Cycling in Canada: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

“What is your job?” Well, I did work for a bike organization but I now am biking. “So you have no job?” Not in the way your define one. “Do you have a wife and kids?” If I did would I be biking? “So, you are coming into Canada with no job and no ties to the US?” God I hate the border. Am I, on a bike, that much of a threat to the holiness that is the colony of England called Canada? Is having a job a requirement to enter or exit a country, of its imaginary lines drawn on paper? With a huff and a puff my passport was handed back and I entered British Columbia with a new set of grumpy pants adorned and a bad taste in my mouth.

The long day to Cranbrook where I had a warmshower introduced me to the difference between US traffic and Canadian traffic. That being, there was more of it, and the drivers were much less nice as they passed me in than they have been in the States. And then stopping at a little store, I was reminded of another big difference. Everything in Canada is super expensive for no reason. A nice night inside and the next day it was off north towards Fairmont Hot Springs and along the Columbia Valley.

The Rockies have been on my eastern side for a while now, and some other range on my west as I biked north. The scenery was nice but diluted by the non stop traffic, logging trucks, and RV's that aren't capable to giving a vulnerable road user a little bit of extra space. Getting to Fairmont, the springs of course were located at the top of the hill (typical) and when I got there it seemed the only way to enjoy the “natural” hot springs was to pay to sit in the water fed pools. Luckily, I meet a nice couple who informed me of some free baths up the hill, where I went and soaked for a while. Upon returning they offered to have me pitch my tent in their space, hence saving me the job of hunting for a free stealth spot. You can ONLY stay in Fairmont in an RV, no tenting. I felt oh so welcome.

It was another day in the Columbia Valley north towards Brisco and another warmshower. I passed through Radium, where the next day I would return to enter into Kootney National Park, which leads to Banff. The first of the two passes that day was the steepest, but not so bad. What was bad is the way Canada runs it's parks. They don’t have a sign, but they are basically saying “We are not welcoming to bicycle tourers or anyone not in a vehicle” They charge a per day use fee, the same if in a car, RV, bike or foot. Fair? No. The campgrounds have zero accommodations for hikers/bikers, unlike nearly all the parks in the States. Plus, the campgrounds charge astronomical fees for the privilege of sleeping on the earth. The end of my day saw an hour and a half of rain, and I pulled into the Lake Louise Hostel, soaked and cold. Of course, it got worse when the price to stay was nowhere near the price shown on the hostel pamphlet. Why? Because they are purposely misleading and put the winter prices without saying it. I am staying another night but volunteering with housekeeping and will stay for free. There are still clouds and rain forecast all day, and to enjoy the ride north I would prefer clearer skies.

The good, the bad and the ugly thus far. The natural landscape is amazing, the mountains and very sharp and clear as they are younger. The bad and ugly is the how I feel absolutely unwanted and unwelcome in Canada, and while I am trying to let go of these issues and allow myself to enjoy my time here, I can honestly say that I not only would, and hopefully will, never return to Canada, but would not recommend, despite the natural beauty, for a bike tourer to come here. Shame on Canada. I don't want to be super negative and complain in this post, but I also hope that anyone who is thinking of bicycle touring might take my advice and not venture to Canada until such a time as they adjust their policies and structure to be welcoming to those of us who travel and live without the use of a motor vehicle.

From here, I will head north along the Icefields Parkway for two more days and then exit Jasper National Park and make my way southwest towards the US border at Washington State. And while I very much want to enjoy the scenery and not wear a pair of grumpy pants (makes cycling difficult), I will be cycling as far as possible each day to get back to the US and out of this English backwaters known as Canada.

Check out the current Canadian photos at picasaweb.google.com/rossbikepics  .  Well my grumpy Binglers, keep pedaling with a smile on yer face.