Canada - Day 12 - Cranbrook to near Gray Creek Pass

 50.3 miles, 3920’ climbing, deer and 2 garter snakes

After a decent breakfast at the Day’s Inn, we rolled out of town and onto a paved bike path. Eventually we turned onto a wide gravel road and then another one, slowly pedaling up to St Mary Lake which had an impressive outflow into the St Mary River. We missed the provincial park and most of the lakeside was private land. We stopped by the only access point for lunch and chatted with a local on an e-bike. She told us that mountain caribou were mostly up on ridges, but we could potentially see mountain goats or moose. We saw neither.

We were stopped by a young man in a pickup and later a man on an ATV asking if we were going over the pass. Some motorcycles went by and didn’t return, so that’s another sign that people are getting thru though the road is officially closed.

We camped near an old avalanche hut in a spot recommended by the man on the ATV. We can tackle the pass in the morning. Wildflowers were great today. The road grade was very reasonable, and the rushing creeks/rivers beautiful.