Bates crate on my Rocky Mtn!

Today I got my prize from LGRB Summer Games.  A Bates Crate, made in Chicago, USA.  Wow, it's so beautiful, and so carefully built.  Very good quality handcrafted bike crate, wish I knew the names of the types of joints these are.  They aren't dove-tails are they?.

As I do not have a porter crate compatible bicycle at this time, I attached it to my back rack.  A metal one looks good on her, so I figured that a wood one would be even more special.  I was correct!  I apologize if this is not how it was meant to be used.  But I really want to show it around town.

Thanks Dottie and Trisha for hosting such a neat contest with great prizes like this.  I'm so very happy!  And thanks to Bates Crate for sending one to Canada.

Bicycling during fire season

I woke up today to smoke like this:

This is actually a photo from a few weeks back, but it has come back due to the 400+ forest fires burning in British Columbia at this time.

It certainly made bicycling to work that much harder.  I am glad that I have only a short bike to work, but what if my commute was much much longer?  I am healthy, with no breathing problems, but you got to wonder if bicycling in this thick smoke is bad for your health,  Inhaling smoke from cigarettes is, and I'm sure that there are toxins in this smoke, never mind particles of ash.

I really have limited options as there is no bus running when I go to work, just when I go home.  So I have a choice of biking or walking.  At least with biking, I reduce the exposure to it as I am outside for a shorter time.  I definitely will keep on biking, even during this, but I suppose not pushing it is a good idea.  I will admit though,  that it is stinging my eyes and irritating my throat.

Any feelings out there about bicycling in thick smoke from fires?

Tour De Jasper Part V

The last biking day of Tour De Jasper has arrived!  It's a gorgeous day out there, and the rain clouds that simultaneously helped push us to Tete Jaune, yet threatened to storm on us (but didn't) had disappeared overnight.  Today we will be crossing the continental divide into Alberta over the Yellowhead pass at 3,711 ft (1,131 m), which is one of the lowest mountain passes in the Rockies, but still very challenging to bike up through.   The dotted line is the border between Alberta and British Columbia.

 

 Before we leave the campsite, I'd thought I'd show you Janice, who had almost the same bike as mine.  It doesn't have shocks though and there are screws where you can put a front bicycle rack onto.  Thankfully, there are racks out there that can fit on bikes with shocks so not much of a worry if I ever wanted to buy a front rack for touring.  I have heard though, that using a trailer is a much better idea!

 

 

Like my bike, it's been customized to suit her needs.  She has completely different handlebars.  I like how you can make the mass  produced bike YOURS.  She must have a men's bike as it has room for two waterbottles, mine has only room for one.

As we finish climbing up a big hill that we encounter soon after we leave Tete Jaune, I pause to get a photo of me in front of Mt. Robson in the distance.  Nice place to take a quick break as it is a very hot day out there and you get quite hot climbing a big hill in the heat!  I make sure I wear lots of sunscreen, although my lips suffered as I didn't apply sunscreen on them till the last day.  They blistered right up!  I need to sunscreen my lips whenever I am outside.

After a nice quick ride down a steep hill I made it too the entrance of Mount Robson Provincial Park.  Got to take my mandatory photo.

At the park centre I stopped for a much needed break so I could refill my water bottle and also enjoy some ice cream!  That would help me make up up the next long stretch of hill. This was one of those rare days that you could see the top of Mt. Robson.  It's very rare that you do see the top as it's usually covered in clouds.

Mount Robson is the highest peak (12,972 feet [3,954 m]) in the Canadian Rockies.and is a must see if you are visiting Jasper National Park.  I've hike a few times on a trail that goes behind it.  It's a full 2 day hike to get up to Erg Lake which is on the other side of the mountain, it's a hard hike up, but the views will delight you!  It's also a very popular hike, so it is wise to book early if you plan on hiking on it.

Onward to Moose Lake after the next big climb....

Tour De Jasper Part IV

You can buy carved animals in Mcbride.  No room on my bicycle for one, unless it's a hummingbird. LOL!!

In the last post, I left you in Mcbride, a small town with a population of 746.

I didn't stay long there, but did have a rest stop at a gas station.  I really needed to refill my water bottle!  I found some bicycles coming in, one was a Cannondale, and I thought it was part of my bike tour resting there.  But it turns out it was owned by a couple from Alaska who were moving south.  They were rearranging their U-haul trailer and had left stuff out, including 2 bikes, while sorting stuff in the trailer.  They were a nice couple though and they gladly watched my bicycle while I went inside the gas station

On my way out, I noticed bicyclists from my tour parked on the other side of the gas station, that I hadn't noticed earlier because of all the traffic around the gas station.

I found today an easy ride as there were strong tailwinds following me.  I could ride 38 kms an hour with little effort!

As I was biking I came across a rest area and noticed many of my fellow tourers resting at it, so I stopped and rested too.  It was a nice warm afternoon.  Here's a photo of me and tour leader/organizer, Nicole.  She biked with me a bit this day, which was so cool!  I'm in the Blue and she's in the Pink shirt.

Here's some photos I took of some of the bikes that the riders had on the tour, you can click on them to get a close up shot.

This guy (can't remember his name) has a Claud Butler bike from the UK.

After a nice break I headed back out again.  I could hear the road calling my name and beckoning me.

Just outside of Tete Jaune and above a BIG hill, I met up with another bicycle group,
Texas 4000 Ride for Cancer.  They were riding to support Cancer research, and they started in Austin Texas, and will end up in Alaska!  I felt kind of sorry for them as I was having a good day with the strong tailwinds and they were climbing up a big big hill INTO the strong winds.  I met this guy with cape which had signatures from those affected by cancer directly or indirectly.  He is a real Superman for doing this big journey!  :)  I think they all are riding a Felt Z85 bike.

More later....

Tour De Jasper - Part III

Morning has come to La Salle Lake.

Lucy and Duke are packing up for the day.  They had brought the coolest portable hammock that I've ever seen, they picked it up in Vietnam.

We will be riding about 105 kms or so (65 miles) from La Salle to Tete Jaune. Basically from up top left to bottom right- can't seem to edit google map in photoshop today.

One of many breaks along the way.  We took lots of breaks, I mean, why hurry only to be bored at the campsite?  You got to enjoy the ride and the views.  Things look very different from a bike.
And that sign reminds me of how we felt about passing lane signs.  When you see one for when a passing lane is starting, it means YET another hill to climb up!  When you see passing lane ending signs like this one, you are so elated!  It means you have almost made it to the top of the passing hill.  Different from a car where you hate to see them end. 

Pit stop near Mcbride.

Snacks you'd find at a pit stop. You'd never eat this good biking on your own.

Made it to Mcbride!

More to come, including meeting a group bicycling from Texas to Alaska!