Banff/Lake Louise, int/adv, 117K, Tanya C

In case you missed it... like I did, join me for Parkway to Pint ride. It is our last chance this year to ride for a free beer and cap. Note that beer has to endure the return ride to Banff in your back pocket :-)

         Banff to Lake Louise

Difficulty:

Pace: intermediate and advanced, no sweep

Distance: 117 km

Elevation Gain: 946 m 

Parking: Banff Train Station, 327 Railway Ave (see below)

Car pooling:  please contact Tanya if you are interested in  car pooling for this event.

E-Bikes:

Yes. E-bikes are permitted but you must be able to do the distance. You can catch a roam bus (with your bike) if your battery goes dead. (Roam buses have bike racks on the front.)

Route description:

We will stop for a lunch break at the Lake Louise Ski Resort. There are a number of eateries open at the resort if you wish to purchase a lunch. We plan to stop at the Banded Peak Base Camp which is handing out a free beer to take home and a free cycling cap. We then return along the same route we went out to find a tailgate party at the end.

There will be a brief stop out and back at Castle Junction. 

The Bow Valley Parkway (Highway 1A) is again closed east of Johnston Canyon from Sept 1 to 30.

Support:

If you run into trouble, you can use the Roam Bus to return to Banff.

Parking Location:

Banff is asking cyclists to park at the new Banff Train Station Public Parking Lot located at 327 Railway Avenue as the Fenlands Recreation Centre is open again. This is free parking, with a 9-hour limit.

We will meet in the large lot east of the train station and traffic circle, not the overflow lot on the west side of the train station. The large lot to the east is not readily visible from the train station due to a bunch of trees. The GPS coordinates mark the location of the lot.

See: https://banff.ca/trainstation

Time:

• Arrive at least 15 minutes early
• Wheels rolling at 9:00 a.m.  
• Out of respect for those who arrive on time, we won't wait for latecomers.

Safety elements:

• Consider carrying bear spray
• There are areas on 1A without cell service
• Be self-sufficient; carry tools and be prepared to perform simple bike maintenance (especially where the road is closed to vehicles)
• There will be no sweep. There is a brief stop at Castle Junction.
• Due to the distance, be prepared should your e-bike battery not last