THE ROBSON REBOUND
My scheduled route had a "must do" Columbia Icefields Parkway on it, some saying one of the most spectacular 250k's anyone will travel. Being bookended by Jasper and hence my initial destination, I couldn't help but pop UP to Mount Robson being in the neighbourhood.
Now my Robson Neighbourhood watch is done and I will track back to Jasper and stage for my parkway ride.
Thought before I break camp I'd get a hot cup of coffee. My silent curses of the previous day hot temps were answered with a refreshingly cool, leaning to cold, night.
At home I always seem to have a gut feel what time it is. Here I was lost in time.
Since leaving Eastern Standard Time, arriving yesterday in Mountain Standard Time and then spending the night in Pacific Standard Time, my phone, cycle computer, laptop provided three different settings, none right.
All I knew is it was coffee time.
I felt much better when the lady was cursing and yanking the locked door to he cafe.
Loudly claiming it was 8:00, Jasper time, and the sign says open at 7:00.
It wasn't a second later that the world regained calm and order and coffee.
I knew I was going to arrive in prime summer vacation season.
Add to that a long weekend in both provinces resulting in busy busy times.
Here having to have come from some distance already, at 07:00 hrs this large parking lot had four tour buses in various stages of unloading and already reloading their passengers after the obligatory photo shoot of signs, people, and oh yes, the domineering Mount Robson in the distance.
Pack up and bug out.
Heading back to Jasper. In my travels by bike I have come to learn, and fear, that the sign on the left is bad news. They don't make passing lanes for downhills.
To the right is a sign for good times. The end, the good kind, is near.
Back after my night in BC.
Back in Jasper I have one of those magical moments where I bee-lined it to the A&W (good thing I have disc brakes) and rewarded myself from the heat and hills with the finest Mama burger, greasiest onion rings and the coldest syrupy cola I've had in a long time.
I must of been so excited with this being one of the highlights of my trip, I forgot to take a picture.
I have to say again they were THICK cut rings. They would have added up to millions of pixels of crunchy goodness.
Maybe it had something to do with being with the A&W bear and it's relatives in grizzly country.
Jasper, the friendly ghost, or is it bear?
Having for the past two days, and having many more ahead, travelling in bear country, it gets better, multiple species of bear, I have adopted the mantra of:
"Don't feed the bears, mainly with myself"
(more on pepper spray soon. better yet the accompanying salt spray.
Instant supper)
With it looking like rain on the way, I happily set up Internet camp at the historic train station.
Between endless freight trains passing, the station was filing up with passenger awaiting
"The Canadian"
Far not as exciting as the spectacular mountainous westbound passage, these people had to look forward to either ending up in Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg or how ever you look at it,
Union Station.
"Les Canadien"
"All Aboard"
This guy is all smiles because he probably left it to late to book a sleeper. Don't worry. From your seat, in a couple of days (if the kid behind you hasn't kick through it yet) you'll get to see Thunder Bay at 04:30 in the morning.
Some of these people paid $6,700 to get a look at some real Alberta rain from the
VistaViewmaster car.
(you laugh. most times one only sees the side of rain. not the underside)
Bye!
With all things busy and campgrounds FULL, it's nice to know there never is a problem riding or hiking into a full campground and being accommodated with a spot. What are they going to do with a haggard cyclist? Tell them there might be a opening 50k's down the road.
Knowing this I still didn't feel like pedalling the 5K's it was to the first campground and dish out forty bucks for a piece of ground that is not that Jasper National Park spectacular as this piece behind the gas station in town.
Don't get me wrong, the gas station was as nice as they come.
No comments:
Post a Comment