THE ROCKIES--100 miles, 7-19-09

We woke up this morning reluctant to leave our warm sleeping bags. It had rained a lot in the night (plus some hail) and, apparently, it was a major storm for the entire area. The Edmonton newspaper headline was CITY STORMED. This was our third long riding day in a row, so we got on the road before 8:00. We started with a downhill, normally a nice way to begin a ride, but I was really cold. As I pedaled down the hill, I yelled at the top of my lungs, "It's fucking freezing!" to no one in particular.

The beauty on this day was incomparable to any day I have ever ridden in my life.

I could hardly go a mile at a time without stopping for a photo, or to read a "Stop of Interest".


We met up again with our old friend, the Fraser River, as we cycled close to its headwaters.


We cycled next to Moose Lake for quite awhile,


crossing rivers and creeks,

hearing and seeing waterfalls.

Today, I achieved one of my lifetime goals: cycling across the Continental Divide. When I was young, we traveled every summer from southern California to Montana and often, we would come to a stop along the Divide. My dad would explain to my brother and I how it's the spot where the waters on one side drain to the Pacific Ocean, and to the Atlantic (or Arctic) on the other. I remember my sense of wonder as a child, and now, I can't see the Divide without remembering my father and all he taught me.

Just passed the Divide, we entered Alberta and lost an hour as we went from Pacific to Mountain time.

And for the first time all trip, we followed a river downstream as we pedaled.

You would think there would be a lot of climbing as you head to a pass in the Rocky Mountains, but Bud assured us that it would not be very difficult to get to Jasper. He was right--even though it was a 90 mile trip (I added an extra 10 miles later to get to a century), it was a smooth, easy ride.

After dinner at the campground, we cycled a mile or so into town to look around and have a beer. It was nice to be in a real town again, with all the amenities we have looked for along the way, despite the fact that Jasper is quite "touristy", with all the good and bad that that implies.