Golden, BC >> Medicine Hat, AB (via Crowsnest Pass/Routes 93 & 3) 435 miles ridden/8 hours
Back on the road and it feels so good!
At breakfast, I received another tip for my travels: Detour to Fernie, BC, and go to Freshie’s coffee shop on the downtown strip; say “Hi” to Kim or Liz and tell them: “Sarah from Golden sent me,” and ask to see her coffee filter dresses. I was now a man on a mission.
Despite the unfamiliar presence of other vehicles on the road, it was a beautiful day of riding in the shadow of the Canadian Rockies. Unfortunately, due to being so far behind schedule, I opted to skip taking a dip in not one, but two(!) hot springs – Fairmont and Radium – en route to Fernie.
After a leisurely lunch in this quaint village, I was headed to Crowsnest Pass, just over the Alberta/British Columbia border.
At one point, a herd of goats was crossing the highway a few meters ahead of me, so I slowed down and was immediately overtaken by five cars that jumped the double solid yellow lines on my left to pass. Clearly, these people were not out to enjoy the day’s drive! Now, if a car going 45-60mph hits a goat, I could see that being no big deal, but I wasn’t risking it on the bike. Taking out a bird on the first day was enough for me.
Speaking of animal strikes, the Canadian government has built “animal overpasses” (my term) to provide deer and other wildlife an alternative way to cross the road and get to the other side safely, theoretically reducing collisions with cars in the process. While I thought it a noble cause, I couldn’t help but think Americans would be up in arms to learn their tax dollars were being spent on critter crossings… Maybe driving a bit more cautiously at night could be an equally effective, cheaper solution?