June 13, 2026 - Canmore, Alberta

 Well, yesterday was a tough ride from Jasper to Canmore.  The distance wasn't huge, but the weather took its toll.  It rained most of the day, sometimes pretty hard.  At one point, the temperature dropped to 37 degrees and it started snowing.  It also hailed at one point - small, but hail!  The road and air were warm enough that the snow melted as soon as it landed, but it was COLD!  We all used our heated gear and rain gear, but the cold and rain can find the weakest link and get you cold and wet.  It never really let up until we got close to Canmore.

Of course, I took a wrong turn that made us do a 10 mile needless loop, but we finally made it.  I have to say, though, that at one point it was beautiful.  It was only our two bikes, the clouds were wrapping around the mountains, it stopped raining for a short while and it was really neat.  Those are the times when it almost makes it all worth it.  

We took no pictures yesterday, but I dropped a totem pole picture from Jasper and a squirrel picture Ted took.

Totem pole in Jasper - from their website: "The Two Brothers Totem Pole is a 13.7-meter tall Haida totem pole located across from the Jasper visitor center. Carved by Jaalen & Gwaai Edenshaw, it was raised in 2011 to replace the Raven totem pole that previously stood there. Painted in traditional Haida colors, it depicts the story of two brothers who journeyed from Haida Gwaii to the Rocky Mountains."

Ted's National Geographic wildlife photo