457 miles today. Jasper to home. With a small detour to Banff.
The morning started out exciting right as I unzipped the tent. As I stood up and looked around the sleepy early morning campground I realized I was about 8 feet away from an elk. And as my eyes moved further I saw more and more of them. They were everywhere! I counted 25 before I gave up. I snapped some pictures and video but then it was time to get packed up.
Luckily I got packed before the rain started cause rolling up a wet tent sucks. I was putting on my jacket right as the first raindrops fell so that was pretty good timing. But it only sprinkled and just for a few minutes. So much for that big scary storm I guess. And of course, my campsite was right in the middle of the whole campground, which meant I had to wind my way through the giant labyrinth of a campground as quietly as my dumb motorcycle can possibly be. Which is not quiet at all. And it was 6 in the morning. I definitely scared all the elk away.
Just a few minutes down the road I came across the scene of an accident and got by just as first responders were showing up. The accident didn’t seem like a big deal but later in the day I saw that the highway was closed because of that accident and would remain closed all day. So I’m glad I got through when I did.
If you ever end up driving/riding the Icefields parkway I highly recommend getting up early and hitting the road by 6. I had the road completely to myself. It was great. I stopped everywhere with no delay and I didn’t have to worry about cars in my pictures. I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned it before but it takes a lot of effort to get shots from the bike without cars in them. It doesn’t always happen but I try my best to get shots with no cars. Well this morning was awesome! Without a doubt the best scenery of the whole trip and I had the road to myself. And to top it off I wasn’t getting pounded with rain like the weather forecast said I would. Instead I had clouds setting up some really dramatic looking shots. I took an overwhelming amount of pictures.
I finished off the first 150 miles in no time. I was actually surprised when I got to lake Louise. Since I was making such good time I decided to go out of my way a bit and go to Banff for breakfast. It added another 47 miles but I was really excited about a hot breakfast. I had pork belly eggs Benedict and a glass of hot apple cider. It was freaking amazing.
I made it back up from Banff and back on course still sans rain and I was starting to get worried that it was all being saved for me to let loose at once. But no rain, even all the way through radium hot springs and out of the Canadian Rockies to the boring terrain on the other side headed towards the border. Instead it got hot. I was dyin in all my gear and I finally gave in and switched over to all my warm weather gear and opened all the vents. I enjoyed a few miles of air flowing through my jacket.
Then, with just 20 miles left before the border Canada gave me one last gift…..a reminder that “it always rains in Canada. Always.” It absolutely let loose. I’m not kidding, it rained harder than I’ve ever ridden in. Lightning and thunder too, just cause I guess. I was only 50 miles from home so I didn’t bother changing back to my cold weather gear so I just took it. I even stood on the pegs and asked Mother Nature “is that all you got?!” It was not…..she had more. It rained so hard that I started seeing bike after bike pulling over to look for shelter and even some cars too. I did not stop. I. Was. Loving. It.
It was a great way to end the trip. I somehow managed to go 26 days in one of the rainiest parts of the continent with only one day of actual bad weather before this and it was all catching up to me right then and there. I stood on the pegs, absolutely soaked to the bone, laughing as I passed Harleys cowering under trees. I was truly accepting the weather. There was no fight left in me anyway but even if I could I wouldn’t. It always rains. Put on the big boy pants and warm gloves.
That was one heck of a trip. 6736 miles. 26 days. Solo.
heres the last video.