated chatter over whether to head back to get them or even whether to abort the ride and take the hike we’ve planned for tomorrow instead, when fortunately Rachael remembers that we took photographs of them with our phones when we bought them - something the ranger who sold them to us advised us to do.

We stop to check the phones to make sure they’re still there, and then bike on hoping they’ll be honored when we get to the booths. Even though it’s an out and back situation where Rachael would have left me behind long ago, we stay together until we reach the ticket booths to confirm we both make it through.

When we get there, the passes aren’t even needed. The agent leans out the booth, asks if we have passes and then waves us through with a smile without asking us to show them.

Leaving home. That’s the Jasper Park Baptist Church, our landmark for finding our way back to our place when we’re walking back from dinner.

A wildlife sighting on the golf course. I’ll bet the greens keepers love these guys!

A last look across Beauvert Lake. So clear!

Not long past the gates the parkway crosses the Athabasca. While I stop for a few photos Rachael sees her chance and breaks away, soon disappearing in the distance.

Looking back toward the township and the Pyramid range.

The view to the south is significantly hazier.

Rachael’s fallen behind for some reason - I think she stopped to shed a layer - but overtakes me at the bridge.

And soon she’s gone from sight. The last I’ll see of her for the next hour.

There are some impressive peaks ahead, but they’re not too clearly seen today.

Looking across the Athabasca. I think the highest peak on the left might be Edith Cavell, but we’re not seeing enough of it here to be sure.

I bike pretty steadily for a change and never fall that far behind, so she’s not far from our marked turnback point when I see her coming my way. We shout back and forth across the noise of the highway traffic for a minute while we decide what to do. I want to continue on another half mile to the end, which is a marked viewpoint, but she’s conflicted - she’s getting hungry and interested in getting home, but she also wants me to ride in front of her for some action video footage. She finally relents and crosses the highway to follow me back to the viewpoint, which once we arrive there is none too impressive because of the haze.

Rachael wants to take credit for a col shot here, which some guy took for here when she was here earlier. It would be unkind to point out that the sign is pointing to the pass, but not actually at one.

Looking further south down the parkway. Right about here is when the views start becoming more impressive.

The ride back goes just as expected. Rachael hangs with me long enough to collect her footage, but as soon as I find a reason to stop again she’s off in search of lunch. I’m not far behind her when I roll in - less than ten minutes, I’m sure - but it’s far enough so that conditions have changed on the road by the time I pass through. When I arrive I ask if she saw any wildlife. No - did you? Just the one elk, I say - about four blocks back, right on our street.

Hurry up! You’re supposed to stay in front for awhile!

Thanks. I’ve got my footage, now I’m off to get lunch.

On Beauvert Lake again. I don’t know what these are. They’re out in the middle of the lake, but as soon as I stopped to take a look they sensed they were being watched and fled for the opposite shore.

This one gave me plenty of time for a good look though.

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Today's ride: 45 miles (72 km)
Total: 1,103 miles (1,775 km)

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Patrick O'HaraNice ride, guys. Some fantastic looking scenery you've got there!
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