Day 128
September 17 - 60km (Lake Louise)
I hung around in Banff a little too long. I’ve noticed that when I take a bit of a break (like yesterday), it’s a little difficult to get back into the mentality of biking 100+km a day. But I eventually mustered the mental strength to get on the bike.
As soon as I started biking, the motivation came from the views I was seeing. There were a lot of cyclists on the road I was taking - and while it was nice having fellow cyclists, I was starting to miss my time in North Ontario. I really enjoyed the feeling of being completely alone, with nothing but my bike and my thoughts.
I stopped numerous times to appreciate the scenery. At one stop, I met Christina. She was with a group of a few families biking together and she gave me some fruits and vegetables; I have not been eating enough of those (thank you!). When Christina left, I didn’t feel like biking. I just felt like sitting underneath the trees and reading my book. Eventually, I laid down on the seat of the picnic table and closed my eyes…
When I woke up, I realized I had spent way too much time napping. It was time to go. I biked through the hilly terrain, but honestly, it wasn’t anything I wasn’t already accustomed to. Again, I know I keep talking about the views, but they really were the focus of the ride. The pictures don’t do it justice. There’s something about feeling the wind in your face, seeing the leaves rustle in the trees, hearing the noises in the forest - you can only capture these moments on bike. There’s the added element of feeling victorious - not just every time I conquer a hill, but realizing that I came all the way from Newfoundland. I have biked over 7000km to be here, and it’s a victory in itself to see these sights.
I made it to Lake Louise. I didn’t want to overdo the biking today considering my knee issues, but it was still frustrating to only hit 60km. Biking in these beautiful areas comes with a catch; I can’t just camp wherever I want. The land is patrolled by rangers, and you have to spend money at campgrounds or hostels. The issue is that a lot of it is booked because it’s so busy here!
But it’s okay. I know I’ll figure it out as I go.