ROAD Less Traveled

Day 8—Tuesday, August 9—Banff to Spray Valley campground

25 miles; hot

We got a late start out of Banff running a few last errands and didn’t get on the road until 10:30. 

Ready and willing

The head of the trail at Banff

Bike tool station at Banff trailhead

Now off the paved roads we are riding dirts roads and paths through the woods. "Road less traveled" for sure but we met some day bikers and hikers. Didn’t get as far as we had hoped but it was a lot of climbing. 

Pond at High Rockies

High Rockies Trail

Along the Spray River Trail

Spray River

Spray Valley Campground is lovely and surrounded by mountains with terrific swirls of rock which demonstrate how fluid these used to be. A fellow camper suggested that these mountains were once at the bottom of an ancient sea and the swirls and patterns are also full of fossilized sea creatures. I cannot verify.

Andy Lamb from Tucson riding with us

Eating well!

Bear boxes where we are required to store our food

What I can verify:  saw our first brown bear (grizzly) tonight walking along the road in view of our campsite.  He was about 42” at the shoulder and had a tracking collar (black bears get ear tags). The ranger came by and mentioned that the buffaloberries are ripe (I noticed a bunch of ripe bushes near the loo…not using that tonight). The bear appeared to be a juvenile and not really interested in a human interaction. No pics, but it did happen.

Sun goes down at 9:15 pm or so these days and it makes for lovely, un-rushed evening.

Went for a swim tonight in this Lake. Cold but life-giving.  Met a couple of young women from Montana who were going north and nearing the end of the Great Divide Ride.  I expressed such deep joy for them.