Mountain Biking

June 3rd

Well, today we saw at least 6 elk, several with the biggest racks in velvet ever, a squirrel, and a humongous pile of the blackest bear scat in the middle of the trail we were riding our mountain bikes on, coming from Maligne Falls. It was my first real mountain bike ride, since we have had these kinds of bikes in ID, for country road riding only. Mark and his kids have ridden mountain trails for years, and I was impressed that he seemed so confident and adept in his stamina and endurance, especially a long upward highway pedal and weaving in and out of roots and rocks on narrow trails, setting a pace I had to calm myself for, in order not to panic when squeezing the brakes.

 

 

Until he discovered the previous trail he rode 2 years ago, we had to walk along a very narrow walking trail with other tourists, until we pushed and grunted the bikes up this almost vertical dirt channel to the upper bike trail that was the one he graced before. It was fun riding, and when I thought I sighted the "M" in the parking lot we started from, was when I got so excited I rode off the road and fell, thank God, onto a grassy slope. No harm.

 



 

The wonderful part of both being so exhausted, sweaty and stinky after 3 hours, was that we were able to take showers in "M" right there. Each of us also got to recline on the sofa with our feet up, while the other bathed. Heaven, really! We then lunched, listening to the thunder and rain we timed just right in missing.

Off to Jasper, for gas, marketing and wifi for emails I got to send, and left Lucy another voicemail to hers. She received our email last night, and sounded fine. We sleep tonight by another sweet creek, without all the wind from the last two nights' river camp (which was fine, however), in Pocahontas campground, and head out towards the Al-Can Highway tomorrow, which is pretty exciting to me. Sleep, may it be solid and out.