Canadian Rockies Biking

Day 1

Meet your Backroads Trip Leaders (the folks wearing Backroads T- shirts) at 10:30 a.m. at Buffalo Mountain Lodge in Banff. Please arrive dressed in your biking clothes and have your rain gear handy.

Lake Minnewanka & Banff Townsite Route 20 Miles (545-foot elevation gain)
Longer Option: Mount Norquay 26 Miles (1,205-foot elevation gain)

Welcome to the Canadian Rockies! After meeting, your Backroads Trip Leaders fit your bike and give a brief talk on biking techniques and safety. Then set out on your first ride, which offers beautiful views of Mount Rundle and Cascade Mountain, as well as the chance to see hoodoos—freestanding rock pillars eroded by rain, snowmelt and wind. Pedal along the shore of Lake Minnewanka, the largest body of water in Banff National Park, before stopping to refuel with a bountiful Backroads picnic lunch. On your way back to Banff, you can add a few more miles by climbing to a beautiful lookout on Mount Norquay, or do some shopping in town before heading back to our home for the night. We gather this evening for a wine reception and gourmet feast at the lodge.

Lodging: Buffalo Mountain Lodge

Day 2

Bow River Valley Route 38 Miles (1,895-foot elevation gain)
Longer Option: Lake Louise 42 Miles (2,540-foot elevation gain)
Optional Johnston Canyon Hike 2.2 Miles (500-foot elevation gain)

Today’s ride takes us through the Bow River Valley, over rolling hills and past the soaring peaks of Pilot, Storm and Castle Mountain, to name a few. Pedal past old-growth burns, virgin forests and along the winding Bow River, so named because the early Cree Indians found wood for making hunting bows near its banks. Watch for elk, black bears and bighorn sheep that are drawn to the river’s blue-green waters.

At Johnston Canyon, take a scenic hike to Lower Falls along Johnston Canyon Nature Trail, a paved route through the dramatic limestone gorge. Then we enjoy a picnic lunch beneath majestic Castle Mountain. Back on your bike, continue toward Lake Louise, tackling a few short hills and passing a series of interpretive displays describing the area’s natural history.

We spend tonight at the award-winning Post Hotel. Upon arriving, sip a cup of tea in one of the Adirondack chairs on the lawn or treat yourself to a spa treatment at the magnificent Temple Mountain Spa. (Please note that spa treatments aren’t included in the trip price; advance reservations are highly recommended. See ―During Your Trip‖ in your Travel Planner for more information.) This evening we savor an elegant meal in the hotel’s dining room, praised by Travel + Leisure as one of the best hotel dining experiences in North America.

Lodging: Post Hotel & Spa

Day 3

Moraine & Bow Lakes Route 43 Miles with Shuttle (825-foot elevation gain)
Shorter Option: Great Divide 35 Miles (750-foot elevation gain)
Longer Option: Three Glacial Lakes 51 Miles (1,965-foot elevation gain)
Optional Bow Falls Hike 5.7 Miles (500-foot elevation gain)

It’s another spectacular day of riding as you shadow the Continental Divide and pedal along the Icefields Parkway. Whether you bike or shuttle to Moraine Lake, you’ll have stunning views of the Wenkchemna Peaks, ten glaciated mountains. You may spot mule deer and coyotes along the way.

Enjoy car-free biking along Great Divide Road, stopping en route at the Continental Divide exhibit, where you’ll see how water on this crest either flows east to the Atlantic or west to the Pacific. Soon you’ll join the Icefields Parkway and begin a steady ascent to Crowfoot Glacier. Perched high on a mountain face, the Crowfoot is an interesting example of how glaciers are formed. Notice how the mountain walls act as a catch basin for snow, which then accumulates and hardens under its own weight.

Our home for the night is the modest Num-Ti-Jah Lodge, located on the shore of deep-blue Bow Lake. Jimmy Simpson, a feisty mountain guide who stars in many local legends and tall tales, founded this historic pioneer lodge in 1898. If you arrive early and would like to explore the area, there’s a great hike you can take up to 328-foot Bow Falls, whose waters flow from the Wapta Icefield into Bow Lake.

Lodging: Num-Ti-Jah Lodge

Day 4

Glaciers & Icefields Route 57 Miles (2,480-foot elevation gain)
Shorter Option: Parker’s Ridge 46 Miles with Shuttle (880-foot elevation gain)
Optional Parker’s Ridge Hike 3.4 Miles (820-foot elevation gain)
Optional Athabasca Glacier Tour 1½ Hours

Start the day with a push to Bow Summit, the highest point on the Icefields Parkway (6,787 feet), followed by a welcome downhill spin into the North Saskatchewan River Valley.

Impressive views of Mount Murchison accompany you as you approach the infamous ―Crossing.‖ Elaborate historical accounts describe the dangers faced by pioneers who tried to traverse the river here. Gear up again as the road rolls and then climbs steeply for eight miles over Sunwapta Pass (6,676 feet). You can also shuttle to the pass and then hike to Parker’s Ridge for a great view of the Saskatchewan Glacier. (If you think you hear thunder on a clear day, it’s most likely the sound of a distant avalanche.)

Entering Jasper National Park and the Columbia Icefield area, you soon arrive at the Glacier View Inn with dramatic views of Athabasca Glacier. Kick back at the hotel and admire the scenery, or venture onto the icy slopes of the glacier in a specially designed vehicle to learn firsthand how glaciers are formed (not included in Backroads trip price).

Lodging: The Glacier View Inn

Day 5

Sunwapta Valley & Athabasca River Route 67 Miles (405-foot elevation gain)
Shorter Option: Athabasca Falls 56 Miles with Shuttle (175-foot elevation gain)
Longer Option: Jasper Townsite 70 Miles (405-foot elevation gain)

Leaving Columbia Icefield behind, pedal past the Athabasca, Dome and Stutfield Glaciers—massive rivers of ice riddled with crevasses (an estimated 30,000). As you descend into Sunwapta Valley, watch for mountain goats and bighorn sheep taking advantage of natural salt licks beside the road. With the dramatic peaks of the Endless Chain Ridge constantly in view, the Sunwapta and Athabasca Rivers guide you to roaring Athabasca Falls. Follow rolling terrain and conquer one more extended climb before cruising down to the river’s edge and tracing it all the way to Jasper Park Lodge, set on spectacular grounds and offering a wealth of recreation options. Take time for a late-afternoon dip in the pool or relax with a spa treatment. (Spa services aren’t included in the trip price; please see ―During Your Trip‖ in your Travel Planner for more information.)

Lodging: The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge

Day 6

Maligne Canyon Route 11 Miles (320-foot elevation gain)
Shuttle to Banff 4 Hours

The last ride of the trip is an out-and-back route to Maligne Canyon, where you’ll come face-to-face with the sculpting power of water. Stop for a short hike into the canyon—250 feet deep in places, yet sometimes scarcely more than 3 feet wide—said to be the longest, deepest and most interesting in the Rockies. Or you can spend the morning as you please: canoeing on Lake Beauvert, rafting on the Athabasca River, playing golf or relaxing with a spa treatment. (These activities aren’t included in the trip price; see ―During Your Trip‖ for more information.)

After a final morning of activity, our Canadian Rockies adventure comes to a close. A Backroads shuttle is available to take you back to Banff.