Tag: canmore

Categories
bikes canada

back on the bike

Fed up with not having any exercise for the last week and a half, I decided to test out my knee on a short bike ride. Unfortunately the warmest it managed to make it to today was -22oC (-8oF) or so. And there was a lot of snow around, so it ended up being a longer than planned bike ride with large sections of pushing. As I set out it was like a world of pastel though, with everything snow-covered and subdued sunset pink and blues soaking through.

 

 

I went back out and cycled along my nemesis track – the powerline trail where I crashed and hurt my knee. Much less icy this time round. However I then made the mistake of turning off to cycle a loop along by the dam – I got bogged pretty much straight away, but for some reason decided to keep going.

 

 

So the pushing began, as even deflated, my tyres weren’t fat enough to deal with the snow. The sun was setting – and I was getting colder. My eyelashes got lovely and icy – as did my eyebrows apparently. And yes, I have a red polka-dot balaclava. It means I look more like a Russian peasant than the serial killer or cat burglar looks that you get with the standard black balaclava, but I’m ok with that.

 

 

Categories
canada

ceannmore

The new sculpture in Canmore, The Head, is based on the word ceannmore – the Scottish-Gaelic word that’s said to be the origin of the towns name. It literally means ‘big head’ (although possibly in the sense of wise leader, not large and lurking stone noggin emerging from the pavement).

 

 

All sorts of headgear have been turning up on him. This crocheted beanie/toque appeared just at the start of the cold snap (and no, it wasn’t me).

Categories
canada climbing general

early season ice

So, with the Jeep still out of action at the mechanics (and while it’s away we’re secretly looking at every Subaru we see for sale), we ended up cycling to the ice. First we tried to have a look at the Pigeon Mountain Falls near Dead Mans Flats, but the guys at the quarry in front of it weren’t having any of that. So we cycled onward to Heart Creek.

 

Creeksicles

 

Nothing was looking particularly inspiring – and Heart Falls definitely didn’t sound very frozen, I couldn’t be bothered with the scramble round to confirm one way or the other.

 

Thoroughly unappealing look at some of the early season ice at Heart Creek

 

So we ended up playing on the left smear near Bunny Wall (WI2ish) – which was thick enough to take screws if you chose your spot carefully.

 

The two smears near Bunny Wall at Heart Creek

 

Of course by the time we left it was already 4.30pm. And there was a headwind. And we were hungry. And it was uphill. And the only way home is along the freeway. And it was 25km of cycling in the dark to get home. Just sometimes, I think a functioning car could be a handy thing.

Categories
bikes canada general snow

biking to the nordic centre

The things you do when you don’t have a functioning vehicle.

 

 

(Yes those are nordic skis and poles strapped to the bikes – it worked quite well)

Categories
bikes canada general

another silly bike adventure

So apparently it’s largely uphill along the highway from Canmore to Banff. Only 700 metres gain over 25km or so. Gradual enough to make you think it’s flat, and that you’re just really unfit – until you turn around and go the other way.

 

Riding along the 1A

 

Despite the cool temperatures on Thursday (it was around minus 13oC at 11am, I don’t know that it got much warmer), we went Banff-wards by bike – largely to go and see the new Warren Miller movie (Children of Winter, much better than other Warren Miller movies I’ve seen in recent years).

Friday morning brought fresh snow to telemark in, and then the homeward-bound cycle (with the added bonus of a brand new balaclava, which led to much more warmness).

 

Canmore!