I got a late start today after some last minute equipment changes that included sending about 5 kilograms home and aquiring a small kitchen set(stove, pot, bowl, fuel). I was following good JO Outdoor Club advice.
After taking in the Bow Falls, the day started with a climb following the Tour Divide route from the traditional starting point at the Banff Springs Hotel. Beautiful double track with some gnarly rocky climbs and decents.
Going was slow today, at first to be cautious about surprising bear and then simply getting used to loose gravel and dodging rocks.
Once I moved onto the gravel highway, I thought I could speed up. The climb was continuous from 4500 feet in Banff to just ober 6000 at Shark Mountain, very near the end of the day. The downhill after was a nice reward. If I were to do this route again, I would stay on the High Rockies Trail and add a night at the halfway point.
No bears that I saw…wonder how many saw me…but lots of signs of them, from scat to scraped trees to all the warnings from Parks Canada and Alberta Parks.
https://ridewithgps.com/trips/75000412
AndreasOutside 
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