Fairmont to Drumheller

Distance traveled over the last 7 days: 530 km
Total distance: 1580 km

The rockies were really amazing. Although vistas were hidden by overcast skies for most of my two-day journey through Vermilion pass, there were many animal sightings, including rams, mangy-looking mountain goats, and a bear cub.

The mountain pass is characterised by two summits separated by a long valley. At about 100 km in length, the whole pass can be negotiated in one day; however, I decided to camp at Mcleod Meadows on the advice of my previous host, Dave. I also wanted to play my chances to see if I'd get better weather on day two. At camp, rain hit, and I ended up pitching my tent in the downpour. It was poorly timed, because a little while later the rain let up, but I was still left with a wet tent.

There were a few other campers in the park on the night of the Canuck's game 7 match-up. I shared a fire with Jason and Naomi, which I used to dry out my soaked clothing. I also heated some rocks to warm my sleeping bag - it was going to be a cold night.

The next morning I found some very tame deer wandering the campgrounds for food - I couldn't scare them away. Thankfully their roaming about wasn't a nuisance. Around the noon-hour I crossed the continental divide (which delineates the Pacific ocean drainage basin), and after descending into Castle Junction, decided to push onward to Banff. Turns out I probably traded a quiet hostel at the junction for a noisier, more expensive one.

Like the rockies, Banff was also overcast, so instead of hanging around to do touristy things, I left the next day for Calgary. Both the weather and the view improved as I went on my way. I passed by a pair of other cyclists - Jason and Isabella - who had left from Whistler and were headed to Montreal. They were traveling much heavier than I, each with panniers and a trailer to boot. Alberta sure is flat in comparison to BC - there seems to be one exception, however: Calgary. I would spend the next three nights in the warm company of the Wiebes, who live on one of the hilltops in Calgary. They were wonderful hosts, and were receptive to my desire to extend my stay in order to connect with the rest of the saints in Calgary on Sunday.

Since leaving Calgary, I've had fair skies. In Beiseker, I met Verlin (three separate times, actually). A semi-retired school teacher and singer-songwriter, he's trying to launch sales of his first CD. I told him to get a myspace webpage and keep in touch. Verlin, post a comment with a link to your myspace page if you're reading.

A touring cyclist once passed along the advice that "the difference between an adventure and an ordeal is attitude." If I had remembered that after leaving Beiseker, it would have helped me manage my detour around impassable construction on hwy 9. My "home-brew" detour consisted of 10 km of farmers' roads of various textures: from gravel to muddy patches! After lugging my bike through several mud-slicks, my shoes, wheels, fenders and brakes were in need of a serious cleaning!

I didn't quite make it to Drumheller in one day, so I camped in Carbon. Verlin had spoken affectionately of the place in a passing comment that afternoon. It was great tenting weather, and camping in Carbon set me up for an easy ride into Drumheller the next day, with lots of time to go sightseeing.

Riding into Drumheller was stunning. The natural erosion of the mountains, and the desert-like foliage fit the Jurassic-mania that fills the city. While in Drumheller, I climbed up the 86' tall dinosaur outside the visitor center, and visited the Tyrell Museum, where I saw enough dinosaur replicas to make my eyes weep from exhaustion.

Tonight, I have pitched my tent a few kilometers north of the city, on a plot of grass kindly provided by a farmer. It's windy tonight!