Now… I thought that we had experienced and seen some of the most spectacular scenery in New Zealand, Australia, Asia and Alaska, but I was wrong! Todays riding took the prize!
We headed south, out on Highway 93 towards Banff National Park and rode through the Columbia Icefields. It was simply a breathtaking experience!
We glided over glorious well maintained roads winding 232 kilometers through the heart of the mountain parks that span the Continental Divide between Jasper and Banff National Parks. The icefield, an echo from the last ice age oozes wonders around every corner, from pristine glacial milk lakes and rivers to broad sweeping valleys. Headwaters to three major river systems, the icefields feed eight major glaciers and brush against some of the highest mountains in the Rockies. The Columbia Icefields has been called the most scenic drive in the world, and with todays ride I would have to agree!
We hit the main Trans-Canada Highway, Highway 1, and rode into the town of Banff. As we rode into the very congested cute downtown village area of Banff, I became disappointed with the vibe I was getting. There were a ton of people out cruising the "Brand Name" and "Designer" shops. These are the same shops that they could patronage where they live! Just not my scene! We dribbled up the main drag stopping and starting while carefully dodging wandering carless pedestrians. This was painful, especially when we had just rode through some of the most expanse, majestic countryside ever! We decide not to stop in Banff for lunch and make our way back to the highway. I have to tell you that the highways in this neck of the woods are lined with very tall fence work to keep the wildlife off the road. The Canadian Government has even taken into consideration the need that the wildlife may have to cross and have cleverly provided camouflaged grassy and wooded overpasses to aide them…too cool! We sighted of a couple of wild Bighorn sheep grazing close roadside.
We pulled into Lake Louise for a late lunch….The place is swarming…man there are people everywhere! I feel as though I am standing ontop of an anthill!
Back on the road, the continuous long weekend traffic begins to thin out as we more farther away from this area. We are please to have some space on the road, so much so that we missed our turn off to Invermere, and end up riding 2 hours out of the way! Oh well, no biggy it has been a brilliant 10 hour long day!
