Classic Canada |
|
Dates: (10
days, 9 nights; Fri-Sun) |
Assembly Point:
Lake Louise |
Tour
Cost: $2,995 (includes all lodging, breakfasts and dinners, ferry tolls, support van, round-trip Timberline shuttles between Calgary and Lake Louise prior to and following tour, leaders, tour maps & narratives) |
Banff, Lake Louise, the Columbia Icefields, Jasper — these are the place names that symbolize the allure of the Canadian Rockies. Timberline for years has toured this Rocky Mountain Front in the context of our Icefields Alpiner and Rambler programs.
But the magnificence of Alpine Canada sprawls westward well beyond the Great Divide into the heart of British Columbia. The rugged Purcells and Selkirks, the serene beauty of the great Columbia/ Kootenay River system and the valleys through which these waters flow, fiord-like lake country that is everywhere — these are a few of the ingredients of an extraordinary and unique cycling adventure.
We believe that Classic Canada is adventure cycling at its best. In the course of 10 days, we'll experience the almost indescribable beauty of Lake Louise, challenge the Great Divide twice as well as the many summits that we'll encounter in the Purcells and Selkirks, trace the course of the Columbia, ride the shores of Kootenay and Arrow Lakes and the quaint ferries that cross those waters, explore no less than five of Canada's Rocky Mountain parks, and luxuriate in the natural hot springs at Radium, Ainsworth and Nakusp.
Classic Canada assembles in Lake Louise and we'll climb to nearby Moraine Lake on Day 1. The hiking opportunities at Moraine Lake are extraordinary and our Day 1 mileage is intentionally light. The lure of incredible Sentinel Pass is irresistible and we're hiking to that summit before descending to the Bow River Valley and an overnight at Johnston Canyon Resort.
Our first encounter with the Great Divide occurs on Day 2 at the crest of Vermillion Pass. We'll cross into British Columbia and Kootenay Park and descend along the Vermillion and Kootenay Rivers. We'll climb Sinclair Pass that afternoon as a prelude to a 7-mile descent into Radium and a welcome soak in the hot springs.
We'll follow the Columbia south of Radium to the Bavarian-like village of Kimberly, Canada's highest city at 3,630' nestled in the heart of the Purcells. We'll enjoy an incomparable dinner at Chef Bernard's that evening and then it's on to Cranbrook and Creston on Day 4 and an overnight near the shore of Kootenay Lake. We'll trace the Kootenay shoreline the next morning to Crawford Bay and board the ferry for the crossing to Balfour. Following an overnight at the Ainsworth Hot Springs Lodge, we'll ride to Kaslo and through the Slocan Valley to New Denver and Nakusp on the shores of Upper Arrow Lake. We'll overnight at the Kuskanax Lodge and visit the hot springs at Nakusp.
Mid-morning of Day 7, we'll board our second ferry at Galena Bay as we cross Upper Arrow Lake and rejoin the mighty Columbia as we approach Revelstoke and an overnight at the historic Regent Inn. Our climb through the Selkirks begins as we leave the breakfast table on Day 8. We'll cycle through Mt. Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks and spend the evening atop Rogers Pass at the Glacier Park Lodge.
A long descent is our reward on Day 9 as we ride to Golden and a final overnight in the picturesque townsite at the confluence of the Kicking Horse and Columbia Rivers. Our final day is anything but anticlimactic. We'll trace the Kicking Horse through Yoho Park to its source among the high peaks near the Great Divide at Kicking Horse Pass as we return to Lake Louise. And for those who want more on this final day, a climb to spectacular Takakkaw Falls, one of Canada's highest falls, is an intriguing option.
Total Mileage — 610
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