The Road Home

If a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step then the journey home begins, at least for us, with a reluctant step on the gas pedal and a sad glance in the rear view mirror as we head south towards Denver. Some of the route mirrored the way we had driven up. This time around we were treated to the Canadian Rockies in their full splendor which means it was sunny and we could actually see them. The route from Prince George to Jasper takes you through some incredible scenery and Sophie and I agreed that it would be worth a trip unto itself to explore this area. Jasper remains a favorite for us and it must be the same for a lot of Canadians as this time through the town was hopping to the point of being very crowded. The campgrounds were all full so we continued south to one of the more remote campgrounds along the Icefields Parkway. Even that far out from Jasper the campground was quickly filling up so we were glad to land a spot for the night.

Cycling along this stretch of road can be heaven or it can be hell depending on the weather but as mentioned above we were finally being smiled on by the rain and sun gods which made for some nice riding. One of the real advantages of being on a saddle pedaling along at a lot slower speed than in a car is the ability to truly stop and smell the roses, breath the clean, fresh mountain air, and take pause when the hills become too many and too steep or the wind too strong. The legs may get weary but great scenery is a wonderful distraction and for me always motivates me to keep going if for no other reason than to see whats around the next corner or over the next hill.

Most of the traffic seemed to be heading north toward Jasper so on my side of the road it was only the occasional car that whooshed past me. Whereas the cars are supposed to pull over only in designated sidings cyclists can stop just about anywhere and taking pictures up here is a heck of a good excuse to stop for a couple of minutes and take it all in.

We had brought Sophie's fancy camera but to be perfectly honest every picture I have shared with you in these posts has been taken with our Samsung Galaxy phones. Her fancy camera never came out of its protective case but we were reaching for our phones to take a picture all the time.

As on most trips, there is often more to see and do than one can possibly accomplish. I did make a point at riding in to see Sweetheart Lake and was lucky to catch it at sunset on a beautiful summer evening. If places like this can't bring peace and contentment to the soul then I don't know what can.

Sweetheart Lake at sunset. Stop and sit a spell...

There is a campground at Sweetheart Lake and you can bet that on our next trip up this way I and my sweetheart will be staying here for at least one night. Any campground along this stretch brings its own vistas and it took some concentration on focusing on getting on down the road. 

Here too there were glaciers aplenty to see, though as up north most are in dramatic retreat. Still, they command your attention and I was itching to get out the hiking boots and plant some footsteps on all the great trails we were passing. 

But time and distance called us on. Once out of the mountains we quickly became aware of the summer heat which we were certainly not used to. Yet temps in the high 90's were a welcome change from highs in the 50's and 60's that were the norm in Alaska. For the first time on the trip we were able to don shorts and tees and break out the sunblock (only we were silly enough to actually pack sunblock for a trip to Alaska). By the time we reached the Colorado border our normal summer tans had reappeared and we looked more normal. Montana was spectacular as always and we were sad to leave Kalispell and the great camping along Highway 83. In Big Fork Sophie was actually able to buy a pound of Huckleberries fresh picked from a vendor off the side of the road. Needless to say they did not last long!

Wyoming was hot and windy as expected as we flew south on I-25. I always tell Sophie that you can tell when you hit Colorado as the traffic quadruples and the speeds go up by 10-15 mph. We only saw a handful of Colorado license plates on our entire journey but that shortage disappears the minute you see the "Welcome to Colorado" sign at the border with Wyoming. Make no mistake, I love Colorado but if our trip this summer to the uncrowded North showed us anything its that we are loving her to death. 

Well, there you have it. A trip not measured in miles (about 8,000) so much as places seen, people met, and memories made. Its good to be home, though I already yearn for the openness and freedom of the road. Thank you to all who have tagged along through these posts and in all of your journeys we wish you safe travels. See you on the road!