Last day of Biking: Banff to Calgary

We have left the mountains behind....Here is a shot from the road, looking back at where we have been.

I am here in the dorm at the University in Calgary. We rode 90 miles today, bringing my odometer total for the trip 902 miles. Dean is out cycling around the parking lot here to try to get 6 more miles, because he was just short of 900.

It was kind of an emotional day for me. I sure hate the end of bicycle trips.

The first 50 miles or so was fast and easy. I would have liked to spend more time cycling in the Banff area, but with a 90 mile day ahead of us, extra miles were not a possibility. So we headed straight out of town, following the route. When we got to the first town, we saw bikes in front of "Tim Horton's" coffee shop, but that's not a place I wanted to stop. We almost rode right by the only coffee place in town, but fortunately, Jane was there



and we spotted her bike. Dean, Jane, Karl and I all had muffins and lattes together.
Back on the road for some easy riding.


But after about 60 miles, there was a nasty stretch of road: 7 miles, busy highway, mostly uphill, strong headwinds. I got so mad at Dean for not waiting for me and letting me draft him! But I was really just emotional because it is the last day of our trip.

Once we turned off the main road, we were on a county road with rolling hills and it was nice cycling again. We saw some cyclists ahead, stopped and looking puzzled. It was Paul and Neal.



"Follow me!" I yelled to them. And they did.

After this point, the route directions were pretty confusing. We rode on a highway for one exit, then left for a bike path along the Bow River.


Four of us (Paul, Neal, Dean, and I) rode together for the rest of the day. We arrived around 4:30, hot and sweaty, with different feelings about the end of the ride. Me: sad, because I would like to just keep on riding. Paul:


hopes to never see his bicycle again!

People all had "adventures" trying to get to the University today. Fred actually ended up on top of the ski jump (from the Calgary Winter Olympics) and had to get a ride down on a ski lift! (with his bike).