Day 10 | Golden to Banff | 154 km

I start off the day just after 6 a.m. with a tough climb out of Golden that goes on for 18 km. Once it flattens out there are some fun descents that follow.

Kicking Horse Pass comes next and it’s exhausting, particularly the section that warns of bears on the road. As a safety precaution, we’re not supposed to stop for 8 km. That’s easy to do in a car but I have to break that rule at least twice because it’s a long, long way up.

When I reach the Alberta border, I feel like I have a second wind. Today’s ride is almost half done and we’ve yet to have any rain.

After 85 km I stop briefly at Lake Louise for water, then I make my way toward the Bow Valley Parkway. It has to be my favourite stretch of road in Canada. The scenery is amazing and certain times of the year (today included) a big section of it is off limits to vehicles. Only cyclists are allowed.

After 132 km I hear thunder and moments later it starts raining heavily, the kind of rain that comes down so hard it bounces back up. It continues for 20 km and I’m absolutely drenched when I finally start the long climb up Tunnel Mountain Road to our campground.

I’m the first to arrive and I manage to get my tent up just before the next bout of rain. Once that’s done I start on dinner and make Mexican rice and beans. It’s much cooler here, about 12 degrees this evening. I’m wearing my heavier clothes for the first time this trip. There are also a fair number of elk roaming around.

Tomorrow is another rest day. We were never meant to come to Banff, but all the campgrounds on the original route to Lake Louise were full so this became the alternate route. In order to stay on schedule for all our other campground bookings, we had to throw in an extra rest day. Doesn’t bother me one bit.