Day 60 - Banff - Waterfowl Lakes Campground

The hostel provided breakfast, so it was nice to be able to fill up before heading out. It started drizzling as I finished packing up but with a similar forecast all day, I just had to don the rain gear and face it. It’s also now notably colder - the leg warmers I lugged through the desert are now getting some good use. 

Out of town, via a picture with the ‘Banff’ sign and onto the Bow Valley Parkway which follows the river and is a more scenic alternative to the highway which covers the same route. The next few days will be entirely on paved roads which will make a bit of a change to the rough stuff I’ve been used to - but will allow me to cover some good ground. 

After an hour or so on the parkway I finally got my first bear sighting! I first saw a grizzly cub run across the road in front of me and then looked up to where it was heading to see mum and another cub. I stopped at a safe distance and other cars quickly also stopped. But the mother seemed pretty happy eating leaves and berries and paid little attention to the increasing number of tourists taking her photo. Really amazing to just see the three of them at the side of the road.

Carried on into Lake Louise for some lunch which was, again, thronging with tourists. I’m quite looking forward to getting back off the beaten track a bit. Which was one of the real joys about the ride through the States. From Lake Louise I joined the Icefields Parkway, a section I’d really been looking forward to riding. However, the rolling rain showers and low clouds meant I wasn’t seeing it at its best. Hopefully there is a bit of a break in the weather before I get to Jasper. 

Further up the road there was a collection of parked cars which could only mean some sort of wildlife sighting. Sure enough a black bear was rooting through the bushes beside the road. Pretty cool to see both species on the same day. 

Descended down into a nice wooded campground, which even has hot running water - absolute luxury. Got talking to the guy in the next pitch along with his family. Turns out they have a lodge in Stewart, where I’ll be in a few weeks. So said I’d be welcome to pitch up my tent outside there, which was very nice.