We had a visitor at breakfast. I'm sure this bird thought that he could supplement his diet with some people food!
I repeated yesterday's trip across Kicking Horse Pass, but opted not to go out to the spiral tunnels again with Craig. I'm glad I stuck with the regular long option today the distance was enough for once!
Icefield Parkway seems to get more beautiful as we ride north. The ride today started in the trees. The beginning of Icefield Parkway wasn't spectacular because it was so tree-lined you couldn't see the mountains. It started to open up by Hector Lake - and turned absolutely beautiful. The clear skies definitely help too.
Bow Summit wasn't a bad hill, but we had a wicked headwind almost all of the way up. The last 12 miles of the ride were downhill, which was really nice in spite of the very rough road surface. The section from Bow Lake up to the summit was pretty amazing. Comparing parks I think Glacier / Waterton is still my favorite. But this one is getting nicer as we move further into it.
I stopped just after Bow Summit at the Peyto Lake overlook. There were two sets of parking lots - one for cars which was away from the actual overlook, and one for buses which was right next to the overlook. I guess the assumption is that there are less fit individuals riding the buses (but who knows?!). I left my bike locked to a fence in the car parking lot, then walked uphill to the overlook, of course in my stiff biking shoes. Not the best shoes for hiking but I was too lazy to carry a 2nd pair of shoes on the bike for the odd short walk. I've been riding with a single pannier to hold extra layers, food for the day, tools, etc. I took the pannier with me on my walk, since I'd been warned about the birds that hang out in this area. It seems that the birds will go into anything to get food, and while I wouldn't mind so much if they figured out how to properly open the panniers, I didn't want them poking a hole in it! Anyway, back to the lake... it was a steep but short uphill walk to the overlook. Peyto Lake is an absolute gem. It's a stunning color of blue, the gift of glacial silt. The overlook is so high above the lake that you can see the streams coming from the glacier into the lake.
It's been interesting watching group dynamics and riding. There are several of us who are very comfortable riding alone, but there seem to be big groups who are either making sure there is someone with them at all times, or making plans to meet for breaks at specific spots. I find it interesting partially because I've always been comfortable riding alone. I am much more comfortable going at my own pace than trying to ride at someone else's pace, regardless of whether the other person's pace is faster or slower. I am enjoying having people to talk to in the evenings and when I take a break from riding, but I've developed the habit of talking to total strangers whenever I stop. That was from my 3 weeks on my own. I haven't stopped that habit since I joined the group. It's definitely a good way to learn about other people.
I noticed tonight that being in a large group is starting to be a bit wearing. I shouldn't be surprised. Even when I was on my own and sharing campsites and dinners, it was good to be totally on my own every couple of nights. I've retired to my tent early (9pm, not that early for me) to write and to read for a while before sleeping.
