Riding the Rockies

The Banff area is stunning. We spent a few days in Banff, enjoying day rides on the Bow Parkway, which heads back toward Lake Louise.

We saw bears twice in the Banff area -- the grizzly, with a cub, beside the road as we apprached Banff from the south, from Kootenay. We saw this black bear cub — its mother was nearby, on the ground — beside the Bow Parkway. Actually, we aren't good at spotting animals ourselves. Rather, we spot long lines of cars and RVs, so we stop to see what everyone else is looking at.

We'd often seen ospreys on this tour, but only on the Bow Parkway were we able to photograph a nest (above left). Still on the subject of wildlife along the Bow Parkway: When we were cycling one afternoon, a motorcycle turned around and stopped beside us. It turned out to be a couple of snowbirds from Saskatchewan whom we'd met Casa Dan y Carmen in Puerto Escondido the year before (above right).

An idea of what the Bow Parkway is like: below, a view from the parkway in late afternoon light; right, dusk approaches as we head back toward Banff.

It would be nice to say that we spent our last few days of the tour staying at the Banff Springs, the famous hotel below left. The truth is, we were in our trusty tent, but in a campground that was as scenic as one could wish. All too soon we packed up and took a bus back to Calgary and our flight home.