We were in Jasper, the main town in the homonymous National Park. It was a very picturesque place and abundant in beauty within the frame offered by the surrounding mountains. Impeccably predisposed for the luxury tourism, there were plenty of restaurants and souvenir shops for every budget. Well, almost every one!


The cheapest place was the campground, which was still a bit steep wit its $25 per night. Luckily we were three to share the costs! In the middle of forests and trails, one could access the civilization space that Jasper offered and also enjoy the abundant wild life: the squirrels were more prevalent than ants and there were deer grazing all over the place. Kathy and Oscar even got to see a black bear nearby during one of their incursions to the local store.

We couldn’t let the opportunity to see this region more intimately go by, so we decide to take a “rest” day and go to the Maligne Lake. Also, it was something that Oscar had pending. As it happened, since he was little and for many years, a picture in his hometown barber shop caught his attention. Every time he was there, he couldn’t take his eyes off the beautiful picture of a remote emerald lake. Yes, it was Maligne Lake and we were just a mere 50 Km from it. How about seeing it in person?

We left that Saturday morning riding on a road that would take us straight into the Rockies. As you can imagine, it was pure climbing and slowly we were gaining altitude in the 700 m of altitude that we needed to clear. The Medicine Lake, half way through, gave us a good excuse to rest at its shore and, on the same token, to take a little nap!

Little by little, the rock walls that surrounded us, made us stop more and more, because the granite ramparts that emerged as endless towers just a few meters from the road that run narrowly against the lake shore just took our breath away.

After a few hours and several liters of sweat, we finally got to Maligne Lake. Unfortunately, it was packed with cars, RVs and coaches full of tourists that overflowed the place and piled themselves in the upscale bar/restaurant/gift shop that was there.

We went a bit further along the lakeshore until we could get away from the crowd and finally enjoy the beauty that nature was offering us in its entire splendor. It was a great reward for the effort to get there.

Going back, we took advantage of the descents and with Oscar we started a hellish race to the head of Medicine Lake. For almost 20 km we pedaled hard and raced with all our might. Either of us wanted to give up with out Latin American pride. Almost at the finish line, Oscar started to appear bigger in my rearview mirror until he surpassed me, leaving me with no breath. He was a machine!! We ended up lying on a picnic table, waiting for Kathy, out of breath and with our legs to the point of falling off, but happy with the energy we use in the race. What a nice way to rest after so much pedaling to get to Jasper.

It was hard to finish the trip that day and we went straight to the local supermarket. We had to recharge energy fast. The decision to stay another day in Jasper was not too hard to make. It was better to take some time and organize what was coming on the following days.

After a few days under rain, we finally started riding the Icefields Parkway on Monday. From what they told us, it’s the most scenic route in Canada. Would it be?


The food logistic was very important and now that we were three, more than ever. We wouldn’t find stores to restock until Lake Louise, where we were planning to arrive in four days. Considering what Oscar and I were consuming, and now that Kathy spoiled us with her luxury breakfast with eggs, bagels and our new addiction, Nutella, we wanted to bring everything along. And we almost did. When we returned from shopping that Sunday, we couldn’t believe how much we had. It was a bit of an exaggeration to see the food overflowing the picnic table. Would it be enough?

Finally, on August 13th, we branded the team “Sudacois”. Of course we started riding around noon, after a wet morning where it took us a bit of time to share the supplies, put everything in the panniers and take down the campsite.

The clouds were behind us and little by little we were getting into a cleared and sunnier weather. Would it be true what Oscar said about my climatic influence when riding? Who knows?

The good fortune smiled upon us when we crossed the National Park entrance. The rangers simple said hi and let us go in without paying the daily $9 that costs to move around the National Park region. A bit expensive for our pockets and mostly when considering our advancing speed…

The first day we rode along the Athabasca River, passing near a gorge were a waterfall with the same name formed. The sun was strong and it highlighted the green color of the waters, making the look like extensions of the surrounding vegetation. In the background, the mountain ranges framed the landscapes with their imposing presence. It was the beginning of a parade of images and landscapes that would stun our senses and filled our eyes for the next few days. We felt incredibly small with the endless succession of emerald waters twisting along the valleys and peaks with abrupt and deep walls.


Advancing was very slow, because we stopped every two minutes to take pictures. One camera, the another one, then the three together… so the rhythm was interrupted after every curve, every descent and every time that the views made us try to capture at least a bit of that beauty so we could share it with friends and loved ones. It was, of course, a vain task, because you could not reflect such beauty in the reduced space of a picture. But at least they were enough to convey the idea.

We landed at Honeymoon Lake well into the afternoon and we almost find no place to camp. We did only 50 km, but they were so intensely lived that it was equivalent to a longer distance.  We were the only aliens camping without a motorized vehicle, and also, the only crazy enough to take a quick dip in the freezing waters of the lake under the incredulous looks of the RV owners.

Chaos took hold of our picnic table, as usual, and in a few minutes the plastic bags where we put our food and gear were all over the place. It was a fight to see what we would eat and who would be the lucky one with less food for the next day. We tried to be equal and just! Already in the middle of the night, we went to sleep. This was only the beginning!

The photo session in the lake under the morning sun and the long ritual of our breakfast, put us on the road once again at noon. The day objective was the Columbia Icefield, at 2000 m of altitude and the crown of the place, with the glaciers as the main attraction.

The wind was on our side and made the ride a bit more pleasurable even though we were gaining altitude. Nevertheless we were surprised that we weren’t climbing much. That was forecasting a sharp climb towards the end of the day. But it didn’t mater. The Sunwupta River was descending the mountains alongside and its turns and curves were catching all of our attention. The sunshine was an extra gift and the ever present peaks made us stop to take pictures at every moment or to contemplate the show in front of our eyes.

When the afternoon started to shower us with its shadows, there were the first signs of the ice. In the distance we could see the peaks transforming and to no be covered by an unmistakable white color: the glaciers were there!! Unfortunately they were very affected by global warming and their retreat was noticeable, to the point that in some places, the glaciers were just a memory marked only on the explanatory signs and not in the reality in front of our eyes.

With a few Km to go, according to our maps and with a few hundred meters to climb yet, the road started an abrupt and steep climb towards the Columbia Icefield, the trade mark glacier from this touristy place. The climb consumed our last energy and drenched our shirts. We were advancing very slowly and little by little we could appreciate more and more of the icy mass, until all of the sudden we crashed against a urban reality. From the natural surroundings where we were completely mesmerized by, we run into the colossal Information Center, which was also Hotel and base camp for the massing tours around the area. T was an unnatural mass that was more than obvious in the ample and empty space that was set by the mountains. The parking lot was full of cars, buses and RVs. People were wondering around, polishing the shutters of their cameras. Inside, it was even worse with a huge gift shop which we left immediately disgusted. What caught my attention were the tours done with buses with gigantic wheels (like bulldozers), where one, previous payment of the mandatory fee, could see the glacier face to face. Incredibly and against any conservatory concept, those monsters climbed the side of the glacier taking tourists hungry for “adventure” This was a clear example of “economical environmentalism” where the business was on top of any logical reason. We weren’t expecting such a show! 


The temperature was falling fast and the sun was hiding behind the mountains. We decided to return to explore the place the next morning and we went to set camp in the nearest campground. Again, we snatched the last site and the dinner chaos dominated the scene when the stars were already on the sky. The thermometer had fallen to 3 C, but it was a special night to appreciate the numerous shooting stars that passed over our heads. An extra gift on this more than generous experience.

The morning welcomed us with a level of could not experiences until now. Even though we already had some cold days, the altitude was an added factor and we had to put everything on to avoid shivering uncontrollably. Fortunately my weather charm worked again and the day promised to be with plenty of sunshine and no clouds in the sky. Three days like that: wasn’t it too much?

Half way through the morning we were at the base of the glacier taking pictures without control. With Oscar we climbed a very steep and loose hill from the parking lot to be closer to the place with the bicycles. We could only pedal half way through. The rest was done pushing while being looked at by the astonished tourists that were arriving. Kathy’s patience to take the pictures that we asked her was deserving of a Nobel Prize. We drove her nuts!!


We spent a good two hours in the photographic production. The number of tourists in the area was bigger by the minute. The buses/trucks started to ride on the ice. You could see guided tours like little ant hills, with their gear that looked like they were going to the Himalayas contrasting with the growing number of people that went beyond the established limits to see the place up-close. The atmosphere turned exhausting and we went back to get our bikes and return to a place that it was, at least, a bit less exploited commercially. It was a pity that a place that in theory should be preserved was the most crowded.

By other cyclist recounts, the climb from the other side of the mountain was much steeper than the side we came from. So, we had a nice descent waiting for us! And it was more than great! At the beginning we were teased with not so much of an incline, but when we got to the real descent it was incredible. The guys were in front of me, so I decided to break my speed record. When I realized it, I was going over 70 km/h on a good paved road, with the wind on my back but many curves and turns and traffic!!

I was 110% concentrated on my descent, my body tense, my arms aching from the force I had to manage to keep the bike stable and fighting against the moving flag on my back. The speedometer marked increasing numbers little by little until, suddenly, two sections with more pronounced incline catapulted me like in the initial drop of a roller-coaster. I felt the bike came off the ground and for a few seconds I thought I was flying. I managed to see briefly that I was going at the amazing speed of 81.5 Km/h!! Full of adrenaline, what a rush…What a scare!!

I was riding right in the middle of the road. I didn’t care about the traffic. With my size and at that speed, I considered myself a vehicle like any other on the road.

The landscape was like a tunnel in which mountains, asphalt and cars coming in the opposite direction were blurry. Would these be my last kilometers? I was screaming like a baby!!!

That’s when I saw a sharp turn coming and that Oscar was standing there. Slowly I started breaking and I managed to stop at the end of the parking area. I was shaking of emotion, with the arms stiff and a smile stamped on my face. What a joy!! This is something not recommended if one wants to make it to Ushuaia in one piece!! But you can’t make an omelet without breaking the eggs… (Again another attempt to translate “sarna con gusto no pica”)

We continued with Kathy and Oscar along the Alexandra River passing through a narrow valley where the road and the water course fought to dominate the terrain. The huge rock walls that surrounded us were a paradise for rock climbers and Kathy showed us the places where she climbed on other occasion. Crazy!! And then they called us crazy for riding a bike!! Psss. 

For once, we decided to set up camp earlier and we stopped at the nearby Rampart Creek. We wanted to have some sun before dinner and dry all the gear that was still wet from the morning dew that got everything wet when taking down the campsite. We settled down in an area reserved for the big RVs and in minutes we spread our tents and wet clothes in the wide area that was like a loft when compared with the other campgrounds.

Taking advantage of the sun we went with Kathy to the river to refresh ourselves. The best place was an area with natural pools, ideal to splash around without being exposed to the freezing water currents. Unfortunately, we interrupted a bucolic dinner that a couple form a nearby RV were having, with their dinner table with tablecloth, crystal glasses full of wine and in the middle of a romantic toast…

I asked him if it didn’t bother them if we wash ourselves right there. Poor guy. He said yes, so from the beautiful natural landscape the he was enjoying a few minutes earlier, he went to two smelly cyclists throwing some cold water on themselves. Very glamorous!!! I will never forget the poor guy’s expression.

The next day the weather kept surprising us with a clear sky and plenty of sunshine. As it was chilly, we opted for a good breakfast to complete the bagels with Nutella, oats and toasts with coffee and tea. The only thing missing were the hotcakes! We had an instant mix that promised spectacular rounded discs of succulent dough to drown with sugary syrup. But out rudimentary kitchen tools couldn’t prevent them from sticking one after the other. The solution was simple: Scrambled hotcakes. Actually, they were good. 

Obviously, we started later than planned. For the first time we rode 15 km without stopping until we got to the Saskatchewan crossing. The idea was simply to get some water and keep going, because this epicenter of tourists invading gift shops wasn’t precisely our scene.

But it wasn’t possible. First we crossed our paths with Mario and Monique, a cycling couple from Montreal and we chit-chatted with them for a while. When we were about to keep going, Oscar found some old friends of him from Switzerland, Paskal and Franzisca, who we already saw in Skagway, Alaska. Another half hour went by and when we finally left, we carried a big load of energy bars and other things that Franzisca gave us. She planned on using them during the Ironman that was going to happen a few days later in Penticton, but she had to change plans due to a problem in her leg.

20 Km after that, we were impressed by Lake Waterfowl beauty and stopping was a must. We even couldn’t contain ourselves and we took a dip, had lunch and took a nap right there. We were definitively breaking records but of slow speed!! We even crossed paths with cyclists that while we were going in one direction, they were coming back the opposite way..

Even though it was pass 5 pm, we decided to continue and stop at the next campground, near Lake Louise. The name wasn’t a good omen: Mosquito Creek!! We still had to cross another pass, Bow Pass, with 2067 m of altitude. It would be the highest since the beginning of the trip. They told us that it wasn’t too steep, but we still had to climb it. When the moment to climb came, I put my head down and pushed as hard as if the bike was empty. Without breath I made it to the summit totally exhausted but happy. It cost me, because when I made it to the campground, I could barely move. Thankfully Kathy and Oscar took care of dinner and thanks to the energy drinks that we got that afternoon, I could recover in couple of hours. Thanks Franziska!!!

Our last day was also sprinkled with sun and heat, even though we could see the changes coming our way. Five days of perfect weather in the mountains was too much to ask, wasn’t it? Following the footprints of Bow River and with a pit stop to refresh our feet in Hector Lake, we took the final descent to the little town of Lake Louise. We settled down in the campground, which had, for better protection against bears, an electrified fence around it. And to think that during all the time on the road, we didn’t see any animal life other than the countless vehicles that ride on that rode constantly.

After taking the afternoon calmly to set up the campsite, we went to the only store in town to buy some food. I was appalled to see the exorbitant price of everything, with and additional 50% on top of the most expensive prices I’ve seen in the northern parts of the country. When I ask the person at the register why such prices, she told me: “because we have to bring everything from Calgary, which is far away” I almost kill her!! From Calgary??  It’s only an hour away by car on a beautiful highway!!! If that’s the case, so what’s left for the people in Inuvik that rely on trucks making the 800 Km of the Dempster Hwy? It was in vain to complain. The place was there to cater to the luxury tourist and we were not at that level of travelers. Our dreams of elaborated foods after four days eating dehydrated pasta and rice evaporated immediately and we went back to our usual road diet. What a downer!!!

The next day we decided to visit Lake Louise and Lake Morraine, a few kilometers from town. As if charmed, the sun was still up in the sky and its warmth could be felt on our skins. After climbing a few meters of incline in the middle of an endless caravan of vehicles, we arrived to Lake Louise. The natural beauty offered by the emerald waters and the snow covered mountains framing the background was lost in the sea of people that overcrowded the shore trail.

The landscape was dominated by an imposing “Chateau” that offered lodging to people of high paying power, and it was full!! The cheapest room cost $400 and you could easily spend up to $2600 for a night in that luxury castle…without counting service tips!! It was overwhelming. We really felt out of place. So much ostentation of monetary power was making the true natural value of the place to depreciate to its minimum. We were in a National Park, weren’t we? It didn’t look like it. So much luxury for just a few people made us rethink about the huge unbalance between these “1st world powers” and our “developing nations” How many people were living in conditions that are less than acceptable so just a few could enjoy these pleasures? The contrast was too much and we were sad so see such a situation in a place where nature should be the protagonist and not the economical exploitation of those same natural resources.

At Moraine Lake we were witnesses of similar scenery, but this time without the portentous hotels. Coming back to the campground, our weather luck ended and a torrential shower drenched us from toes to head during the fast descent. The cold weather settled in and we wouldn’t see the sun anymore. It looked like the weather was feeling our mood and disillusion with the recent experience…

To raise our mood, we cook a nice dinner and we spent the night entertained while trying to improve out linguistic skills. Kathy had to speak in Spanish, Oscar in English and I in French. The funniest part was that Oscar couldn’t understand me when I explained things in French trying to improve his English, as Kathy couldn’t understand Oscar’s English or my invented French... and neither Oscar nor myself had an idea of what Kathy was saying in Spanish. We had fun easily and cheaply…

Sunday morning we met Ralph and Pat Ralph y Patan American couple that I already heard of, form other travelers, but I hadn’t crossed paths with. They were riding from the Alaskan extreme north, Prudhoe Bay, to Ushuaia in Argentina. We spent a few hours comparing notes and exchanging information. Perhaps we would cross paths in the future!!

The day was grey, could and wet. We settled down in a cooking shelter and we monopolized a table and the stove, which we lighted to warm up the place and at the same time, dry out our wet clothes. In a few minutes the place looked like a gypsy tent.

The good luck came from the hand of a Mexican couple and a family that left a good amount of food as a gift to anyone that might want it, because they didn’t wan to take it back to their homes. It was a blessing for us and we jump on it with smiles from ear to ear and satisfaction looks from the amount of exquisite food that we inherited and for the nice price of nothing!! We celebrated with a succulent dinner with sausages on the stove, flavored rice and salads. We even had parmesan cheese. What a luxury!!!

A couple of German cyclists, Markus and Tina, joined us for dinner. They demonstrated to have an excellent sense of humor, enjoying the endless repertoire of incoherencies that we said without a pause.

It was a nice night, full of laughs and surrounded by a true felling of friendship. An unforgettable moment, which with all the other lived the previous days, would be keep in that corner of my heart reserved for the good memories.

We only had a few more hours together. Sooner we would follow separate paths with our respective destinations: Kathy to Calgary and back to Quebec, Oscar to the National Parks in the USA and me going back to the coast, towards Vancouver. The “Sudacois” was coming to an end, at least for now!! Nevertheless, the experiences would live for a long time in our spirit, giving us joy with the memories of an exceptional week in the middle of a wonderful place full of beauty and panoramic views.

Until next time!!

Good Trails,

Damián


Addendum…

A picture is worth a thousand words. Kathy took the time to compile some pictures and videos that describe briefly the spirit of coexistence that we had on those days that the ‘Sudacois” was riding through the Rockies.  
I hope that you can capture the beauty of the places where we’ve been and feel the joy that the surroundings gave us. Enjoy!!

Acknowledgements

To Franziska Krebs and Pascal Riesen: for sharing with us so many energy bars and their good vibes with us.

To Ralph and Pat: for the spontaneous friendship between long distance cyclists and with same goals. Good trails!!

To Mishka and Omar, form Puerto Vallarta: for so many exquisite bites that you left behind when you visited the campground at Lake Louise.

To Tina and Markus Fink, the Germans with the best sense of humor that I’d ever met. Thanks for sharing your joy and laughs with us!!

To Oscar Cañón, once again: for the shared experiences and that brotherly feeling that unite us in this dream that slowly turns into reality. I’ll see you in California!!

To Kathy Sauvageau: for your infinite patience, your incredible capacity to adapt, your indomitable sense of freedom and that endless spark of joy ready at every moment. Until our paths cross again!!


Some Statistics

Days on the road: 75

Days riding: 51

Kilometers done: 4487 km (1120 on gravel)

Average Kilometers per day: 88,0 km

Hours on the bikei: 272h39m (11d08h39m)

Average speed: 16.47 km/h

Maximum speed: 81.5 km/h, descending from Sunwapta Pass (15-Aug-2007)

Meters climbed: 38284 m

Maximum altitude: 2067 msnm, Bow Pass (16-Aug-2007)

Time that my hands were shivering after surpassing the 80 km/h on the bike: quite a few minutes!!

Amount of tourists that we saw in the places of best natural attractions: too many!