Day 9: Invermere to Banff

From the Kootenay Park lookout

Our final day was a long, moderately difficult but mostly sentimental ride from Invermere to Banff.  At this point in the trip, nothing was going to stop us from making it the final 150 km.  We started off with a brisk ride to Radium hot springs and headed into the Kootenay National Park where we climbed up an impressive 11% grade easing into a steady climb to the Kootenay Park lookout for photos and a rest.  On our climb to the top, we passed two magnificently large horned sheep watching us closely from the roadside; we were quickly accompanied by a humbling feeling that we were just visitors passing through.  Lunch break was another 40 km away and we finished up any remaining food and had our last hummus and salami wraps, chocolate milk, bananas and coke for the ride.

I'll miss the vastness and the openness of the Rockies

Our final climb of the trip brought us up to the Continental Divide, the border between BC and Alberta.  It was an emotional transition to finally make it across the border and the climb felt difficult because we pushed hard.  At this point of the trip, the scenery had transformed once again and we were now surrounded by brilliant rock faces blanketed by trees at their base.  The Rockies are so high that the peaks are barren and still covered by slivers of snow.  Some of the mountains nearby were grey with the remnants of a massive forest fire that swept through the region over 8 years ago.  The trees that remained wrapped the mountains with an eerie ghostly looking forest and after all those years, there was no evidence of any regrowth.

The continental divide, half the bike in Alberta and half in BC

Description of the wildfire

The only wildlife I was able to snap

Martina's only wipe out, off the Esso

Following the Continental Divide, we descended into Johnston Canyon for an ice cream cone and to wait for the rest of the team before making our final ride into the city of Banff.  The final ride was quiet and peaceful as we sped through a back road, surrounded by trees, a sentimental return to my first training rides up Seymour mountain.  Finally merging onto Highway 1, which we hadn’t seen since Day 1, we made our final ride into Banff and the sense of accomplishment finally set in after hugs and cheers by the welcome sign.  Our ride had finally come to an end and in some ways it felt like we had been riding for months, in others, it felt like we just set out yesterday.  It seemed so long ago since we were joined by the other riders up Manning Park, almost even a different trip altogether.  Regardless, together we’ve been able to achieve what we set out to do: to raise awareness, to educate and to raise financial support for cystic fibrosis research.  Undoubtedly, my life has changed as a result of the ride, I’m just not sure how.  However, my only hope is that together we’ve been able to change the outcome of those with CF, but there’s still so much to do.

The final stretch before reaching Banff; I'll never forget it

One last turn

Arrival at last

Ride Statistics:

Total Distance:  150.96 km
Cumulative Elevation Gain: a bit less than 800 m
Average Speed: 25.2 kph
Maximum Speed: 72.9 kph
Total Time Spent on the Saddle: approx. 6 hours

The Strange's reunited

Carter lives with CF; that's why we ride

Complete Ride Statistics:

Total Distance:  1205.8 km
Cumulative Elevation Gain: Approx. 8100 meters
Total Time Spent on the Saddle: Over 51 hours

***

After returning home today, the buzz of the trip still painting pictures in my mind, we pulled into a Chevron station and the man filling his car in front of us looked strangely familiar.  We looked at each other and I knew I had to step out and talk to him.  It turns out, I was introducing myself to Dr. John Yee, Eva Markvoort’s surgeon and the director of the BC Lung Transplant Program.  I spoke with Dr. Yee briefly about the $120,000 the ride has accumulated for CF research.  Unspoken, we acknowledged Eva’s legacy.  What a way to bring closure to this journey into the world of CF.  Cystic fibrosis is around us and near us; let’s make sure we don’t forget.