Pacific North West National Parks and Yellowstone September 2014

[Sgt Bilco]

Started off from the excellent Cariboo Lodge at Clinton in BC. We stop here on our Alaska trips and everything about the place is really good. 1st stop of the day is at Smilies cafe at 100 mile house on the 97 north. It's the sort of place we always go as it's local, good food at sensible prices and to be honest these places are going out of business fast because people are either going to mc shite up the road or just passing through and not stopping in their RV's. Support your local cafe or loose it is my mantra.

Anyway, good breakfast as usual even if the service was a tad slow.

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Found this brilliant little lakeside cafe in the ass end of nowhere on Highway 24 with proper Italian coffee and cake. Idyllic was pretty close to the mark. Apparently, someone caught a 20lb trout in this very lake earlier this year!!

 

[Sgt Bilco]

When you ride out of Valemount BC towards Jasper Alberta, you come round a corner and see the magnificent Mt Robson which is the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies. Simply stunning and my pictures can't do this place justice!!

 

[Roberto]

Looks fantastic

 

[Sgt Bilco]

After Mt Robson, the Icefields Parkway appears south of Jasper and is it's usual stunning self. The weather was a bit chilly but the sun was glorious. For some reason, my pics of the mountains didn't come out well but you have to take my word that it's a stunning place to be on a bike.

 

[Sgt Bilco]

After a night in Banff, we hit Highway 40 south which is about my favourite road on the North American trips. It has everything from mountains to prairie and makes great riding. It was a bit chilly as we were up to 7200ft (+5c) and after some heavy snow last week, there was plenty still about but the road was dry and it was very sunny. The mountains looked like Canadian mountains should be.

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Nice bit of lunch watching the world go by after we emerge form the cold Rockies. It had warmed up nicely and this is real adventure riding. Austin Vince would have a fucking coronary if he knew people did this.....!!

 

[Sgt Bilco]

After lunch, we head down to water ton down a pretty straight road over the Alberta prairies. This really shows how big this country really is especially after a week or so riding through the rockies and made a pleasant change.

 

[Sgt Bilco]

We called in at the Bar U ranch which is a Canadian heritage site and a great stop off for an hour or so finding out how tough it was back in the day. Those early settlers and ranch owners were made of strong stuff living out here!! Unbelievable views across to the Rockies as well!!!.

 

[adventuredon]

Looks awesome. Big sky riding

 

[Packer]

Chris, isn't Smilies the place where the staff were all over 80 years old and phoned a friend for extra hands when we turned up in 2012. Cariboo Lodge was a good place, just after our first short dirt road excursion though probably not with your current group.

How many miles on the old bike now?

 

[Sgt Bilco]

That's the place Kev. You wouldn't have made that short dirt trip now on a GS mate as the road is next to impassable on anything other than a small dirt bike or quad by all accounts!

She is just over 108,000 and going strong.

 

[Jon]

After a night in Banff, we hit Highway 40 south

Open this year then?

Now pack it in, I've already been caught looking at bike hire in Anchorage and BC twice this week

 

[Sgt Bilco]

All open Jon and it was due to heavy rain last year. Rough in places but as stunning as ever!!

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Waterton.....pictures can't do this place any justice whatsoever. We had a cracking day off so could explore the area a little bit and were blessed with perfect weather. The week before, there had been 12 inches of snow......!!

 

[Sgt Bilco]

A few more random shots.....

 

[Sgt Bilco]

Took a boat ride around Waterton lake and the place is stunning. They call it a non drowning lake because apparently if you fall in, it's so cold you will freeze to death before you drown!! It's at around 4 degrees c for most of the time unless it ices over!

 

[Sgt Bilco]

The boat ride takes you to the Goat Haunt border crossing and one of the most remote US/Canada borders. Not a lot to do there apparently but they have to go through the whole procedures with hikers as the nearest road is 35 miles away!! Note the actual border in the hillside. They re cut this every few years or so everyone knows when you step across it in the trails!! Can't really see the point but I guess if gives the bears and other animals an idea when high tail it out of the US when their hunting season kicks in!

 

[Jon]

So jealous even tho I've been there twice with you

What the forecast that way 1st 2 weeks of October.........I've a plan forming

 

[Jon]

Has anyone completed the Bilco trip challenge of ordering a breakfast without the waitress asking a question yet this year?