The Great Canadian Tour 2025 - Elbows Up Edition - Day 27

I know…what happened to the other days between Day 17 and today….well, we arrived in Kelowna and enjoyed a few down days.  Larry and Jerry headed to the west coast riding along the Sunshine Coast and up to Long Beach and Ucluelet so that Jerry could dip his toes in the Pacific Ocean completing his quest to go coast to coast….a few more down days spent with friends we haven’t seen in a while and now it is time to take our coast to coast back to the coast.

This morning we left Kelowna and headed for the TCH which takes us through the fabulous Rocky Mountains.  We also have a couple of stops in mind.  First stop is at the site of the “Last Spike”.  The site is located at Craigellachie with the correct pronunciation of this noted inside the store. Larry put on his best Scottish accent and seemed to impress the young lady at the counter. 

Here you can purchase a spike of your own…actual spikes, that have been pulled from refurbished railways…these ones from Jasper I believe.

There is also a monument commemorating 100 years since the last spike was driven on November 7, 1885.  The monument has a stone from each province imbedded in the monument, including a jade stone from BC and St. George Granite from Bonny River representing New Brunswick.

Our next stop was Rogers Pass in Glacier National Park.  This is the Canadian Glacier National Park as we have visited the US one back in 2016.  A stop here offers a fabulous views of the glaciers that you can take in without the risk of being run over and running off the edge of a mountain.  

The next stop was at the spiral tunnels. These are railway tunnels built into the mountains where the train enters at a lower level and exits above where the train entered….there are two of these such tunnels and we were lucky enough to be able to see the train enter the tunnel, exit the tunnel and then travel under the highway we were watching from.  The second tunnel is on the other side of the highway.  What makes it so interesting is that the trains here are exceptionally long, so the train was still entering the tunnel as we watched it exit the tunnel and make a second turn to travel along just below us.  It was still visible in all three areas when we left.  The picture above is of the tunnel exit.  The entrance wasn’t that visible until the train came along.  At one point the same train looked like it was travelling in two separate directions.

It was a day of firsts, although not our first trip through here.  We travelled through on our way home in 2016.  We had stopped at Rogers Pass but the other two stops were new to us and pretty exciting.

In between the stops we enjoyed amazing views of the mountains, the valleys and glacier lakes that are the colour of green sea glass.  The beauty is undeniable as is the scale of it all.  It is hard not to feel like an ant in the land of giants, and it will be difficult to ever look at our east coast mountains and know that while they are mountains to us, they can’t compete with the size and beauty of the Rockies….but our ocean is pretty freakin’ cool!

The Great Canadian Tour 2025 - Elbows Up Edition - Day 17

Morning came early today…earliest yet.  As you head west and cross each time zone, it is hard to catch up to one before you are flying through another.  This morning we were both awake at 5 am, trying our best to keep sleeping but knowing that it just wasn’t going to happen. Yesterday we crossed our final time zone and are now on Pacific Time!

We got up, packed our bags, loaded the bikes and then decided to wander the town.  It is now 6 am, the sun is out, the sky is blue and the streets are quiet.  This town is quiet anyway but the early morning allowed us some window shopping and an opportunity to see a lot of the buildings.  

By 6:30, we had walked a good part of the upper streets, so we decided we needed to get everyone else up earlier than we had agreed to and get on the road earlier as well.  Buddy and Brad were awake, but still in bed.  Jerry was down at the wharf.  We got everyone to meet us at the diner at 7:30 am, had a great breakfast and headed back to our hotel to finish packing and hit the road.

Leaving Nelson, we had to cross Bob….Bob is apparently the nick name the community has given the bridge that spans the West Arm.  Bob apparently stands for Big Orange Bridge….we were educated by our server the night before…the bridge is indeed orange and it is big.  A quick stop for gas and the twists and turns began.  All along the mountains edge and the river, the turns were easy and gentle.  As we moved further along they become tighter, up and down, over the mountain passes all morning.  We stopped in two towns.  

New Denver was the first of these two stops.

Two years ago we stopped here on a similar run through.  If you were to check my blog from back around that time, you would note a subject called “Fire and Ice”.  At the time, you could see snow still on some of the peaks similar to today.  There was also a small plume of smoke rising on one of the peaks.  Come to find out, we witnessed the beginning of a forest fire that completely burned out the side of the mountain as noted in the photo.  Fire is one of the risks in this area.  We are watchful and I follow some of the government sites for AQ and for fire locations.  Despite the ravaged mountain side, it is still a very beautiful area.

Our next stop was for lunch in Nacusp.  A quaint little town similar to Nelson, we stopped for a quick lunch.  Our next section was similar to the twists and turns we had been riding all morning, except now we were going to be taking a ferry at Needles.  We crossed with a most beautiful view of the lake and the valley.  I wasn’t particularly crazy about the logging truck parked next to me on the ferry (those that know, know).  Photos below kinda says it all.

The other side of the lake offered up even more twists and turns…as they say “new verse, same as the first”.  While the words may differ, the melody is the same.

Today, we covered just over 400 kms.  If I were to estimate, we had about 100 kms to Kelowna once we got to got out of the mountains.  That means we probably did close to 250 - 300 kms of twist and turns.  It was a great day.  One for the books….oh and it was hotter than Hades once we got out of the mountains and started heading for Kelowna….”new verse, same as the first”.  

I think we will use a couple of down days to recover.  We have had more than a few days on the road, and they have not been without some challenges.  A couple of days to relax will be greatly appreciated.  I will post more once we are on the road again.  For tomorrow I think the horses need a good wash.

The Great Canadian Tour 2025 - Elbows Up Edition - Day 15 & 16

Yesterday was a down day…it wasn’t supposed to be, but as plans happen sometimes they change.  Rain and very cool temps kept us from riding down to Waterton Park.  It will have to wait for another day and another adventure.

We did, however, get a chance to spend a few hours with a very special friend of ours.  It’s been 9 years since we last got together and this time, we got to see his daughter, whom we haven’t seen in almost 20 years.  It was a great afternoon.

Today, we were up early, packed and refreshed, ready to get to the mountains.

The plan was to meet up with Buddy and Brad at Frank Slide.  We set off on Hwy 3 headed for Crowsnest Pass.  On the way we pass Fort MacLeod, home of the Musical Ride…and an actual fort I believe.  The flat plains are now fading and rising into rolling green hills with a hint of what is to come.  Though the great Rocky Mountains loom ahead, we are still quite a way until we reach them….they stay in the horizon though as we bob and weave through some of the beautiful foothills.  As we get to Crowsnest Pass we pass through the “Slide” which was a catastrophic event where the whole side of a mountain slid into Frank in the early 1900’s. The story of resilience and loss are told as you walk through the information center.

It is 9:30 am and we have travelled over 100 kms already as we set out to ride to Nelson for the night.

We travel along fields that have been cut and stacked…first time I have ever seen hay stacked that way.  The road conditions are amazing, especially given that they are exposed to very harsh conditions in the winter.  We wind up through the pass, down through valleys where you are surrounded by trees, tall evergreen trees, yet ahead of you are huge mountain peaks.  It is hard not to imagine you are getting a hug from Mother Earth.  It is hard to ignore the freshness of the air, the warmth of the sun and the sway of the road.

Sometimes the road will take you through some rather “unusual” town names…like Yahk.

Sometimes you will find yourself in towns with names you recognize, like Cranbrook, where we stopped for lunch, or Creston.  Riding through these communities is a short break at a slower pace, but as soon as we get to the other side we are off again!

One of our last stops before we reached Nelson, was at Stagleap Provincial Park…a lovely quiet stop overlooking Bridal Lake.  We were now travelling through the Kootenay Pass, elevation 1775m.

We finished the last of the ride arriving in Nelson.  A town built on the side of a mountain, overlooking West Arm river, which flows from Kootenay Lake.

Life is savoured here…hikers, campers, cyclist and of course a large number of folks like ourselves who are testing our limits in the peaks and valleys, through and between the amazing Canadian Rockies.  

Tomorrow, the ride continues..our destination for the next few days in Kelowna.    

The Great Canadian Tour 2025 - Elbows Up Edition - Day 14

We are now officially 2 weeks on the road!  Just for context, the side trip to the Gaspe added days to our journey that a more direct route would not have included.  We also booked our trip ahead as we were travelling with others, and there was an expectation that there would be more tourists travelling through Canada this year than other years.  Many of whom, like us, are staying in Canada to explore more of our country.  I think this is a fabulous side effect of today’s political and economic soap opera.  I can also guarantee that for those who do, much of the stress from news bombardment will be replaced by fresh air, amazing experiences and a realization of just how vast and different this country is from coast to coast…and don’t forget your map of the country..as you journey and mark how far you have travelled, it gives you a new perspective.  It is life affirming.

So, this day’s journey also started very early in the morning as noted by the lovely sunrise from our hotel window.  We had made an appointment in Lethbridge, AB to have our oil changed and were hoping to be there before 2 p.m…a 7 am start with the first stop less than 250 m around the corner to Tim’s for breakfast.  We were on the road by 8 am and the day didn’t require as many stops or distance to cover as previous days, so we felt it was very doable….especially as the rain the previous night had brought some cool and much welcomed temperatures as we continued west.

Each day we start out close to the border of the next province.  Each one, so far, is really a days’ ride across, but there is no fun in just driving through…it is the title that most people have for New Brunswick that annoys the heck out of us….no one wants to be a “drive through” province….so here is my opinion, whether you want it, need it or care….stop, and explore at least one interesting attraction, place or activity in each province.  Try getting a real idea of how the cultural aspect of that province and the people who live there compares to where you are from.  This is true even if travelling outside of the country.  Learn, experience and enjoy whereever you are, in the moment you are there.

Today was a new road that I have not travelled as we went south from Medicine Hat, heading to Lethbridge.  The fields were amazing and we started to see a lot of wind turbines.  Up to this point we hadn’t seen that many.  The fact that you could see them for miles was not lost on us either…this area, close to the foothills of the Rockies is still fairly flat but in a soft rolling, green hilly field kind of way…sounds corny but incredibly, a very apt description or the only one that made sense.

We got to Lethbridge around 1 pm, checked into the hotel and dropped all our stuff in the rooms then headed over to the bike shop.  As the oil was being changed, we walked up to a great restaurant a couple of blocks away to have a bite….it was after 2 pm and if we didn’t get food into Larry, he would be doing the biting.  The lunch was amazing at Mike’s Steakhouse.  Back at the s hop I also managed to finally snag a couple of pair of leather riding gloves to replace the ones I bought in 2011….I have been searching for a very long time for a specific type of glove to replace the old ones so not only was it an exciting find, but since they were 50% off I bought 2 pair!  Downtime for the win!

Back at the hotel, showered and refreshed, we were trying to decide where to eat.  Buddy, our friend in Kelowna, sent us a poster and let us know his brother and our friend was playing at the Owl Acoustic Lounge.  We inquired on the “oracle” and they also served food, so off we went.  

We were treated to a delightful meal, great service and amazing entertainment.  The true delight of the night though was seeing Papa Kings’ expression when he realized that the gentleman who was beckoning and talking to him from the side of the stage was Larry….surprise to joy to huge hugs!!  Enough for everyone to go around.  We had the amazing privilege and pleasure to watch him play in front of an audience for the first time.

We ended the evening and headed back to the hotel by 10:30 pm as we were now way beyond our travelling bedtime routine, full of food, laughter and love.  By all accounts I believe everyone had a great nights rest.

The Great Canadian Tour 2025 - Elbows Up Edition - Day 13

There are tough days on the road when riding.  This day was one of them.

The day started out from Virden, MB early.  We planned to get ahead of the heat we knew we would encounter the rest of the day.

It was a short ride to the next province of Saskatchewan which, of course, had to include a picture of the sign welcoming us.

We stopped in Indian Head, SK for lunch.  This is a favorite stop for us along the way.  On our first stop here back in 2016, there was a small motel with a restaurant…no Tim’s or other “box” retailers.  On that first stop we were curious about what a Saskatoon berry was, which was the homemade pie being offered on the menu.  The lovely man described the berry to us then offered us a piece to try, free of charge.  It was a lovely.  Now days, it is a stop for many folks, mostly to have their pictures taken with the large carved statue.

The rest of the ride for the day was, uncomfortable….it also included many stops to soak our shirts (motorcycle air conditioning is what we call this), and to satisfy our hydration.  The temperatures rose to 36C most of the afternoon and with winds steady at 30 km/hr and gusts of 50 km/hr, it felt quite like I would imagine being inside an air fryer.

Just when you thought it was hot enough we encountered many kilometres of new pavement, otherwise know as black top.  So let’s use an additional metaphor.   We now felt like we were inside an air fryer being BBQ’d on a blacktop grill!

New black top holds the heat so in theory we were being cooked from above, below and side on.  Despite all, we persevered and continued on our journey to Swift Current, SK…looking at this pictured stop to take photos of a canola field and grain operation, you would never guess that the day was anything other than lovely, and despite the heat, it was a good day…the kind of day that make you appreciate all the others.  We get asked all the time if we mind riding in the rain.  The short answer is we prefer it to the heat and that is not a lie.  That being said, when travelling, weather (other than extreme weather) does not hinder our journey.  If at home and having a choice with  what to do with your day, we probably wouldn’t choose to ride in either.

We arrived safely in Swift Current, checked in to our hotel and drug all our gear up to our room.  Once we pulled off the boots and riding pants, I filled the tub with some cold water and invited Larry to sit with me on the side of the tub with our feet in cold water.  Let me tell you, it is unbelievably refreshing (highly recommend it).  So refreshing in fact, I turned to Larry and said “We don’t need a big pool, we just need a kiddy pool with cold water”…..but I was only kidding…..

As for the evening, we only had enough energy to walk to the nearest food establishment, eat and head to bed…we didn’t have great coverage, hence the late post.  The day had used up all of our daily energy and would not take a loan from tomorrow.  So by 9 p.m. it was lights out, but I am sure we were all asleep before the switch had finished it’s journey from on to off!

The Great Canadian Tour 2025 - Elbows Up Edition - Day 12

 Not an overly exciting day as far as views or exploring.  

We left Kenora early this morning and made our way across the border into Manitoba…somewhere.  We looked for a sign so that we could take a picture but there were none to be had…..just a small sign that told us we were no longer on the 17….we were now on the TCH 1…so somewhere out there we crossed an imaginary line.

We DID, however, pass the Longitudinal Center of Canada….yup!  As Bon Jovi sings…”we’re halfway there”.

There was an increasing amount of haze as we crossed Manitoba.  As we get nearer the Saskatchewan border, it was really hazy.

We pulled into Virden for the evening, tired and hot.  Unloaded the machines, changed into our bathing suits and went for a swim in the hotel pool.  A quick shower and a walk down the road for supper at Boston Pizza pretty much sums up the exciting things we did today.  Tomorrow we’ll see what the weather brings…it is looking like sunshine, wind and potential thunderstorms……why not!

The Great Canadian Tour 2025 - Elbows Up Edition - Day 11

Happy Canada Day!  What better way to celebrate, riding across this great country, meeting so many people from different backgrounds….

Today was just riding…there were no real stops except for breaks.  This last stretch of Northern Ontario is really remote, except for the occasional small town.  What we have discovered since our last trip through 2 years ago is how much the roads have improved.  They have widened the roads and cleared back the woodland away from the roads so that it is easier to see wildlife..especially the bigger ones.  Fortunately today, the only wildlife was a Bald Eagle atop a tree.  This made for a great ride, with great visibility and passing lanes which were carefully used due to the other wildlife that travels the TCH…known as the OPP.  I firmly believe there are more OPP on Hwy 17 than there are RCMP in all of New Brunswick.

We arrived early in Kenora and settled in…in need of a rest, it was good to get off the road early for a change….of course the time change to Central also helped.

Tomorrow we will cross into Manitoba, early in the day….we will need to find a Manitoba sticker for Mr. G to add to his ever increasing collection.

Tomorrow, Jerry gets to see a totally different landscape than the one he has been staring at for the last 4 days……Northern Ontario, it’s beautiful….it’s a long ride.