5 days through the mountains, but on a bike this time.

I'm just finishing packing for my next little trip. I've been looking at different cross country routes to get me from Calgary down to my Parents place at Baynes Lake and I finally settled on a good looking plan. First part of the bike trip isn't biking at all, it's hitching out to Banff with a perfectly good bicycle, hopefully fully assembled in the back of someones truck. The winds always blow from the west, and being the lazy type of cycle tourer I am, I'd rather just catch a ride instead of fighting the headwind on the side of the busy transcanada highway all day.

From Banff I take a cross country ski trail along goat creek until I get up above Canmore, then the Smith Dorien gravel road takes me 80 km to Kananaskis Lakes. From there it's another cross country ski trail up over Elk Pass and into Elk Lakes Provincial Park, 70something km of gravel road to Elkford, and then I'll ride the paved highway until Sparwood. If time permits I'm hoping to take a side trip 25km out to Crowsnest Mountain where I'll hide my bike in the trees while I scramble up - I've always wanted to climb Crowsnest Mountain, what better time than while on a cycle tour? Then it's back into BC and up Corbin Creek into the Flathead for another 160 or so backcountry km. I could never find a route through there that I liked, but the other night I found out that there is a foot trial joining two forest service roads that get within a few km of each other. That lets me take backroads right up to the Canadian/US border at Rooseville, just south of Baynes Lake and what will probably be my first cold beer and shower all week. The hardest part of the whole trip seems like the hitch out to Banff... best get going, I still need to pickup extra spokes!

Here's pictures of the route:




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Doing all the things I missed while on the trail.

The last few weeks went something like this:

-Bus / Hitchhike from the coast to Greenwood. ($20 bus ride to get out of the tough hitching in the fraser valley).

-One week visiting my Grandparents, helping on the farm, getting firewood, and eating ALL of grandma's wonderful cooking nonstop (I gained 6 pounds that week!).

-4 day roadtrip through the Okanagan with Sarah and her Mom.

-Weekend at Koocanusa / Baynes Lake visiting my Parents and Sarah again.

-Week of reading/relaxing/hiking/biking/eating/working/planning/not updating the blog in Calgary.

Sandra is in Calgary now from Switzerland, and Brian gets in this weekend, so we'll have lots more adventure into September. Confirmed is a 3 day 2 night trip across the Rockwall Trail in Kootenay National Park, another week in Greenwood visiting and helping on the farm, a week visiting in Baynes Lake, probable another 3 or 4 day hike, and mixed in somewhere I'll be riding my bike half across BC. I'm still figuring out where that one fits in though...

Vancouver

Hi all, forgot to post that I'm safe and sound in Vancouver. I've been staying with my friends Matt and Rachel and a couple other friends in town staying with them, Jim and Dan. Yesterday and the day before went as follows: sleep in, eat some amazing food with everyone, go eat some more somewhere else while everyone waits for me, ride bikes around, lay on the beach, eat more, eat again, see sights, go to bed. Pretty fun. Unfortunately Jim broke his wrist at a skatepark the other day, but I managed to ride a bmx for the first time in a long time and didn't hurt my self seriously. My stomach is great now, despite the gallon of icecream Jim and I tried to finish last night. It made a good breakfast too, and should be about finished by lunch time. 

And now for something a little different...

''Can I just bring this bag on with me?'', I ask him. ''Aw HELL no, that's a lot a shit ya got there!'' .... I got a great bus driver. ''anyone on here gotta make that train in Sacramento?''. A couple people raised thier hands. ''aight, there's this train leaving at 5:40, which means we gotta be there by 5:20, which means I gotta drive like CRAZY to get ya'll on that train, so ya'll best put on you seatbelts!'' ... ''Seatbelts!?''.....confused silence as we look to find the missing seatbelts... ''Yup, that's right. Y'all ain't got no seatbelts. But I got one, so y'all best hold on so I can get these folks on that train!'' My adventure is changed up a bit for now while I take a hiking break. Bus to Sacramento, train to Seattle, bus to Vancouver, falafel eating binge at my beloved Falafel House, and then, well, well I'm not really planning things much past falafel #7. I'll have to keep you posted.

What happens when you walk all day, almost everyday, for about 7 weeks?

Well, like most things you get a bit tired of it. Or maybe just plain tired? Either way, I decided to hitch back into South Lake Tahoe for some R&R, TLC, and a triple S. Well, it was more one of the S's lots, then another one once, and one not at all... still getting over that stomach bug...

The hiking has gotten a bit monotonous lately, partly the terrain, partly me being a bit burnt out on doing it everyday, and probably partly me being sick a bit. For now I'm hanging out in South Lake Tahoe, eating lots, and laying on the beach. Tough life, eh? I might catch a dinner buffet at a casino tonight. MMMmmmmmm!

Echo Lake to Donner Pass Photos

Trail beside one of many many lakes in the Desolation Wilderness.

View north from Dick's Pass, overlooking the desolation wilderness and Dick's Lake. This pass was only around 9000 feet, about 4000 feet lower than Forester Pass a few weeks ago.

At Richardson Lake I walked in at dark with 'Drifter' and found 'Love Shots', 'Party Foul', and 'Taco' camped out. They found a canoe at the lake and spent the afternoon trying to fish and relaxing. I took the canoe out for a little splash in the morning. FUN!

The guys camped out had eaten 16 Crayfish that afternoon. They were everywhere! I couldn't resist picking this little guy out for a quick photo.

Lots and lots of tree walking in this section. Now that we are at lower elevations there is a lot of green stuff growing, whereas at higher elevations the forest floor is mostly bare.

Trail Magic! 'Why Not' had a friend from Sacramento dayhiking with her and 'Why Wait' and she treated us to beer, cheese and crackers. MMMMMMmmmmmm! Just before they showed up, Party Foul had resorted to asking passing cars if they had beer he could buy from them....
he was getting desparate.

Ridge view with Lake Tahoe in the distance.

We passed through 3 ski resorts on the last day of the section.

For Sarah... dayhiker dogs.

Another ridge we followed a ways. That's Tiller Knob in the far end of the ridge.

Duct tape a couple weeks ago helped, but there's only so much you can do for the poor socks stuck on a thruhikers foot... I used to wash my socks at the beginning, but now I just shake them out a couple times a day. Gotta be careful, washing might remove the 'patches'.

My feet pretty much hate me lately.

I got into South Lake and used the bathroom... it turns out I'm now that homeless person using the public bathrooms and internet... You can't tell well from the picture, but my nose is peeling for I think the 3rd time (4th maybe?) and I'm DIRTY! I'm surprised I got the 3 rides into town so easy. I probably wouldn't pick me up.

South Lake Tahoe is on the California / Nevada state line. That's one of 4 or 5 casinos just across into the Nevada side.

It's been feeling like my hitchhiking trip a few years ago... camping in town isn't much different than camping in the bush. You just have to be a bit more careful of spots, and are rewarded by having an extra $45 to spend on food instead of a bed! What was that I said 'looking' like that homeless person....?

Sonora Pass to Echo Lake

Oops...

Where's the best place in the world to get the shits?

Anybody? I'm not sure either, but up in Granite Chief Wilderness high on a long waterless ridge probably won't make my top ten list... I guess it's probably time to start treating my drinking water again. I'm overlooking Lake Tahoe again with good cell service, which is probably a bad thing as it allows me to post all the stuff nobody really wants to know... Thanks for posting up the photos Sarah!

last two photos

These must be some of Danny's hiking buddies. I noticed he has started referring to many of them as 'friends' so he must be spending quite a bit of time with some of the same people.

More photos...these ones are more recent!

I thinkthe person on the right is Danny waving.
I think these photos are recent- the change in scenery compared to the last bunch is quite remarkable. Beautiful!


This photo of rugged Danny goes with the last bunch...what does everyone think of his new look? I must admit- I like it.