Bow Vallley Parkway

I wrote this before we had satellite internet access, so it's out of order:

The Last Big Training Day – end of May

“Hey Ger,” I called over my shoulder, “ You want to lead?”

“No, Flash, you're doing just great!” Gerry's boisterous laugh echoed through the valley.

Until shortly before that time, Glenda 'the speed demon' Wong had been out front. On a long winding downhill, though, my lighter skinny-tired road bike eased away from their heavier mountain bikes. I was thoroughly enjoying the speed and momentary isolation in the deep woods along the Bow Valley Parkway, the narrow two-laned old highway between Banff and Lake Louise. We had cycled close to three herds of Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, a huge male elk with an impressive set of antlers and a couple of white-tailed deer on the outbound trip. Now on the return trip, a friendly Newfie (Is there another kind?) had warned me of a bear ahead. I slowed a bit to tighten the formation with Glenda and Gerry. We rode along, cautiously watching the road and scanning the brush. Around a bend a few vehicles pulled to the side indicating an animal in sight. Sure enough, there he was, a significantly large black bear happily chowing down across a field and completely ignoring his admirers. Three sighs of relief could be heard as we put the vehicles between us and him.

Not too much further along, an approaching driver slowed and called out his window, “Watch out for the bears.” Glenda, in the lead once more, called back, 'Bears, plural?” “Yup,” was the answer. Keeping close together, we could see brake lights ahead, then the cutest, fuzziest cinnamon-coloured cub on the highway. Gulp! Where was Mom grizzly? Again we were relieved to discover a very small black bear with another cub a short distance away nonplussed as her babies caused a human commotion. Glenda and Gerry 'Boomer' Beitel decided the cubs must be a year old due to their size in relation to the size of the mother.

Our long-awaited training day had been a tremendous success with perfect weather and all three of us feeling great at the end of the 103 km.

Incidentally, I think the name 'Flash' refers more to the colour of my pink, orange & yellow cycling jersey than to the speed at which I ride. My longtime hiking gurus, G&G, had decided that every pro cyclist, or in this case, long-distance cyclist needs a handle for the road.