The Good - Long distance truck
drivers! Trip Report
Places worth checking out enroute
The good, the bad and the ugly
Messages sent to my mobile phone
| Day | KM | Points | Time on Bike | Avg. Speed | Highest altitude |
| 1 | 57 | Tsawwassen - Aldergrove | 2.40 | 21.5 | 150' - 45m |
| 2 | 95 | Aldergrove - Hope | 3.55 | 24.3 | 800' - 242m |
| 3 | 118 | Hope - Merritt | 6.59 | 16.9 | 4100' - 1242m |
| 4 | 87 | Merritt - Kamloops | 4.31 | 19.3 | 3200' - 969m |
| 5 | 109 | Kamloops - Salmon Arm | 5.28 | 20.0 | 1340' - 406m |
| 6 | 134 | Salmon Arm - Revelstoke | 7.04 | 19.0 | 2470' - 749m |
| 7 | 110 | Revelstoke - Golden | 5.53 | 18.7 | 4400' - 1333m |
| 8 | 140 | Golden - Banff | 7.18 | 19.2 | 5700' - 1727m |
| 9 | 126 | Banff - Calgary East | 5.46 | 22.0 | 4700' - 1425m |
Places worth checking out enroute
Hope - get free detailed map to see locations where the movie "First Blood" was shot. Not much else to do.
Merritt - Take hwy 5A for a scenic route to Kamloops. Road follows a lake most of the way, with excellent swimming. Fill up water bottles as there is no opportunity to do so once you leave the clean lake behind.
Shuswap Lake offers good clean beaches for swimming.
Canyon Hot Springs 35 km out of Revelstoke - great place to soak in a hot spring and rent a cabin or tent space.
Last Spike - a historic spot where the transcontinental railway was completed. Good spot for lunch with picknick tables and water.
Yoho National Park - the most beautiful stretch.
Rise to Kicking Horse Pass - Keep your eyes on the fast flowing whitewater river right beside the road.
Kicking Horse Pass - Take the old 1A just before the pass for a quiet, no cars allowed route into Lake Louise. You will also see the continental divide. Great coffee and bakery in the village at Lake Louise!
Banff - only if you have lots of money!
Go to Visitor Info and get a free hotel and motel guide which will tell you the prices in advance. Always ask for a deal, most of them lowered the price when asked. ie. Banff from $160 to $130 for a twin.
The good, the bad and the ugly
The Good - Long distance truck
drivers!
They always gave us wide clearance whenever they could by going in the next lane when passing us. We were amazed at their consistency and thoughtfulness in doing this. If it was not possible to give us wide berth, they would signal us well before passing us. I wish there was a way to thank them!
The Bad - Motor homes and Trailers
Only a few of these gave us any clearance and too many of them were swaying in their lanes making us nervous. One got the impression that they were unaware that there was a cyclist within view.
The Ugly - SUV Drivers
They never ever, not even once, gave an inch of their lane. At least they were consistent. Surely some of them must ride bikes? Attitude check needed!
Messages sent to my mobile phone
"Good luck, cool website, watch for grizzlies in the mountains!" - TF, Victoria Jun 17 08:04
"Uphill, uphill, uphill, doooooownhiiiiiiiiiiill, uphill" - HJ, Vancouver Jun 17 15:33
"I love you" - Poobster, Pender Island Jun 17 19:26
"Enjoy the beautiful Rocky Mountains, they were fantastic when we were there" - Anthony, Denmark Jun 18 06:04
"Gutsy guys, hope the weather favours the trip and the bears leave you alone" - Eero, Finland Jun 19 05:18
"Blessings" - Kari & Pirkko, Finland Jun 19 09:50
"I am not at all envious" - PL, Windsor Jun 19 14:44
"How's your butt?" - IR, Windsor Jun 19 19:14
"Hope you are having a great trip. Looking forward to seeing the pictures" - Scott, China Jun 19 19:48
"Rudie loves Ari" - RR, Pender Island Jun 19 22:50
"Are you enjoying the ride?" - Mom, Finland Jun 20 12:43
"Are you half way yet? Turn around and then it will be all downhill" - IR Jun 20 17:23
"You're an example of endurance and gusto. And with the good fortune of having bikes perform flawlessly, your lives are also examples of those who've left behind the vicious cycle." - JP, Vancouver Jun 21 10:17
Get a good bicycle seat that is comfortable after the first 100km!
Traffic gets worse as the school year ends. Best dates are before 21st of June and after 7th of September.