Thursday, August 1, 2024

Canada Bikepacking Summary - Jasper to Bellingham

Our ride through Alberta, BC, and Washington was fantastic. We’d love to go back and do the ride on the Great Northern Bikepacking Route from Princeton to Squamish another time (we skipped it due to a heat wave, and cut through Vancouver instead). Here are some of the highs, lows, and statistics of our trip:


Ride Numbers

Total days: 41

Rest days: 6 (3 due to Ed getting injured)

Miles travelled: 1716

Total Elevation gain: 92244’

Longest ride:  Day 19 - 80.3 miles

Shortest ride: Day 22 - 8.3 (Ed got hurt)

Average: 49 miles per day

Most climbing in a day: Day 7 - 4600’

Least climbing in a day: Day 20 - 240’

Days with rain: 12

Days with snow: 3

Number of Ferry Rides: 10


Overnights

Camping: 15 nights

Hotel: 23 nights

Hostel: 3 nights


Best Breakfasts

Mel’s in Elkhorn

Full Circle Cafe in Nelson


Best wildlife experiences

* Seeing two wolves in Alberta, near Banff and in the Peter Lougheed Provincial park

* A grouse hen, protecting her chicks, circling Ed while flapping her wings and tail

* A trio of bumbling black bear cubs in Port Coquitlam (mama bear ignored us)

* Seeing a dozen or more bald eagles by the old Cumberland dump


Most infuriating wildlife

Raven that stole 2 Clif bars off Ed’s bike along the Ice Fields parkway


Most overpriced meal

The charcuterie we ordered in a Victoria wine bar that turned out to be a cereal bowl of potato chips layered with a couple thin slices of cheese and salami. Perhaps we should have been more wary of a place called “Tourist”


Most fun singletrack (There was a lot of fun singletrack though some was hard on fully packed gravel bikes).

* High Rockies trail

* Elk Valley Trail segment from Koko Claims to Elkford

* Trails circling Courtenay on Vancouver Island after we arrived on the ferry to Comox — so much shady, winding singletrack that day!


Best swims (only when the weather turned warm):

* Horne Lake near the rec area at the west end of the lake

* Below the dam of Comox Lake


Saddest part

Learning that a wildfire destroyed much of Jasper including the hostel where we stayed


People

Meeting other bikepackers is so fun, especially those who were also on the GNBR. Super fun to get to meet and camp with the route creator, Matt Kadey.


Best berries 

Thimbleberries in Lake Cochiwan campground. I think we were a little early for berries in most place.


Fake bears and wildflowers

Wildflowers and fake bears were abundant, and we had fun trying to snap a picture of each one we saw