U-tube link to excellent (and very appropriate!) Canadian bands' rendition...
- Elliott Brood - "Oh, Alberta"
Banff – Airdrie – 145 kilometers / 90 miles
Leaving camp that morning was a bit surreal – today was our last day in the Rockies and we were expected to hit the rolling foothills of the Rockies by noon. James, a TdC vet who was with us for this initial leg of the tour promised some fantastic views looking back and his promise certainly did deliver..!
Andrew, Brendan and I set out at about 7:30 for a fantastic downhill on the Trans Canada into Canmore. It was such a treat as the shoulder was wide, there was little wind, and the weather was chilly but glorious..! We did a paceline for about 45 minutes and covered about 25 kms so made some excellent time. BC, the leader of the pack, led us straight into Timmy;’s for a celebration coffee and dounut. It was a great way to break up the morning. In true fashion, we met several other members of the team there as well. Everyone was in good spirits. It’s so refreshing to always be smiling and looking forward to the kilometers ahead.
Sitting there nursing my coffee, eating my 2nd honey cruller donut, massaging my aching calf muscle and feeling rather sticky from a recent sunscreen application I tried to remember the last time I felt this relaxed and happy. It’s ironic to think that something that sounds so ‘impossible’ and so physically challenging may just be one of the most relaxing things I’ve done in my life. And great to be in such good company with so much support around.
James, Andrew, Brendan and I then headed back onto the TransCanada for the final few kilometers on the Highway until Ontario (wahoo..!). As much as I love the TransCanada, it is busy and the sound of the trucks whooshing by can be a bit tiring. The secondary roads are generally not as well maintained ubt they are quieter and much more scenic so allows for a more comfortable ride.
We passed through Canmore and through to Cochraine stopping several times along the way to take photos and also to check out the views. When leaving the Rockies you have to look ahead to see the foothills and look behind to see the spectacular jagged peaks that you’re leaving in your wake. Every 45 minutes or so we’d stop and turn around to see the mountains disappearing quickly off into the distance. It’s amazing how quickly you can cover ground on a bicycle and how every 100kms of Canada’s landscape seems to be different – from m
ountains to fields to geology to fields. No kilometer is ever the same. I also tried a new technique today – I’m going on my low-bars which allows me to cover ground much quicker and take advantage of the downhills so maximize the ‘up travel’ on the uphills. Combined with a nice, strong and stead tailwind it feels like you’re about to lift off the highway and fly..!
I knew it was going to be a hot, hot day as around 11am you could feel the steam coming off the highway. The ride was fantastic but because I was enjoying the speed, the downhills etc. so much I suddenly realized that I was running super low on energy. James and Brendan were up ahead but Andrew and I pulled off so I could drink a few liters of water, devour a peanut butter sandwich, eat a granola bar and a few handfuls of peanuts and raisins. It felt good to have a little break and my body definitely did need the little boost of energy. I find my metabolism is skyrocketing and I am burning calories so quickly. I am constantly hungry.
We pulled into another Tim Hortons in Cochrane and met with James and Brendan. I devoured a huge bowl of chili, a chocolate milk, and another peanut butter sandwich (the toll for the day now reaching 3 and it was only 1pm!). It was HOT so the air conditioning at Timmy’s was a welcome treat.
If biking through the Rockies can be compared to being ‘happy-drunk’ then the foothills can certainly be compared to a bad hangover..! We met the ‘French Connection’ on the way out and tried to keep pace with them during the 40kms of rolling foothills out of Cochrane. It was so incredibly hot and the foothills were about 40kms of up and down and up and down. Looking ahead the asphalt looked like a long grey ribbon cutting it’s way through the rolling fields and going on as far as the eye could see – to the horizon and behond. You could see for miles and miles and the road seemed to go on forever. We were faced with a headwind which mad
e things a bit challenging but also very tiring BUT having said that, it was great to be together in a group and slog through it all in our own speeds. It was an incredibly hot, tough and long afternoon but not impossible and I was very, very, very happy to see the sign indicating we’d reached Airdrie. I was definitely ready to sit down and take a deep breath and relax..!
I’d never heard of Airdrie (http://www.airdrie.ca/) before but I think it must be about the size of Chatham, Ontario. It had the same feel to it anyway. Our campground was at the city Scout Hut which was bordered by a GIANT recently opened indoor waterpark – complete with hot tub, high-pressure showers, Olympic size length pool, play pool and a giant waterslide. Given I had about 5 layers of sunscreen on, was covered with a thick layer of dried sweat and had chain grease all over my legs the waterpark was a welcome treat..! Everyone had a blast and totally relaxed and ‘decontaminated’ thanks to a heavy dose of chlorine.
It was a great evening to end a long, very hot day. I was happy to have survived the Rockies – and doing it relatively gracefully and with thorough enjoyment - and looked forward to all that the Prairies had to offer..!
Leaving camp that morning was a bit surreal – today was our last day in the Rockies and we were expected to hit the rolling foothills of the Rockies by noon. James, a TdC vet who was with us for this initial leg of the tour promised some fantastic views looking back and his promise certainly did deliver..!
Andrew, Brendan and I set out at about 7:30 for a fantastic downhill on the Trans Canada into Canmore. It was such a treat as the shoulder was wide, there was little wind, and the weather was chilly but glorious..! We did a paceline for about 45 minutes and covered about 25 kms so made some excellent time. BC, the leader of the pack, led us straight into Timmy;’s for a celebration coffee and dounut. It was a great way to break up the morning. In true fashion, we met several other members of the team there as well. Everyone was in good spirits. It’s so refreshing to always be smiling and looking forward to the kilometers ahead.
Sitting there nursing my coffee, eating my 2nd honey cruller donut, massaging my aching calf muscle and feeling rather sticky from a recent sunscreen application I tried to remember the last time I felt this relaxed and happy. It’s ironic to think that something that sounds so ‘impossible’ and so physically challenging may just be one of the most relaxing things I’ve done in my life. And great to be in such good company with so much support around.James, Andrew, Brendan and I then headed back onto the TransCanada for the final few kilometers on the Highway until Ontario (wahoo..!). As much as I love the TransCanada, it is busy and the sound of the trucks whooshing by can be a bit tiring. The secondary roads are generally not as well maintained ubt they are quieter and much more scenic so allows for a more comfortable ride.
We passed through Canmore and through to Cochraine stopping several times along the way to take photos and also to check out the views. When leaving the Rockies you have to look ahead to see the foothills and look behind to see the spectacular jagged peaks that you’re leaving in your wake. Every 45 minutes or so we’d stop and turn around to see the mountains disappearing quickly off into the distance. It’s amazing how quickly you can cover ground on a bicycle and how every 100kms of Canada’s landscape seems to be different – from m
ountains to fields to geology to fields. No kilometer is ever the same. I also tried a new technique today – I’m going on my low-bars which allows me to cover ground much quicker and take advantage of the downhills so maximize the ‘up travel’ on the uphills. Combined with a nice, strong and stead tailwind it feels like you’re about to lift off the highway and fly..!I knew it was going to be a hot, hot day as around 11am you could feel the steam coming off the highway. The ride was fantastic but because I was enjoying the speed, the downhills etc. so much I suddenly realized that I was running super low on energy. James and Brendan were up ahead but Andrew and I pulled off so I could drink a few liters of water, devour a peanut butter sandwich, eat a granola bar and a few handfuls of peanuts and raisins. It felt good to have a little break and my body definitely did need the little boost of energy. I find my metabolism is skyrocketing and I am burning calories so quickly. I am constantly hungry.
We pulled into another Tim Hortons in Cochrane and met with James and Brendan. I devoured a huge bowl of chili, a chocolate milk, and another peanut butter sandwich (the toll for the day now reaching 3 and it was only 1pm!). It was HOT so the air conditioning at Timmy’s was a welcome treat.
If biking through the Rockies can be compared to being ‘happy-drunk’ then the foothills can certainly be compared to a bad hangover..! We met the ‘French Connection’ on the way out and tried to keep pace with them during the 40kms of rolling foothills out of Cochrane. It was so incredibly hot and the foothills were about 40kms of up and down and up and down. Looking ahead the asphalt looked like a long grey ribbon cutting it’s way through the rolling fields and going on as far as the eye could see – to the horizon and behond. You could see for miles and miles and the road seemed to go on forever. We were faced with a headwind which mad
e things a bit challenging but also very tiring BUT having said that, it was great to be together in a group and slog through it all in our own speeds. It was an incredibly hot, tough and long afternoon but not impossible and I was very, very, very happy to see the sign indicating we’d reached Airdrie. I was definitely ready to sit down and take a deep breath and relax..!I’d never heard of Airdrie (http://www.airdrie.ca/) before but I think it must be about the size of Chatham, Ontario. It had the same feel to it anyway. Our campground was at the city Scout Hut which was bordered by a GIANT recently opened indoor waterpark – complete with hot tub, high-pressure showers, Olympic size length pool, play pool and a giant waterslide. Given I had about 5 layers of sunscreen on, was covered with a thick layer of dried sweat and had chain grease all over my legs the waterpark was a welcome treat..! Everyone had a blast and totally relaxed and ‘decontaminated’ thanks to a heavy dose of chlorine.
It was a great evening to end a long, very hot day. I was happy to have survived the Rockies – and doing it relatively gracefully and with thorough enjoyment - and looked forward to all that the Prairies had to offer..!
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