Our Canada cycling tour assembles in Banff, with a van transfer provided from Calgary International Airport on our orientation Day 1. From this resort town nestled among the towering peaks, we’ll ride the quiet, gentle Bow Parkway as it follows the Bow River to Johnston Canyon on Day 2. The first day’s mileage is moderate, leaving time to explore places like Johnston Canyon and Marble Canyon on foot, as you pass by. We’ll ride on beyond the Continental Divide into Kootenay National Park and British Columbia Province to spend our first night on the road at the historic Kootenay Park Lodge.
Day 3 is a scenic delight as we continue through Kootenay Park, tracing the course of the Vermillion and Kootenay Rivers as they carve their path through the rugged Rockies. A final climb to the crest of Sinclair Pass precedes a thrilling seven-mile descent into Radium Hot Springs, whose name suggests the treat that awaits us at the end of this special day.
From Radium, it’s on to Golden on Day 4. We’ll ride along the Columbia River with the towering Rockies to our east and the beautiful Purcells and Selkirks to the west, to arrive in the friendly mountain town of Golden, the namesake of our triangle route.
By Day 5 we will rely on our strong legs as the route gains almost 5,000 ft over the 50 mile route. We are distracted by the incredible scenery as we climb out of Golden along the Kicking Horse River. By the time the river finally peters out we have reached a high plateau which carries us across Kicking Horse Pass and gently returns to the Bow valley and our destination of Lake Louise – an incredible basin surrounded by aqua blue lakes and snow-covered peaks.
Our tour continues northward along the Icefields Parkway on Day 6. As we climb gently to the Bow Summit, we’ll view Hector Lake and Crowfoot Glacier, ride the shoreline of Bow Lake, and visit beautiful Peyto Lake perched atop the Bow Summit. It’s then downhill to Saskatchewan River Crossing and an overnight at The Crossing Resort.
We continue on the Icefields early in the morning of Day 7. We’ll climb imposing Sunwapta Pass, then we have a chance to hike beyond the tree line along magnificent Parker Ridge at Sunwapta’s summit before continuing to the Icefields Center at the foot of Athabasca Glacier. From the glacier, we’ll descend along the course of the Sunwapta River to Sunwapta Falls for an overnight in the warm, gracious setting of the Sunwapta Falls Resort.
Day 8 leaves us with a short, leisurely ride to Jasper, including a visit to Athabasca Falls. There will be an opportunity to explore Jasper prior to our return to Banff and Calgary.
