Thurs, July 11, 2014

The idea for the first few days of the Sideways Tour was to hang out with my sister and one of my brothers before my sister and I both get married this Fall. Jasper was the perfect place. Not only is it the quickest and easiest entry in the Rockies from where we all live…just one long drive down the Yellowhead…but the sights there are so awesome that there would be more than enough for us to see and do.

My sister and I both live in North Battleford, and we split the trip to Jasper in half by hitting the road after work the day before so we could meet up at my brother’s place in Edmonton. This would also let us get an early start the next day so we could reach Jasper around lunchtime.

The ride to Edmonton for me was a series of thunderstorms (hail included) after a long, hot summer day. Not the greatest way to begin the adventure, but it was a hell of an initiation into the joys of riding under the open sky. I didn’t get to Edmonton until midnight because of a late start and the storms, but I was able to fall asleep quickly and get a solid six hours of sleep. The ride to Jasper the next morning started at 8am, and it was a cool, crisp morning the whole way. My sister and brother were in her vehicle, and they beat me to Jasper by about 15 minutes.

It was nice to be in the saddle again, and splitting the trip in half was advantageous to my legs. I haven’t had much riding time this summer, and a full eight hour ride on Silver after not breaking my legs in would certainly have caused some aches in the legs and ass the next day. As it was, I could feel my legs tightening up once I reached Jasper.

We grabbed a quick lunch at a little place I found on the Barrel Run back in April and immediately headed out to see some sights. Our first goal was the Jasper Tramway, but it was closed due to high winds at the top. Instead, we opted to drive down the Icefields Parkway and hike up to the Athabasca Glacier. We almost went on the new Skywalk attraction (mostly because I wanted to call myself a Skywalker), but after seeing it from the highway decided it wasn’t worth the money or time.

On the way back from the Icefields we stopped at Tangle Falls and Athabasca Falls. The former was a first-time visit for me, and the latter is a sight you just HAVE to see if you’re in Jasper.

It was late in the day when we got back and I was very tired and hungry. The long ride to Jasper followed by the hiking and climbing took its toll on my legs. We were able to get in to a restaurant I’ve never been able to get a table at because it’s always too busy- Evil Dave’s. Its reputation is well deserved and we all enjoyed a great meal and a good visit before an evening stroll down the strip in Jasper. We capped the night off with a few cocktails in the lounge of the Athabasca Hotel before heading to our rooms.

I thought I’d fall asleep rather quickly, but the excitment of the upcoming days kept my mind racing and I wasn’t able to fall asleep until 1am.