Nr Maligne Lake, Jasper Nat Pk, Alberta, Canada - Alvin gives us a turn...

Courtesy of www.SladeRide.com

(Gallery at bottom of post)

“What do you mean you ‘don’t take tents’? You’re advertised as a campsite and the road signs show a picture of A TENT!!!” say I, incredulous in the least.

“I’m sorry but we don’t take tents, we’ve had some trouble with vandalism from ‘tenters’.  There’s a site which does take tents 15 km out of town, I can give you directions.”

I: “I’ve ridden 90 miles to get here on a loaded bicycle, I don’t think I can ride another ‘15k’, can’t you make an exception as it’s just me on my own?”

(by ‘loaded bicycle’ did I mean ‘loaded’ like a gun?)

RV site lady: “I’m sorry there’s nothing I can do.”

Me: “I’m not happy, I’m really not happy, this is not on – you should take down the signs 5 MILES OUT OF TOWN WITH A PICTURE OF A TENT ON THEM!!!”

(in hindsight I realise – thanks Nancy – that at this juncture, with a queue of eager but undoubtedly somewhat embarrassed RV-ers building behind me that I was no doubt compounding the view held by ‘RV site lady’ that tenters were aggressive, surly vandals)

I retreat, tail between legs – what could I do?  If I’d persisted the Mounties may have been called (I’m in Canada here, Grand Prairie, Alberta having come from Dawson Creek, BC that, long, day).  ‘RV site lady’ softens somewhat when I tell her I’m sorry to hear of the trouble she’s had but I’m just very tired and was really looking forward to a night somewhere with ‘amenities’ (the site was bang in the middle of town) and suggests that I could try camping in the City Park…

…to which I first go, only to find upon arrival that the area she means is quite clearly the domain of a few dozen down-on-their-luck homeless people, the irony being that for that night at least, I was too.  Yes, I know, I could have splurged on a motel for $100 (there were no hostels in town) but I was so into ‘camping mode’ at that point (going nearly 50 nights during this part of the trip sleeping in a tent) so it only briefly crossed my mind.  As lovely a time as I’m sure I’d have had with the park-dwellers (normal people fallen perhaps on hard times, I’m sure) I chose the other campsite, ‘15k’ out of town.

One of the reasons I was so hopeful (and then forlorn) about the first campsite was that it had a cinema (multiplex no less) literally opposite – for those who know me I kind of like films (a lot!) and after many weeks without I was chomping at the bit for some celluloid-action.  Undeterred (read: stubborn as a mule) I bought a ticket for the 8pm showing of the Hangover.  I checked my watch: 7pm.  I had to ride 15 kms each way (not to mention find the site called ‘Country Roads’, which turned out to be very apt, being located in the sticks on a dirt track) between which I needed to put my tent up.  And all of this in 1 hour.

I just did it (numb nut!) in 1 hour 10 minutes (somehow taking a detour via the very grand, Grand Prairie Country Club) and settled down in my seat to be entertained.

No trailers.  Hmmm.  The film seemed pretty well progressed, like to the point that I had no idea what was going on (ok ok its hardly cerebral art house stuff but I’d been on the road for 10 hours!).  And, then, it, struck me (no pun intended…) I’D ONLY GONE AND CROSSED A BLOOMIN’ TIME ZONE!  ‘My 8pm’ was  actually 9pm.  I guess I was expecting a sign on the road.  Bugger bugger bugger bugger.  Bugger.  Bugger.

(Bugger).  I stayed to the end, mule that I am.  And then as I left I thought, I want to see a whole film.  Any film!  So (and sorry to the Cineplex Grand Prairie, the staff of which are excellent lovely people by the way) I sort of went into the film next door if you know what I mean (and he’s telling everyone this on THE INTERNET!).  ‘Ugly Truth’ was its name.  Somehow that seemed quite fitting.  I rode home in the dark (using a head-torch as it was properly pitch black) and got to bed at 1am.  I’d cycled 116 miles, 100 with full-load.  Not ‘loaded’ like a gun you understand – although, I am still carrying Bear Spray but would never use it anger at an RV Park, of course

(later on, spending an extra day in Whitefish, Montana, USA to wait for a drive-train overhaul I DID stay at a campsite opposite a cinema – in 3 wet rainy days I watched all 4 films that they had showing and in their own way, loved them all!  Karmic retribution perhaps, although I’m not sure what my ‘good deed’ was…)

Columbia Icefield, Jasper Nat Pk, Alberta, Canada - yes, its as pretty as they said it would be!

Wow, on top of the above this part of the trip has been a busy one.  After Grand Prairie and a search in vain for a new rear tyre (I’m after a specific one) I cycle back up into the Rockies (on the map this looked like the most direct route) toward Grand Cache and with temperatures soaring into the high 30s  (celcius) again plus a headwind I make slow progress and spend a somewhat dehydrated night by a river at a ‘user maintained’ campsite (tents allowed, plus it seems any and every unsilenced quad / ATV and dirt bike known to man, ridden by hyperactive children at insane speed ALL NIGHT through the camp) convinced that a brace of young giggly english women bicycled into camp at 1am.

(they didn’t, no other cyclists did, I was a bit delirious but got better with heavy fluid-intake – I learned a lesson and am far stricter with myself now in both taking on fluids and seeking-out opportunities to speak with giggly young english women)

At Grand Cache (a BIG climb up from the Prairies over 2 days) I happen upon the Death Race and play ‘Rocky’s trainer’ cycling along the road beside some, chatting, much to the confusion of the photographers along the way (“Who is that guy?  Is that a new take on a ‘team car’?”).  I see the bloke who eventually wins and he has THE most efficient running style I have ever ever seen – its textbook perfect.  I should say that the Death Race is 125 km goes over two 6000 ft mountains with many exposed ridge sections and some do it solo, in 24 hours! (and part of me was jealous…! oh dear…)

I camp in the local park (intentional!) with many of the competitors and spend a lovely time with Dan, John, Brette & Tiffany chilling in what was a very cool place  – to mark the race event there is also a bit of a music fest so I catch a bit of that too.

Heading toward Hinton I get caught out in the biggest hail storm in which I’ve ever ridden – the ’stones’ scythed their relentless way through the slats in my helmet smashing onto my poor cranium.  As I stopped to put on wet weather gear I had to ‘pull myself together’ as I began to shiver – there was no cover barring straggly pine trees for 25 miles each way.  With the option to pitch the tent as a back-up I decide to ride on into the maelstrom to keep warm (the 
temperature dropped 15 degrees C in minutes) with lights and reflective clothing well and truly fastened to bike & I.  The ground went white and all around was approaching ‘white-out’.  During a brief let-up a Harley biker & I in a lay-by compare notes on the nutcase in the ’semi’ (‘artic’) who careered past us, teetering on the edge of aquaplaning off the road whilst doing at least 45 mph downhill into a bend.  Maybe he just got caught out by the weather.  Despite being lit up like a lighthouse I was a bit exposed I know.

(I find out later from a local that the area is renowed for some of the worst storms in the whole of Alberta due to the proximity of plains and rising  elevation)

Banff Nat Pk, Alberta, Canada - They built a road through THIS! Half of me would like it to have remained road-less & truly wild, but, the other half is thankful that its there!

Jasper.  Lake Louise.  The Icefields Parkway.  Stunning stunning stunning stunning.  Yup, stunning.  It really is as outrageously beautiful as everyone says.  I had to stop every 5 minutes and just look and sigh in awe.  I’ve been lucky enough to travel to a few great places around the world and this is well and truly ‘up there’.  Whilst there are no trucks the RVs must be breeding as there are kazillions of them

In Jasper I spend a few great days and camp with Tom & Sabrina from Belgium – they ever so kindly let me ‘tag along’ in the car with them as they visit some of the more remote areas in the north of the National Park.  Thanks guys (and I hope you saw bears…in a good way!) – and order and pick-up my new rear tyre  (Schwalbe Marathon Plus if you’re interested).

At Lake Louise I go all purist (‘go’?!) and cycle all the way up (and back) with my gear.

My 3rd Continental Divide crossing since May was back into BC (Canada) and through Kootenay National Park where I saw a small Grizzly along the roadside (I have a photo of its rear!).  And then the rain started.  From Radium Hot Springs (where I said hi again to Tom & Sabrina) for the next week it was wet and thundery, sometimes all day.  Blessed relief from the onslaught came from Cate and her folks who gave me a wonderful dinner at their  house.  Thank you

At the border I treated myself (thanks very much C for the very thoughtful envelope of Canadian dollars on my leaving the UK) to a MOTEL!  And an enormous  Mexican feast (well, I was in, er, Montana, after all).  Aside from a lovely stay in a ‘rustic’ YHA (no running water or electric! hi to Fred, Jayson and Kim!) at Beauty Creek I’d spent almost 50 nights in a row camping.  It was heavenly to have a bed and a bath and Charles, my bike, was allowed in the room with me (but don’t be getting any funny ideas…we had separate beds).

Nr Jasper, Alberta, Canada - Hmmm. Hmmm.

In Montana I’ve met some great people: Border guards giving tourist information (!), kindly store owners letting me camp on village greens, awesome bike shop staff (hi Glacier Cycles, Whitefish!) and some cool-as other cyclists including the ‘Florida 4′, Nancy & Matthew (a Kentucky-ite & Ozzie from Sydney with whom I spent a lovely day or so and hope to see soon) and Andrew & Martyn Finn (both riding in aid of Cancer Research and hoping to see soon), all riding various parts of the Continental Divide ‘off-road’ trail, of which I rode a small part with Nancy & Matthew.

Montana itself is also beautiful and after 2500 miles of forests (pretty much) its great to have some open grassland for a change in this the Big Sky state.

As an aside, I’m conscious of the seasons and have been since the start – what might at times seem like hasty progress is an attempt to ‘optimise’ (sorry, ‘work’-y word) my time in the Rockies (which is after all the 2nd longest mountain range in the world at 3000 miles in length) so I need to balance resting-up, with heading south.  To bring things into perspective the Banff area (from which it took me about 10 days to ride) had a dusting of snow last week and the area that I’m in currently will quite often have snow in early September.  I’m planning to stay high (elevation) across Wyoming & then into Colorado where 10,000 foot passes are quite common.  Eek!  Obviously being slightly further south those states will normally hold onto the last vestiges of summer for slightly longer…but not forever!

That said I’ve also realised that I’m punishing my body big-time and whilst my fitness is (I hope!) pretty good I can’t ride 116 miles and then expect to do 40 miles of climbing back up into the Rockies the next day without the risk of feeling some ill effects (dehydration on that day was probably exacerbated by the ordeals of the previous day).  So, I’ve thrown in a few shorter days (30 milers) and the odd proper (sleeping!) rest day too.  Balance.  Thats the name of the game I’d say.  I just need to learn how to achieve it!

As ever thank you so much to everyone both on the road that I’ve met and those back ‘home and abroad’ for your continued support, good wishes, e-mails and website comments.  It all means a huge amount and I’m a very lucky guy   Take care

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Nr Toad River, YT, Canada - Yes, I really really am doing all this riding!

Courtesy of www.SladeRide.com

(Gallery at bottom of post)

PING!  PING!  WTF!

No, I’m not trying for the UK table tennis team at the next Olympics, nor am I breaking the strings on a guitar (which is sort of like the sound…) but the spokes are breaking on my rear wheel.  Just after crossing the Continental Divide in Yukon Territory we notice at camp that I have one (the first…) broken.  After Ward’s kind assistance the spoke is repaired and we set off the next morning but then its ping ping ping ping pingety-ping as I break 4 more spokes in the course of 25 miles (again Ward heroically repairs them for me using his 15 years as a bike mechanic!).

(for this part of this stage of the trip I’ve been riding with the lovely Ward and Jacky, on the road for 2 years with 1 more year to go!)

Attempts whilst at a ‘pull-in’ by the roadside to reposition more weight to the front wheel (swapping panniers around and re-packing) and (at slight risk, but I have purification stuff so can drink from streams) jettison some of the water I am carrying are to no avail when the 6th spoke breaks after a 100 or so metres.  We’re 150 miles past the last bike shop with at least 400 miles to the next one.  The reader can here enter their favourite expletive for emphasis   I have a feeling akin to that I encountered on the Dalton when my stove broke but whereas I was able to manage (!) with no stove for that stretch, its sort of difficult to ride a bicycle with one wheel missing!

(cue jokes about “Now come on Jon, you could surely do a ‘wheelie’ the whole way!?” well, actually, it would have to be an ‘endo’ – with rear in the air – and, spookily, there are no pedals on the front wheel so going anything other than downhill would be a mite tricky…! so, na-na-na-na-nah! sorry, but someone is bound to say it!)

In the last big town (Whitehorse) we’d noticed that my rear rim was cracked – I was running Mavic 717s with 32 spokes which are race rims and which I now realise would be ok for short-term touring but more intense long-term expedition-type touring really warrant at least 36 spokes and beefier rims.  Essentially I was trying (and astonishingly, succeeded for a long time) to do the equivalent of an off-road car Rally, utilising a large ‘roof-rack’ to carry a small horse, with Lamborghini alloys!

The wheel had been previously rebuilt (ref previous Tweet) with a new tougher rim in Whitehorse (still 32 spokes) but for some reason (too many Buffalo Burgers in my belly no doubt) was ok for a only a few days with the combination of my weight and the potted road surfaces, so the pings, agonisingly, began and kept coming.  Where I now think I was carrying 210 plus at least 180 lbs on the Dalton I’m now carrying maybe 210 (me) plus 140 lbs which is still pretty huge.

Decision.  Agggh!  6 spokes down and we knew it was going to keep happening.  We were running out of spare spokes.  Even if I could make it the 50 or so miles to the next town, Watson Lake, they had no bike shop.

I thought briefly about going back (to Whitehorse) but my mind told me that in this situation its best to go forwards.  It took 2 minutes of discussion.  I knew what I had to do.  Thumb out…and the FIRST vehicle actually stopped!  And it was a huge semi-articulated rig with empty trailer!  Thank you ‘A’! (the rig drivers aren’t allowed to take hitchikers, hence the use of only an initial, but in his words “Man this is tough country and there is no way I’m gonna leave a guy standing by the road out there”).

Watson Lake, YT, Canada - 2nd broken wheel! Lift on back of semi / articulated lorry

The whole bike, fully laden (well done Charles, it must have been a bit scary) was strapped to the back of the trailer…with just one (BIG!) strap.  It held.  For 50 miles.  And ‘A’ even stopped to allow me to check my notes for the location of the campsite!  I was hugely disappointed to be off the bike and very jealous of the guys when they rode into camp later that day, but as my dad says, the delays make the journey …

As soon as I got to a phone I rang iCycle in Whitehorse (thank you so much Jonah for your help), ’spec-ed’ out what I wanted and ordered TWO (front  and rear) new 36 spoke wheels made by Sun, the model called the Rhyno!  Jonah built the wheels that afternoon (a 2-3 hour job) and got them on the next Greyhound Bus to Watson Lake.  Amazing.  I picked them up the next evening from the bus station 2 miles down the road, borrowing Ward’s bike to do so – believe me, carrying 2 wheels in a box on potholed roads with one hand on the handlebars and the other on the box, with no straps, was a bit hairy!  Ward and Jacky couldn’t stop laughing when I pulled into camp…”How..? What…? Let me get my camera!”.

(they also stayed the extra night which was fantastic and meant, all being well we could continue together on the road the next day)

After some Kinesiology in a pimped-out RV (read: ‘large luxury bus’) from a 15 year old prodigy – as you do – Ward and I worked into the early hours fitting wheels, adjusting brakes and then I went for a road test at 1 am.  No pings…please!

Its been nearly 2 weeks in which time Charles and I have ridden over 600 miles.  So far so good.

Watson Lake, YT, Canada - Me on Ward's bike having just picked up 2 new wheels (in box) from bus station 2 miles up road...did well not to crash on way back I thought! (pic courtesy of the Budwegs)

And do you know, the best thing to come out of this was that I simply did not hesitate when by the roadside making that decision: there was no way I would fail to get on the road again, I would do what it took, and quite frankly, thats pretty cool I think (bearing in mind that I’ve felt my motivation waver many times – as I’m sure it will in future too!).

In just over 2 weeks Ward, Jacky & I have covered nearly 800 miles which with the hills, heat (regularly in the high 30s celcius) and on many days headwinds is astonishing.  As mentioned in a previous Tweet referencing ace world record holder Mark Beaumont it was even more challenging when one considers that it was common to have stretches of 150 miles at a time with no facilities whatsoever, no homes, no outhouses, just the occasional litterbin (oooh, excitement!).  Its a sad state of affairs as we’ve seen dozens of (what were already very dispersed) abandoned homes, restaurants, motels and campgrounds.  Times are tough in the world and whilst I’ve worked very hard to be able to be here, doing this, I know I’m also very privileged and fortunate.

We’ve seen wildlife like you wouldn’t believe with 3 bears in 1 day and herds of Dall Sheep and Bison in abundance – my 1st Black Bear was about 20 feet away, crossing the road in front of me which was, as before, the most surreal experience, as I said ‘Hello Bear’ (Park Service guidance!) he stopped and looked quizzically at me before bounding off into the trees.  Liard Hot Springs were also lurrrrvvvlllly!

We’ve camped every night and I haven’t slept in a bed for over a month now, often we’re wild camping as there is no other option.  Charles has his new wheels (heavy!), bar-ends, additional bottle cages (6!) and my stove is now working through the use of a bottle cap and some wire (thanks Adam and Ward!).  I’ve also had to swap my Exped matress for a Thermarest as the Exped valve just didn’t stand up to the task (great for super extreme occasional expeditions but not in my experience for long-haul).

I’m NOT losing weight which is bonkers.  My legs feel like pistons but they do get tired eventually – with the guys we’ve been regularly doing 75 mile days and sometimes 80s and once a 90!  I can pull on the hills but am starting to think I need to modify my riding style a little as I’m pretty heavy and with the length of my thighs can get a lot of torque on the pedals which is ok every now and then but I’ll thrash components if I’m not careful.  That said, stuff just wears out, no ‘2 ways about it’.  My rear tyre is getting bald after nearly 2000 miles and whilst the wheels should be good for a while they will ‘go’ at some point.

Nr Toad River, YT, Canada - no, look at the sheep not my posterior!

And – bar the 50 miles mentioned above – I’ve cycled the whole of the Alaskan Highway from Delta Junction, Alaska, USA to Dawson Creek, British Columbia, Canada!  AND, gone through 2000 cumulative miles!

Just a quick comment about road safety in Canada – 90% of drivers have been great but every now and then you get some loony tune who either has no clue they’re so close or they totally know and are trying to make a point.  Basically, the law of the jungle says I have to heed (of course) but often I’ve got nowhere else to go, where I’m already pulled far-right.  I need to continue to de-risk the situation and certainly avoid confrontation.

It was 38 degrees celcius yesterday, the hottest in which I’ve ever ridden.  Today its 42!  I’m having a day off!  For 6 weeks the daytime temperature hasn’t dropped below 30c.  Amazing.  And I’m in northern Canada!

I said a sorry farewell to Ward and Jacky today – its been a great few weeks and I’m sure we’ll meet again (I want to show Ward Afan’s trails Phil, Dave et al).

Next steps for me: Jasper and the Icefields Parkway.  Woooohooooo!

Thank you everyone for your kind comments and continued support

Ward & Jacky’s website www.fromthebenchesoftheworld.com

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