GDMBR day by day

GDMBR Canada section Banff to Eureka, USA.

The main Canadian section goes from Banff to Eureka, the first town in the USA. This section goes over Elk pass to Sparwood then tortuously contours down the side of the Elk Valley to the border. Starts in forested Rocky Mountain terrain and finishes in wonderfully golden rolling prairies with scattered woodlands. After the Elk pass, to, well, Elkford, the route follows the ermm Elk valley trail along the ….Elk river valley. This has a fair amount of single track and has a lot of short steep climbs, tough at this early stage of the ride. Did not see any Elks!

Forest fires in the harder/wilder flathead alternative meant that some riders who set off that way had to detour back to the main valley. We, along with most riders, followed the Elk valley trail.

Day 1 GDMBR 30 July 2022 Banff to Spray Lakes West

20 miles, 1800 ft ascent. Easy start, half a day to arrive early enough to get a place at the Spray lakes campground.

Day one and we saw our first bear! This was on an overgrown single-track section just below the Spray Lakes’s dam. It was on the path ahead of us and trotted off down the hill a few feet, before stopping to take a good look at us. Prob a black bear, we talked to it, got off our bikes, and walked past it. about 20 feet away. It blinked and went on its way down the hill.

We stayed an extra day at Spray lakes to meet up with Janes’s sister and family, who also drove around to meet us at Peter Lougheed park before we finally parted company and set off in earnest for the great divide.

Obligatory shot of our start from Banff.

Jane’s family at West Lakes campground. The site was meant to be full but I found one vacated site and, while pitching our tent, the host told me there was a much better spot for us all. It’s not bookable, so we were a bit lucky/part rewarded for turning up early.

The next day, we all went for a short walk and a swim and it was evident there were bears about. We were even warned there was one seen close to our swimming site, so we didn’t stay long! Lots of cute furry animals around.

Day 2 GDMBR 1 August 2022 – Spray Lakes to Boulton Campground, Peter Lougheed Park

40 Miles, 2100 ft ascent. Cloudless and very hot day circling the top of the lake, through some single track and wild woods, before joining the dirt road over a low pass to Peter Loughead park. Stopped for a while at the visitor centre as it was air-conditioned, and even longer outside the campsite shop that had huge ice creams. Met a group about our age, finishing the route northbound, who looked worn out! they had done it in 6 weeks or so, so pretty good going.

Top of Spray Lake.

Single track around the southern end of Spray Lake.

Gorgeous alpine meadows between Spray Lakes and Peter Lougheed park.

Day 3 GDMBR 2 August 2022 Boulton Campground to Elkford

49 miles 2000 ft ascent. Over into Britsh Columbia via Elk pass at 6400 ft, with lots of bear poo, but did not see any bears thankfully. The ride up was steep but manageable, mainly following pylons, then down a long forest road to Elkford which had a large grocery store and good campground. Met Anna from Salt Lake City and her French/Belgian riding partner who met on Facebook for the trip! They made it all the way, to Mexico, we found out eventually when we checked the log book in Hatchita, beat us by maybe 10 days. I nicknamed her Anna Montana… we kept up with her for a few days.

Top of Elk pass, with Anna Montana watching on.

Tobermory cabin at the top of the Elk Valley. Occupied by a family who seemed to be having great fun, it’s like a Scottish bothy but made from logs, first come first serve. Our last training ride was a road trip around the Isle of Mull, where its namesake town is. Or maybe it was named after a Womble!

Day 4 GDMBR 3 August 2022 Elkford to Fernie

80 miles 3800 ft of ascent.

We followed an old route from Elkford by mistake, but the correct way is a similar distance. Instead of following the correct route along the start of the Elk valley trail, we took a road up the hill to the coal mine and then down a great forest road down the Fording River until it meets the Elk valley again. Unfortunately, this road was closed due to a wash out. We ignored the sign and carried on….to find the road had totally slipped away into the river , and had to scramble across with the loaded bikes. Exhausting!

The road had been washed into the river

Jane taking her paniers up the slope, we had to push/pull the bikes up this, Dave at the front, Jane at the back.

Halfway to Fernie is Sparwood where there was a large food store and an even larger tipper truck, the largest in the world it claims! Elkford to Sparwood has been a huge coal mining area, though it’s almost all either out of sight or closed down. Elkford has one of the world’s largest open-cast anthracite mines for steel making, but you would hardly notice it.

On the Elk valley single track trial to Fernie. From Sparwood it goes innocuously up through the golf course then starts to wind all over the place up and down steep and never-ending spurs and side valleys, with some washed-out sections. Great for a day out mountain biking, but a bit tough at the start of our trip.

Another washed out section. You can just see Jane traversing the slope

We got to Fernie just in time for a closing Starbucks for a welcome cold drink. We found the main private RV park full, but they let us use a last-minute cancellation for a proper posh RV spot. Camped on the grass by the big gravel pitch, surrounded by truly enormous RVs. Great showers, had a meal at Boston Pizza.

Day 5 GDMBR 4 August 2022 Fernie to Burton Lake, Elko

30 miles 2000 ft ascent approx

Another day meandering up and down the Elk valley trail, unsure if we followed it correctly, and glad to stop early at a wild camp near Elko. The grocery store was run by an Asian family, so we got some good Indian snacks and they pointed us in the direction of this volcanic crater with a hidden lake. Had a short swim in the murky water. The site seems to be known by others, maybe locals for a quiet camp. We were pretty knackered when we arrived and Jane fell off her bike just getting off it! Probably would have been better to push on to Baynes lake but we were unsure about camping space.

Fernie RV site.

Day 6 GDMBR 5 August 2022 Burton Lake, Elko to Eureka, USA.

48 Miles, 1350 ft ascent.

From Elko, we followed pleasant forest tracks, mainly through woodland and rolling prairies, to Baynes lake: a quiet retirement-looking place with a grocery store. Filled up on drinks and ice creams, and chatted to the owner who wished us good luck and gave me a hat with the store’s name on it!

Just before the border is Grasmere, smaller than its Cumbrian namesake in the UK better known for Wordsworth and gingerbread: the BC version had a tiny run-down petrol station but good for some more snacks and drinks.

The border crossing was fast, maybe because we were pretty smelly by then. Heading into Eureka on the back roads, we had an encounter with a car driving very close to us, so I shouted Hey! The driver stopped and took some umbrage, and told us we should be on the freeway! I politely corrected her. Not the best welcome to the USA! The area was full of Trump posters, enough said!

Camped in the town park at Eureka with other cyclists, including Anna Montana, and feasted on huge burgers, coffee and other goodies . Great stop over, even charging points and wifi by the park/council building.

Eureka had an exhibition/fair on for patchwork quilts, very pretty!