*** Cancelled because of 35C temperatures ***
Hallowe'en in September: Ghosts, Hoodoos, Cactuses, Rattlesnakes, Black Widow Spiders, Dinosaurs and more!
I mean Drumheller Badlands in September
Coordinator: Lyle Opseth
Difficulty: Intermediate ride version
E-bikes: Yes
<Cranky Anonymous Member>: Well, I see you finally got around to rescheduling that Banff ride I'd been demanding. It's about time! You were leaving it a bit late don't you think given winter comes earlier to the mountains? Also, I see that you went to Edmonton for L'Etape and didn't ask me to join you. Not nice. I've heard some people are shocked that I complain so much--they should be thanking me for pushing for better cycling. So how about somewhere new? Drumheller can be really hot in July and August so perhaps it's now a good time to go there? At least pick a day that isn't windy.
<Coordinator>: Drumheller was initiated by a friendly request to Tanya, our riding coordinator, so I doubt it was you. I thought it was a good idea too. As for L'Etape Edmonton, you probably wouldn't have liked the 7 am start though there's usually light wind at that time. And isn't it always windy in Drumheller?
There are two options for this intermediate paced ride: you can choose to ride 75 km or ride a metric century.
Starting in Drumheller, we will first cycle west on the 50 km dinosaur trail loop, crossing the Red Deer River on the Bleriot Ferry and returning to Drumheller. We then continue east from Drumheller on highway 56, the Hoodoo Trail. At highway 10X, we take a side excursion to The Last Chance Saloon of 1913, a great place for a lunch break. (It is a pub with a 109 year history and cool decor.) We then return to Highway 56.
You can choose at this point to ride 75 km or 102 km. The shorter distance is for the photographers in the group who fill their memory cards and can't take anymore pictures. The longer distance is for those looking for more photographs or wanting to get in their September century ride.
If you choose to ride the 75 km shorter option you would turn left at Highway 56 and return to the start.
For the metric century version, turn right and continue east on the Hoodoo Trail to East Coulee where we turn around. We return back to Drumheller staying on the Hoodoo Trail but for a stop at the Hoodoo Hydration Centre at approximately 85 km for refreshments. We then continue on the Hoodoo Trail back to the start.
After returning to Drumheller, we can dine at a local café (e.g., Bikes & Bites Sandwich right at the start), meeting up with the advanced paced group.
The Last Chance Saloon and Hoodoo Hydration Centre are marked on the maps as points-of-interest ("i").
Parking: We will start and finish at the Badlands Community Centre parking lot, the location where the annual Gran Fondo starts and finishes. See the map.
Safety Notes:
- There are several bridge crossings, some have wooden decks
- Short ferry crossing (for those who get sea sick)
- There is a short steep climb (12%+) after the ferry crossing
- There are some (less) steep climbs and descents prior to the ferry crossing.
- Cell service may be marginal in a few locations
- Bear spray is optional as it is not guaranteed to work on ghosts or dinosaurs
The short route map:
The metric century route:
