Cascade Group Ride, TREATS, July 18, 2023

 After learning last Saturday from Clarice (our Series Director) via email that we had a "hole" in the TREATS calendar, I quickly posted a ride for today. Turns out it was approved that same morning on Saturday (thanks to Andy)!  Our route started in Newcastle Beach Park and headed to Alki Point and West Seattle....areas not in my main area of expertise so I knew this would be an adventure ride. Fortunately we had all experienced riders and one, Ryan, who lives over in the area who could help me navigate the correct turns!

We had a totally blue bird day with little winds (except at Alki) and clear blue skies today.  Downtown Seattle put on a postcard worthy display as can be seen from our Photo Op at Jack Block Park.  Amazing place, Seattle. We may have had the best weather in the US (?) today for our ride. We should be grateful indeed.

On our return through downtown Seattle, we cycled alongside 4 members of a family on bikes with full panniers.  They were from Berlin and today was their first day of cycling on their planned journey to New York.  I hope they have a great trip although they are heading into daunting conditions of heat and smoke in much of the country. Their Seattle leg may be memorable to them in hindsight.  Their Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/Cycling.Family.Adventures

Cascade Group Ride, July 16, 2023

 Well, it is back to "normal" after the big tour in the Glacier-Waterton-Banff-Jasper national parks.  However, it is no less enjoyable!  I was, however, a bit tired as I lagged the group even though I elected to use the ebike rather than the mebike. Karma I guess. We'll try the latter on a ride tomorrow and see if I bounce back. 

It was great to have Karil in front for at least half the ride!  Again it was an enjoyable social ride with familiar folks!  I do try to take the time to appreciate and be grateful for the "mundane" aspects of life for which we have been blessed to have.  I have to work sometimes to avoid chasing the "shiny objects" which don't usually bring enhanced joy and purpose.  It is good to be home.

Glacier-Banff-Jasper National Park Tour with Bicycle Adventures - Day 8, July 9, 2023

 On this our last day of cycling, we were shuttled in the morning from Sunwapta Falls to Muleshoe again just outside of Banff.  From there we cycled south through Banff and to Canmore for lunch and for our wrap up of the trip.  The cycling was great albeit a bit more urban. It was kind of a bittersweet thing as parts of us wanted to keep traveling but other parts were ready to return to our "normal" lives and loved ones.  After our lunch, we headed to Calgary to be dropped off at the airport....and, fortunately, the drive through Calgary was the only time we experienced rain on the whole trip!  

Glacier-Banff-Jasper National Park Tour with Bicycle Adventures - Day 7, July 8, 2023

Today is our last long ride as we continue northward to Sunwapta Falls and through the Columbia Icefield Glaciers!

Our lunch stop was at the Columbia Icefield Parkway Visitor Center. The icefield glaciers used to come down to the highway but now are about a mile away from the road.  In one of the pictures, you can see some little dark things on the ice fields....those are tourist buses with special tires that they take out on the glacier itself!

As we approached the hotel, there was a road to the left which went up to Sunwapta Falls, a very dramatic narrow channel of intense water flow.  

Glacier-Banff-Jasper National Park Tour with Bicycle Adventures - Day 6, July 7, 2023

This day we headed out from Lake Louise to formally enter the Columbia Icefield Parkway. A big road but cyclists have almost an entire lane of really excellent pavement for cycling. We are heading today to The Saskatchewan River Crossing for lodging - this is by the N Fork of the Saskatchewan River which flows into Hudson's Bay...ultimately. It seems almost all of the drainages up here go in that direction including the Bow River (by Banff which flows to Calgary!), and the Athabasca River which we will see tomorrow.  Along the highway there were some wildlife overpasses similar to what we have put in at Snoqualmie Pass in I-90 in Washington.  We never saw a dead deer or similar due to a car interaction so I guess it works pretty well.

The road had some interesting switchbacks which we navigated with ease. We always seemed to be by water whether it was a lake or a river segment.

We stopped by Peytoe Lake which was an incredible shade of turquoise.....amazing....apparently due to the specific silt load in the water and not due to any chemical solutes.

Our riding in the afternoon had continued wide vistas and awesome mountains as we approached our hotel for the trip at The Crossing.

 

Our guides, Paxton and Jenna! 

 

 

Glacier-Banff-Jasper National Park Tour with Bicycle Adventures - Day 5, July 6, 2023

 Today was a rest day so I wanted to see some things but didn't want to overdo it.  I went up to and hiked around the shores of Lake Louise and then (because we missed the bus by about 1 minute) three of us hiked back down to the hotel. In the afternoon, some of the folks were going to go to Banff and wander about.....I was well over 16K steps by noon and decided that if it was going to be a rest day, then I should really make it a rest day!  So I did - the afternoon nap did me good!

With Kety who took many of the pictures of me on the trip!  Thank you!

Glacier-Banff-Jasper National Park Tour with Bicycle Adventures - Day 4, July 5, 2023

 Today we shuttled from Waterton up to Banff for the next leg.  Along the way we stopped at the Little Apple Cafe and Bakery in Longview - a real gem of a bake shop in the middle of nowhere!  Cinnamon rolls were each big enough for a family of four.....of course, I ate all of mine.....  I will need to bike harder this afternoon! 

Our route was a short but hilly ride from Muleshoe outside of Banff to the Lake Louise Inn where we will be for two nights as the next day is a rest day.  Not a long ride but somewhat hilly.....and plenty of bear sightings along the road!!

Yeah, that is me in the middle!