Trail Magic on the GDMBR - Jasper to Banff to Jasper

post by Corrine

I was so tired. And I needed food and a place to sleep. I needed help. I needed divine intervention. I needed a trail angel.

I was riding from Jasper to Banff on the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route, the 370-mile northernmost portion of the GDMBR. That day I had ridden over 70 miles with almost 6000 feet of climbing. I had spent a couple of hours in a thunderstorm. I was almost out of food. I was ready to be done for the day. And finally, there it was! The Sunset Outfitters. My goal! I had been riding hard all afternoon to make it there so I could resupply at their store and possibly rent a cabin for the night. 

But. . . the store was closed and nobody was around. What to do? I saw a guy opening a gate to the RV area and asked if he knew where the owners were. He didn’t, but he enlisted another long-term RVer, Michelle, to help me. She took me to the owner’s RV, but nobody was home. My heart sank. 

As Michelle and I walked around, I explained my dilemma. I needed food and I needed a place to spend the night. She said she had some snacks she could give me. And then she offered me some of her leftover pasta dinner. I was so grateful!

Michelle, my trail angel at Sunset Outfitters

I joined her in her RV, and she heated up the pasta and brought out snacks and drinks. And then another neighbor brought over a sandwich for me to take with me the next day. So nice! I asked Michelle if I could camp somewhere. She told me to just stay in one of the empty cabins and figure it out in the morning. She would explain it to the owner. Another relief! 

Belly full, a bit rested, and buoyed by the magic of these trail angels, I headed over to one of the empty cabins for the night. The kindness of strangers can be so uplifting. And it wasn’t the only time it happened on my recent Jasper to Banff to Jasper adventure.

My Route

The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route is a 3000-mile mostly off-pavement route between Canada and Mexico that was created by the Adventure Cycling Association (ACA). I had ridden most of it when I raced the Tour Divide in 2018. That race starts in Banff and basically follows the route of the GDMBR. So, I had not done the Jasper to Banff portion, and it intrigued me. I had heard mixed reviews about it – some said it was great, others said it had too much logging and mining truck traffic. I decided to bike a loop by doing the GDMBR from Jasper to Banff and then cycling back on the paved Icefield Parkway, which I had driven more than once and knew had spectacular scenery. 

The portion of the GDMBR that I rode.  I cycled back to Jasper on highway 93

This trip had been partly inspired by Ryan Van Duzer – a YouTube bikepacker and acquaintance – who lives in Boulder, CO. He was doing the entire GDMBR as part of the ACA’s 50th anniversary, so I timed my trip to coincide with his. And I invited my friend, Danni, along, too. A fun, big bikepacking trip with friends! Unfortunately, Danni had to cancel at the last moment due to a family emergency, and Ryan’s bike was temporarily lost by the airlines. He ended up postponing his start and had to forego the entire Canada portion of the route. But I was ready to go, so I decided to do the Jasper-to-Banff portion by myself. 

I knew the route would be challenging, mainly due to long distances without resupply. There are several 90-mile stretches with no food resupply and the few stores along the route have limited hours. I decided to carry a stove and several freeze-dried meals just in case. You can’t plan on trail magic. Here’s how my trip went. 

Day 1 – Jasper to Hinton 46 miles with 900 feet elevation gain

My first day was relatively easy. I biked to Hinton and stayed at a hotel. I also decided to skip the 9.4-mile Overlander Trail, an expert single-track trail that parallels the highway, since I am not good at technical terrain, especially on a fully loaded bike. It was a good shakedown ride with no fuss or bother. 

Day 2 – Hinton to Brazeau River Campground - 71 miles with 4300 feet elevation gain

I had been warned that there was a lot of truck traffic south of Hinton but to my surprise, only a couple of loaded logging trucks passed me. There had been plenty of rain, but the road wasn’t super muddy, and I was not dusted when they passed. Most of the day I was riding over forested hills with occasional glimpses of the big mountains to the southwest. I pulled up to Brazeau River Campground around dinnertime and was pleased to see another bikepacker there. Tom, from Hawaii, was biking the entire GDMBR in about two months, averaging about 30-40 miles/day. We shared stories over dinner and then it was off to bed.

One of the few logging trucks that passed me

Tom and I eat dinner together in the cooking shelter at the Brazeau River campground

Day 3 – Brazeau River Campground to Ram Falls Campground - 80 miles with 7800 feet elevation gain 

I set my goal to reach Ram Falls Provincial Park on day three. My friend, Janet, had told me to definitely check out this park. This meant an 80-mile day, even though there were earlier places to camp. That was a long, hard day on the bike. I started with several big climbs before getting to the town of Nordegg around lunchtime. This was the last good resupply stop for about 200 miles. 

And I had to get some pie at the recommendation of Dave, a friend of Danni, my friend who had to cancel.  While at the café, I texted Dave, who lives in Banff. (Even though Danni wasn’t coming, Dave had offered me a place to stay when I got to Banff. A trail angel even before the trip started!) 

Mmmm!  Apple pie and ice cream!

While waiting for my lunch and pie, a female paramedic came up and commented on my bike set up. Then she asked if I was Corrine. I looked totally confused. I had never seen her before. But she told me that she was a friend of Dave and was currently working out of Nordegg. Dave had told her I was there, so she stopped by. What a nice surprise! She had lunch with me and although it wasn’t trail magic, it was fun and motivating to talk with a friendly person who also likes to go on adventures.

Jenny, a friend of Dave, surprises me at lunch in Nordegg!

After lunch, the hard day got even harder. I started with a 5-mile climb, most of it with 9-13% grades. My legs were toast, I had no energy, and it was the hottest part of a mostly sunny day. I walked a majority of that hill. It was followed by a nice descent, but then I had two more long steep climbs before the route finally leveled. I made it to Ram Falls Provincial Park at 8:30 PM. I quickly checked out the beautiful falls before I set up camp, made dinner, and got ready for the next day. 

Day 4 – Ram Falls Provincial Park to Sunset Outfitters - 80 miles with 5800 feet elevation gain

Another really tough day with steep climbs. I got caught in a thunderstorm for a couple of hours in the afternoon and got covered in grit from the road. I was running low on food and the only place to resupply was at Sunset Outfitters which was three miles off route. I knew I should stop there to be sure I had  enough food to make it the next 90 miles until the next resupply place. Once again, I was mostly riding through forested hills with occasional open valleys. I was so happy to finally get to the turn off for Sunset Outfitters but then so disappointed that the store wasn’t open and the owner wasn’t around. Thank goodness for Michelle, a true trail angel! 

I had a couple of hours of riding through thunderstorms

Day 5 – Sunset Outfitters to Banff - 107 miles with 5400 feet elevation gain

I wasn’t sure how far to go this day. Should I push all the way to Banff? But that was so long and I’d just had three hard days. Should I go off route to Cochrane at about 55 miles in? I decided to just see how the day went. 

Most of the climbing came in the first 50 miles. Then I had an hour of rain and when that stopped, the headwinds started. Ugh. It wasn’t horrible, but it was demoralizing. My stomach wasn’t doing well. I didn’t feel like eating and nothing I had tasted good. I started bonking as I came down the trunk road towards Highway 1A where I had to make the decision to either turn east off route to Cochrane or west towards Canmore. I was thinking there was no way I could make it all the way to Canmore. 

But then I saw three children up ahead flagging me down. They had a roadside stand selling firewood to campers and had Pepsi and potato chips, too. Those kids were my lifesavers! True trail magic! 

I drank a Pepsi and ate chips and felt instantly revived! New life in my legs. A new attitude after inhaling all the major bikepacking food groups; caffeine, sugar, salt, and fat! I knew I could keep going until I could resupply in Exshaw, still 30 miles away. 

Trail angels

I still hadn’t decided how far I would go, but the scenery kept getting more spectacular, which boosted my spirits. Unfortunately, biking on 1A was not fun. It has no shoulder and a steep ditch. It was not as busy as Canada Highway 1 but busy enough. 

Highway 1A - no shoulder and a steep drop off.  Not great for cycling but at least not too much traffic.

When I reached Exshaw I debated stopping. The town is an industrial place, not all that enticing. And it was less than 15 miles to Canmore, which is a nice mountain town. I used my phone to look for a hotel in Canmore, but the prices were outrageous. And it was only another 15 miles from there to Banff, all on a mostly flat bike path. I had just enough daylight to make it to Banff, even with that slight headwind. And in Banff I could stay at Dave’s place. I decided to go for it. I texted Dave and he was fine with me showing up at any time of day or night. It would be a long day, but a free bed, food, laundry, shower and a friendly face were awaiting me. I could do it. And I did, arriving with the last bit of daylight. 

Arriving in Banff at sunset - 10:30 PM

Day 6 – Rest day in Banff

Dave and Brenda are true trail angels. Besides being friends with Danni, they are also mutual friends with our friends, Jill and Beat. Even after Danni had to bail, Dave offered me his house and to extract me if I had a problem along the way. He texted me with updates, suggestions, and words of encouragement as I was riding. He and Brenda are so welcoming. I took them out for dinner, which really didn’t cover my appreciation for everything they did.

Dave and Brenda - such amazing people and trail angels

After my rest day, I planned to bike the 180 miles back to Jasper on the paved Bow Valley and Icefield Parkways. I thought about doing it over three days but checked the weather forecast which called for persistent rain. I decided to do it in two days and booked one of the last beds at the Rampart Hostel which was about half way. If the rain came, at least had a dry place to spend the night.

Day 7 – Banff to Rampart Hostel - 94 miles with 4900 feet elevation gain

The day started cloudy but with great views. There was minimal traffic along the Bow Valley Parkway, and I stopped frequently for photos. I made it to Lake Louise by lunchtime. While I ate lunch the sky started to sprinkle which turned into rain that just got heavier and heavier as the day progressed. 

The day ended up being one of the most miserable days I have had on a bike. It was cold (temps in the lower 40’s Fahrenheit), rainy, a bit of a headwind and a lot of climbing up and over a big pass. At the top, I put on all the layers I had except my puffy jacket and sleep clothes, but I still froze on the long, long descent. By the time I arrived at Saskatchewan Crossing I was soaking wet, shivering and my teeth were chattering. I popped into the restaurant to warm up with some soup but then headed back into the rain as I still had 8 miles to the hostel. I was so glad I had made a reservation. I checked in, was given the tour, and then was told there was a wood-fired sauna all ready for use! I quickly unpacked, then headed to the sauna with my roommates and basked in the heat until I was toasty warm. It was just the kind of trail magic I needed after a tough day on the bike.

Wind, rain, cold and climbing but still smiling!

Rampart Hostel - my oasis for the night

My bunkmates, ready to sauna.  The rooms sleep 6 but only 3 showed up for our room for the night.

A wood-fired sauna never felt so good!

Day 8 – Back to Jasper – 89 miles with 4200 feet elevation gain

At 2 AM it was still pouring rain, but by the time my alarm went off at 6 AM, the rain had stopped. My last day on the bike was phenomenal. Incredible views the whole day. Mountains, glaciers, waterfalls, wildflowers, wildlife. I saw it all. I saw more wildlife than I had the rest of the ride combined. I saw elk, deer, mountain goats and even a black bear right next to the road. Trail magic doesn’t always have to involve humans!

Mountain goats!

Elk!

There was a bit of traffic on the parkway, but it has a good shoulder. Four bikepackers from the UK caught me on the pass and we cycled down to the Icefield Center and had lunch together comparing notes on how miserable the day prior had been. They were riding from Calgary to Vancouver on paved roads and were staying in hotels so had very little gear on their bikes. I was a little envious! 

Lunch with the UK bikepackers

The air got hazy and then smoky as I made my way back to Jasper in the afternoon. The smoke was from wildfires in the Northwest Territories and got worse the farther north I went. I was so glad I hadn’t had to deal with that earlier. I finally arrived in Jasper around dinner time. I celebrated on my own at a local pub. I had done it! The trip was harder than I expected and the hills after the second day really kicked my butt. More than I expected. Was it because I am older? Was it the extra weight I was carrying? Am I not in top form yet after fracturing my hip 4 months ago? Probably all those things. Despite all that, I felt proud that I was still capable of doing hard things and adventuring on my own. 

After dinner, I retrieved my truck and started the long drive back home. I had planned to stop and explore on my way back, but it ended up being cold and rainy, so I just beelined it all the way home, instead, doing the 1800 mile drive in just 3 days. 

If You Plan to Go - My Thoughts About the Jasper-Banff Route

The Jasper to Banff portion of the GDMBR is a mixed bag. There are plenty of provincial campgrounds to camp in and there is plenty of water along the route. (Though I was surprised that the campgrounds didn’t have bear boxes for food. There are bears in the area, so I stashed my food in outhouses or garbage bins for safety.) 

The route is quite remote with minimal resupply places. And many of those resupply places have limited hours. You need to carry plenty of food with you. Or make a lot of miles per day. I rode longer days than I had wanted, partly due to being goal-oriented but mostly due to resupply issues. I didn’t want to carry more weight than I already was. The riding was harder than I expected, too. I didn’t expect as many steep hills in the foothills of the Rockies. The rest of the GDMBR is hard, but I just didn’t expect it on this section for some reason.

I had some traffic in certain areas, especially around 7 in the morning and 4 in the afternoon. I assume this was due to shift changes at the mining and logging places. Other cyclists have experienced lots of big logging trucks, but I didn’t; I guess I just got lucky.

The scenery was nice but not as good as other parts of the GDMBR. There was a lot of riding in forested hills. The Icefield Parkway has more spectacular scenery. Yes, it has car traffic, but it has a good shoulder, and the views are outstanding the entire way. If you want to do the entire GDMBR and want solitude and remote areas, then go for it on the GDMBR route but be prepared to be very self-sufficient. But after having done both, I think taking the Icefield Parkway from Jasper to Banff is the better option.