By Ambassador Ruby Woodruff
Since moving here, my partner (Nick) and I have had limited free time to explore the area together. So when we both got a couple of days off, we figured an overnight trip would help us make the most of them. Packed with two cans of bear spray and not nearly enough food, we pedalled off towards the mountains, unsure if we were ready for whatever came our way.
After a two year hiatus from bike touring I’ll admit I was a bit hesitant at first. I thought I might not be strong enough for the 500m ascent or that I would be so slow that we wouldn’t have time to complete the ride and hike before dark (in my defence we didn’t leave the house until noon). As usual, my worries were irrelevant and the more I pedalled, the more I felt at ease.
A black bear scoured the vegetation on the side of the road for food, clueless that it was causing a “bear-jam” of tourist traffic. Further along an eagle sat peacefully in its nest, high above the rock flour filled lake that glowed glacial blue in the afternoon sun.
Once we reached the bikes, we transferred over the camping equipment and ate the last of our provisions (an apple) before beginning the descent. The “easy” downhill ride back to town was hijacked by a vicious headwind and our energy was soon depleted.