Day 10: Banff – Calgary, job done!!!

The final day of the ride dawned perfectly.  A large breakfast and the now familiar routine of packing up the trucks for the day and pumping up of tyres for the journey ahead.   Again we had been anticipating the wind, if the winds were blowing the usual directions we should have a fairly straightforward, so it was with much relief that the trees seemed to be blowing in the ‘right’ direction.  I set out from Banff with Simon, Jen and Tom.  Again we had to negotiate the cattle grid at the edge of Banff before heading down highway 1 at pace.  We had set off behind a number of the others but soon we catching people up.  The weather was really perfect, the early morning sun glistened off the road surface and the temperature was just right.  It didn’t take long to realise that today was going to be another great day as we descended the remainders of the Rockies and entered prairie land.

Great cycling scenery:

Somewhere along here I managed to take my favorite photo of the whole tour, although I don’t really have any recollection of taking it!  

Cyclists, scenery and mountains – perfect:

Perhaps the only downside of today was the increased traffic – in fact a whole lot more traffic than we had been used to, pretty much since leaving Vancouver.  Unfortunately the dreaded rumble strips made a reappearance, though maybe this was a good thing to keep the cars and trucks from wandering into us? Most of today was pretty much downhill and the pace was fast.  Again I was worried about keeping up with Jen and Simon and Tom, but we seemed to ride along in a good peloton and keep the pace up.  In fact, and maybe I was just delusional at this point, but I could swear I could hear a similar whistle coming of the tires that you can here when sat on a French TGV train at 300 km/hr!!!  This was only interrupted by the very annoying creaking from my bike that was initially diagnosed as my pedals (well they were cheap), but was only finally pinned down a month later by my local bike shop as being the bottom bracket. 

We stopped briefly for lunch at a gas station and then headed out to for the final stint, by now well and truly out of the mountains and headed straight for Calgary.  There was only one minor nuisance of a hill – which I was reminded again of my need for more improvement in getting up hills.  However, I was still in good shape and the whole trip did not experience the ‘bonk’ phenomenon.  In fact I did get to experience that several weeks later when I cycled up two mountains in Vancouver in quick succession and it is a powerful incentive to make sure the energy levels are kept up.  But in this entire trip everything was good, much is made by non-cyclists of saddle soreness etc, this really wasn’t a problem for me and never has been.   In fact I arrived at the end of the trip feeling fitter than ever.  This, of course, included being non the worse for the previous nights celebrations for Canada day – as a Brit it is important to show we know how to drink and then be fully functional the next day, apparently this was not so for everyone! 

And so after 800 miles in just ten days we arrived in Calgary.  We had arranged a meeting point at the end just on the outskirts of Calgary where we would all gather before cycling en-masse in our Gearup4CF outfits to the Alberta Children’s hospital, a seemingly fitting place to end.  As we had been so speedy today we had a couple of hours before we were due to arrive so most of us went down to a local cycle store – store seems somehow to smaller word – to look at all the things we now wanted to buy for our bikes. 

The final leg to the children’s hospital:

The end of the ride really was quite something.  We arrived altogether at the hospital to be greeted by a camera crew and the local CF chapter with most welcome bottles of water and a gift of a bag of jelly beans.  The was not just a token gift, the number of jelly beans represented the number of tablets someone with CF typically has to take.  This was a powerful reminder of just what we were doing this ride for. 

Following many photographs we headed off to our hotel to pack up the bikes for the journey home.  The day was not quite over.  We were put up in the Sandman Hotel – one of our sponsors for the ride and then headed to my favorite North American restaurant – Earls -for a celebration dinner.  In fact I am well known in Vancouver for my fondness for an Earls cheese and bacon burger, not to mention their sticky toffee chocolate pudding.  So I’d been looking forward to this for quite a few days now and as ever it didn’t disappoint!   

Mission accomplished:

Conversation was already beginning to turn to the ride for next year, with a possible trip to Jasper being mooted.  Joy at finishing the ride was only tempered by sadness that it was now all over.  For me, and I know for some others, this had been the best 10 days of my life.  The cycling was great, but it was the people that had really made the trip so great, from all of my fellow cyclist many of whom I was wishing I had been able to spend more time riding with, to our wonderful support people – Faye, Daniella and Kate.  Not forgetting prior to the ride Joyce and Janet at the Vancouver CF chapter who also organised us all and helped make this happen.  The ride was a tremendous success raising more than twice as much as the previous year and giving us a great benchmark to move forward and raise even more. 

On a personal note, it had also given me an even better perspective for my research efforts for CF.  All the people on the ride, with their stories of CF helped me tremendously.  Most of all knowing that I was riding for Alex and his family, Clare, Ted and Nathan – all of whom I was very lucky to be able to meet after the ride.  This made the whole thing even more special and gave it considerably more meaning.  I am very grateful to them all for their tremendous generosity and allowing me into their lives. 

In my entire research career before coming to Vancouver I had not even met someone with CF.  In fact the first person I met with CF was actually on a British Airways flight to Vancouver for my interview to come and work with David.  By pure chance I was reading my PhD thesis in preparation for my defence the week after and got into conversation with someone in a neighbouring seat who it transpired was someone with CF.  He was in his 30s and working for a major multinational organisation and seemed healthy.  That is of course what all this is for, working to a future where all people with CF lead full and healthy lives.  Here’s to that.

Day 9: Radium to Banff

Unlike yesterdays record, today there will be lots of pictures as today’s ride was so spectacular that it would have been criminal to miss it.

The day started out with breakfast at the the local Husky’s, I don’t think I’ve ever eaten breakfast – or indeed any meal (!) – at a gas station before.  I must say by this point I’d begun to wish for the full English breakfast.  Those who have partaken in such a thing will know that it is distinctly different from the Canadian cooked breakfast, in fact I don’t think I’ve even seen ‘proper’ bacon.  Anyway, a slight digression, brought on by the memory of the weakest looking coffee I think I have ever seen. 

Long horned sheep crossing the main road in Radium first thing in the morning:

Breakfast was very early and it was cold in Radium.  We set off promptly conscious that there was a steep climb first thing this morning, very much like our day out of Osoyoos, it started immediately.  There was some discussion in the group of a race to the top to claim a King of the Hills jersey, a la the Tour de France.  As was the typical pattern I managed to start off behind a number of people and slot in somewhere behind the slightly faster guys.  Again Simon breezed past me on the uphill!  My trepidation about this climb seemed misplaced as it took only 54 mins or so and unlike some of the other climbs the weather was perfect and the scenery ideal.

This particular climb was made all the worthwhile by the incredible views to be had at the top as we entered the Kootenay National Park, below is the view down the tree lined valley we had ahead of us.

Jen, Simon and Hilda at the top of the climb out of Radium:

As was so commonly the them a long climb was swiftly followed by a rapid descent into the valley and then a welcome long stretch of relatively flat riding.  These parts now that we were all 9 days in were becoming, for me, some of the most enjoyable as they were completed at some speed.  I still wasn’t as confident as I might be and constantly feared being unable to keep up with Simon and Jen in particular.  So when they stopped for a toilet break before lunch I went on at a marginally reduced pace fully expecting to be overhauled any minute.  I learnt I should have some more confidence in my ability to keep up on the flat, at least – hills are still a given that I am much slower, when I reached lunch without them having caught up with me.  This prompted Jen to say I shouldn’t complain about riding alone when I left them all and couldn’t be caught up for 20 km.  Fair point!  In my defence, it was really a complement that I left them!!

 Lunch was in the middle of a valley that had been ravaged by a massive forest fire a few years before.  The trees were stripped of any greenery for much of it.  I had assumed that this had been due to the terrible ravages of the pine beetle – busy destroying the magnificent trees in BC.  This time they couldn’t be blamed.  One can only imagine, though, the hell that the area must have been in that time, with fires raging right up the sides of the mountains.  Our lunch stop contained photographic record of this and it was quite something.

Following lunch we scaled what was to be our final major climb of the ride.  This one was to the top of the continental divide.  I have to admit complete ignorance of this until I arrived at it, it is the point in Canada either side of which water flow to the Atlantic or Pacific Oceans.  It is a reflection of the sprawling flatness of much of eastern Canada that this point is so far west in the country.  The ride up to it had been very enjoyable and we were also treated to the view of a glacier further up in a mountain. 

It was also on this ascent that after nearly nine days of cycling that we crossed the border into Alberta.  I was highly entertained to note the difference between the signs marking entry to the different provinces.  Alberta had a rather dull looking sign welcoming people to rose country.  BC possesses no such modesty (and frankly why should it looking at some of the scenery), adorned with a great big sunshine and welcoming people to the most beautiful place on earth.  Superb!

Me, Jen and Tom at the top of the Continental divide (with apologies for my poor matching of cycling outfits, the leg warmers are to keep the mosquitos away and the shorts were the only comfortable pair I had and unfortunately didn’t match the top which was itself just an unfortunate choice!):

Again an ascent means a descent.  I followed Jen down the road that would finally link us back up with the Trans-Canada highway that we had left behind on day 2.  Here I hit my highest speed to date of over 40 miles an hour.  Still this was slow compared to both Zach and David who told me that they had reached even higher speeds.  I was also unable to keep up with Jen on the downhill, as I am (much) heavier, there must be a technique thing there I need to work on.

David and Zach’s speed did come with a slight consequence.   On descent I was mindful to follow the advice and not in fact join the Trans-Canada but rather go on highway 1A running parallel.  Such was Zach’s speed that he forgot this advice and he overshot the turn taking David with him, so they both missed highway 1A.  This was a great shame as it was gorgeous and freshly paved this year.  Tree lined on both sides it was a great finish to the day.

Simon heading down highway 1A into Banff.

Entry into Banff did eventually require getting back on highway 1, but there was one last hazard for the day which was the presence of cattle grids on the entry to Banff – the first of which I went straight over.  A very unwise choice!  These wide grids could send a cyclist flying and are best negotiated on foot alone.  Banff itself was stunning in the afternoon sun and our ride into the hotel marred only by the construction that someone had very wisely decided to do in the middle of the town in the middle of tourist season.

Upon arrival I was able to take a picture of Pierre, my mascot from Alex, who I had carried from Vancouver, sat against the Cascade mountain in Banff.

After dinner that evening many of us went out to celebrate Canada day in Banff.  This was a great evening and I think many people felt very much like the ride was ending very soon, certainly I think that many of us drank a bit like that.  The day was finished off by a sleep in the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in, in our residence at the Inns of Banff.

Celebrating Canada day: