2014 Bicycle Adventures - Onwards to Columbia Icefield

Up to the Columbia Icefield

Next morning, I woke up and packed up after eating my breakfast.  I said goodbye to all those whom I had met at the campsite and headed on my way to the Columbia Icefield.  As the day before, I was only going to be riding 50 km.  It would give me plenty of time, to reach the Icefield and give me extra time afterwards to explore the area.

Again, the weather was very good, not too hot, but not rainy.  I took my time riding towards the pass.  I met a cyclist from Boston along the way, who was headed to Jasper.  He had a home built chain gard on his Breezer bicycle.

Cyclist from Boston

This shot looks familiar, but taken on this trip

Celebrating the great views..

But I still have this climb up Sunwapta still

As I did the previous time, I felt that I would get up Sunwapta Pass faster by pushing the bike up.  I averaged 5 km do just that, which I think is good.  I find going up that steep of an incline is hard on my knees and back, so it's just easier to walk it.  I made it up within an hour.

Distractions along the way

This shot is for the Amazing Race Canada.

At the top I rested at the new Jasper Skywalk.  For $25 I could have walked on it, but nah.  Maybe one day, when hardly anyone is on it.  It is located at the old viewpoint which is not accessible by cars anymore, you can only get there by a shuttle (or a bike)

An Amazing Race Canada Publicity shot was taken here

What I could see through barrier.

It would be impossible to see through the black barrier around the skywalk while you are driving by, but I could just make it out on my bike.

Jack, from Columbus, took my photo

After the Skywalk, there was some sweet downhill and more headwinds from the big glaciers.  It makes it harder going anywhere, but I was in no rush to get to the campsite.

Along the way, I got some motorcyclists from the USA to take a photo of me by the Columbia Icefield sign...One of the cylists was named Jack.

Photo finished, got to push bike back to road

The reason I remember him, he told me never to say "Hi Jack!" at the airport.  Yeh I know, bad joke, but that's truly how I remember his name.  I don't remember the other guy's name.

I then rode to the Icefields Centre where I met other cyclists and a person who was so fascinated that I rode all by myself.  I ate an expensive lunch as I didn't feel like cooking and then headed to the campsite to set up camp.  I bumped into more British Army guys who were being trained to walk on glaciers.  I had met some the last time I came through on my bike, with Jim.

Before heading to bed, I had time to go walk up to the Columbia Icefield and also to take some amazing evening shots of the area.  The next morning, I would decide what to do next, head back to Jasper or continue on....