Knowing I wanted to spend some time on the west coast, I decided to push through the Plains. I was surprised to see that a popular crop in Manitoba was large sunflowers. I would ride next to fields of these for miles. There were also fields of rapeseed that would go on forever, blanketing the scenery with a soothing yellow glow.
While riding along the highway, taking in the beauty of the vastness and the starkness of it all, I often found myself running alongside a train. I’m stunned at how long these can be, a testament to how flat things are around here. They seem to stretch all the way to the horizon, and it would take ages to actually pass one.
When I got near Lorette, MB I just had to stop and get this picture.
I camped for the night in Maple Creek, SK and ate the very best club sandwich I have ever had at the Round Up restaurant in town, followed by a beautiful sunset just as I got back to the campground.
It was getting pretty hot in Western Saskatchewan and Eastern Alberta, and I stopped at a really nice rest area to take a break and walk a little to stretch my legs. At this time of the year most of the grass is light brown or a shade of ‘struggling’ green. I came across a painted rock in the landscaping, which really stood out in the mulch. Someone went to a lot of trouble to leave this here. I’d love to hear from them. It literally made me laugh out loud, discovering this just sitting there in the landscaping at a desolate rest area.
I left Saskatchewan behind and worked my way towards Lake Louise. It has been 30 years since I have seen Lake Louise and I was wondering if it was still as beautiful as I remembered. While the lake and the view are still awe inspiring, the throngs of tourists vying for position to get a picture of themselves was a let down. Everything from hand held selfies to “influencers” with lighting rigs and small cones trying to cordon off an area just for themselves. Note to all influencers…most of you have influenced me to not be like you….
Leaving Lake Louise the road was amazing, and the views of the surrounding peaks are breathtaking. At times the road is so close to the base of the mountain that you can’t look up to see the top without leaning back. Despite several construction areas along this stretch, it was a very enjoyable ride down into Golden, BC where I stayed for the night. One thing about living in Toronto is that there is always a place open for your needs. If you wake up at 3 a.m. and you are craving a peanut butter and jelly sandwich made by a lesbian Armenian, there are probably three places open and two that deliver. In my travels through Manitoba, Saskatchewan and this first part of British Columbia, I’ve been surprised at how many places close early.
It was tough finding an open restaurant at 8:00 at night. I lucked out and found a great place called The Golden Taps Pub. It’s a basic pub style place, with great food and awesome service, just what I needed at the end of a long day of riding three provinces.