Wrap-up – Canadian Rockies
August 17th, 2012 | 
Author: Like any trip, you come across some obstacles. This trip was a flat tire, ticket (which hampered our riding speed for the rest of the trip), and a little light issue.
As you can see, the roadside fix Big Steve did on the tire worked for the rest of the trip. And as you can also see, plenty of tread left on this tire-it was brand new for this trip. All the shops we checked for applying a patch inside the tire wouldn't do it and wanted to sell us a new tire.
BS's issue with his lights going on and off were a little puzzling, although on our last leg, Steve thinks it has to do with when he fills up to much gas. He noticed that when he overflowed it, or filled it to the top, the lights wouldn't work (but he could flash them with the flasher), so he thinks a grounding issue. They did work for our trip home on the last day.
We planned on 10 days, had 12 for cushion, and did it in 9. We were going to plan some more off freeway for the trip home, but the Idaho fires were making the Montana, Wyoming and Utah areas that we were traveling through very smoky and visibilities of the vistas were compromised, so we droned it on the freeway the last 1 1/2 days.
My trip odometer registered 4,375 mile. Below is a Google Earth image of the route and the elevation profile below it. The route kind of looks like a smashed up guitar. In the gallery, I put our day ride elevations in there, more for my documentation for my rides.
I may have to rethink my rides and go with the Tom Botz's method (ride, store your bike, fly home, and return later to continue). There are a lot of roads in Canada to explore, and the commuting time back and forth to get there is at least 3 days one way for (at least for me), and I've done a lot of the road inside the US several times between here and the border. It would allow for more leisurely pace to explore the area.
Either that, or I need more vacation days….
Below are also a few photos from our last few days through MT, WY, UT heading home
Thanks for following along.
Canadian_Rockies-WrapUp
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Posted in 2012-08-08 Canadian Rockies
Sounds like you guys had another fun adventure. I think the idea about storing your bike is the way to go, like you said, there is so much more of Canada to explore. You should think about shipping your bike over to Europe and doing some road trips there, that would be amazing!
Yes, that would be amazing. Need to figure that one out.
Glad you guys made it home safe once again, a long trip with very little issues! Great pics again. Jimmy the only way you could have more “vacation days” is to quit work….rotflao
Retirement maybe – then I would be poor…
Thanks for the wrap up. Why you cut it short by even a day is beyond me…I would have stayed up in the Canadian Rockies for another day or two. But, hey, it’s your trip.
I, too, like the store & fly idea and Kelly’s got the right idea. Why just Canada? Shipping expenses to Europe could be pricey, so just fly over and buy a new bike.
Thanks for taking us along. I’ll check out the gallery at home, it’s a zoo here at work….yes, they actually expect me to do WORK, even this late on a Friday afternoon.
Weather plays into your route. In our case, according to weather.com, the weather was turning in Jasper and the whole part of Canada to cold/rain, along with the parts in the US. That is why we pushed quickly to the south – only to run into smoke and fire.
I agree with Kelly and JannieV – you should have stayed another day…this isn’t the Iron Butt Association!!
Johnny – No doubt…Jimmy is always taking off…and he doesn’t even work when he is there!! wtf…btw – what on earth is rotflao?
Great Google Earth shot – tremendous – you put together an amazing blog JV and BS -your pics were tremendous…You two really make a great couple -so cute together!!!
Dave, as always, love your commetns bro!
Like I told sis, weather plays into your route planning if you are flexible – which we were. Not as enjoyable when there is rain and being that far north, it is a COLD rain… On the Alaska trip we had to run with it, this one we didn’t have to. So we opted to start heading south a day earlier, We actually pushed father north a day eairlier to get the beautiful weather in the Canadian Rockies to begin with.
Another one over kinda sad I always have a day or two of withdrawals when the blogging stops I am glad you had a good trip! I am glad you made our back safely!
lol, same here too. Thanks for following along.
Thanks Jimmy, enjoyed it. Nolan and I are leaving Mammoth tomorrow to go up to Banff, Jasper and Vancouver (also weather permitting — we’ll go through southern BC to Vancouver if it’s wet). Our first stop will be Sun Valley.
Thanks Tom. Have a great trip! Check Idaho though for road closures as there are a lot of fires there. We had to modify our route due to 22 and 55 closed in the Sawtooth range. We ended up going through Sun Valley also, but it wasn’t our first choice.
Let’s get together when you return.
Thanks for the wrap up, Trap. It’s important to us armchair bikers to actually make it home. Some of your earlier trip blogs left us all hanging. At least you had great vistas before you hopped on the highway. I don’t know if any of those pics were in Montana, but I always think of Montana as flat and full of cows. Just an east coast girls lack of knowledge.
It was great to follow you two along – and now that I’ve had a taste of the road – it was even more enjoyable. For each fabulous picture I tried to imagine seeing it while on the bike. I could almost feel that wind in my face. Thanks little brother for taking us along on your great trip.
1/2 of Montana is flat, the other isn’t. Glacier National Park is in MT so that half of the state is beautiful! Some of the pictures are in MT.
Fly into Calgery, rent a convertible, drive to Banff and Jasper.
Thanks for following.
Glad to see and hear that the trip is done and you all are home safe. Love the pic’s again. Are you going to have the trip made into a book again??