The Bicycle Adventure Club - Come Ride With Us!

Canadian Rockies and Undiscovered Foothills

July 11th to July 24th

Ride Director: Joan Bricker
Ride Co-Director: Jan Wolney
Ride Driver: Wendy Benoit
Report by: Keith Mattson

Overview:  The ride began through Calgary on the city’s extensive bike path network into the south through gently rolling foothills before heading west towards the majestic Canadian Rockies.  In the mountain areas the ride generally followed the Bow River Valley which provides spectacular views of massive peaks, glaciers, and epically beautiful glacial-fed lakes.  The ride ended in the small resort town of Jasper, where a bus brought riders back to Calgary.

The posted Ride Description very accurately described the trip.  Our ride leaders were very organized and attentive – more so than some more experience BAC riders expected. (I’m an experienced cyclist, but this was my first BAC ride).  They often went out of their way to accommodate individual requests and did a great job with lunches and snacks.  They provided great happy hours and seemed to get along well with all the participants.   I was particularly thankful that they helped me deal with a mechanical issue with my own bike, which I had to stop using.  One of the ride co-leaders lent me her own bike for a couple of days until I could rent a replacement.  The co-leaders also used most of one of their off days to help me arrange for my bike rental.  That spirit and philosophy seemed to permeate the entire trip: Let’s do whatever we can and is reasonable to make this trip enjoyable.

The Ride:  When you have scenery as amazing as the Canadian Rockies, about the only thing you can’t count on is having good weather.  We had spectacular cycling weather – clear, warm (but rarely ‘hot’), and no strong headwinds.  Scheduling the ride in July optimized the chances for this outcome.  There were a few long, steep climbs, but none that most riders couldn’t complete. The selection of roads was good.  Nothing truly dangerous or exceptionally busy.  Each day had miles and miles of very enjoyable cycling, and local drivers were very polite and safe.

Ride sheets were distributed in the ride packet, and each route was also put on RideWithGPS before we met in Calgary.  Apart from a few convoluted routings within Calgary and few other towns, finding your way was relatively easy.  Ride leaders provided basic overviews of what the next day’s ride would be like and let us know which scenic vistas to check out. The grades on some of the steeper climbs were not as steep as we were told they would be.   My bike computer registered the steepest slope at 12.7% for a very short section leading to Moraine Lake, and most other climbs were under 10%.  The ride leaders staged one or both vans at key locations along the longer routes so riders could replenish water and get snacks.

The ride leaders were very attentive to minimizing potential contact with bears.  2022 had a fairly late end to winter, which meant that more bears than usual were seen at lower elevations where food was more available.  As a precaution, riders carried small canisters of bear spray and a locally based naturalist instructed us about how and when to use it.

Accommodations: The rider leaders gave a lot of thought to picking the accommodations.  In many cases there were few choices, and, in some cases, there was only one option.  Hotel Clique near the airport was where the group stayed the first and last nights of the trip.  It’s a typical airport hotel, but reasonably priced and clean.  Most of the group stayed at the Folk Tree Lodge in Bragg Creek on nights 2 and 3 (the others stayed at another nearby small inn).  Folk Tree Lodge was a fantastic, rustic setting with ample space for a barbeque.  We stayed in a nondescript motel in Longview on night 4, but Longview itself has its charms.  Nights 5 and 6 were at the Crosswaters Resort, which was built for the Calgary Winter Olympics in 1988.  It’s a large resort with several restaurants and hiking options.  Nights 7 and 8 were at the luxurious Rimrock Hotel in Banff.  The next three nights were in smaller, less upscale motels and guest cottages – but all of them comfortable.  The last two nights were in the Crimson Hotel in Jasper, which was basic but fine.    

Group Meals and Events:  The ride leaders did a great job in coordinating group activities.  They struck a good balance between organized gatherings and providing free time.  There was a lively happy hour most evenings, with good ‘finger food’ and beverages.  We had a few group dinners – all of them at good restaurants.  The ride leaders also organized a few shuttles on the non-riding days to bring people back and forth to scenic locations.  On the whole, the ride leaders were very attentive, resourceful, and personable. 

Scenery: Words can’t do justice to the beauty of the Canadian Rockies.  A few lakes are simply breath taking if you catch them in the right light.  Riding along the Bow River much of the way gives you a fascinating sense of how snowmelt has carved out the valleys and other features over millennia.  The combination of majestic peaks and coursing rivers and waterfalls makes you appreciate how truly special this area is.