Nestled at the eastern edge of the Alberta Rockies, Canmore is the ideal base for setting out in search of the ultimate mountain-bike trail. Blessed with spectacular scenery and woven with trails, the surrounding area is irresistible to anyone who's caught the biking bug.
BY GILLES MORNEAU
Picture the perfect mountain-bike trail. At first it climbs gently through a forest redolent of pine and damp moss. Then it drops and narrows, running along a cliff and around an enormous glacial lake in a postcard setting. After that it flows onwards for 10 fast kilometres, punctuated with challenging obstacles that thrill experts and beginners alike. Yet you needn't be in peak physical condition to tackle it.
Such a trail exists. It's the Lake Minnewanka Trail near Canmore, and it's a magnet for mountain cyclists in Banff National Park.
If, on the other hand, your definition of the definitive trail involves something rougher and tougher, you could strike out for the Skogan Pass, a 20-kilometre ride that takes four hours of hard effort to complete. After climbing a steep 660-metre path, you reach the top of the pass (2,090 metres) and are rewarded with a view of the Canmore Valley spread out below, flanked by Mount Rundle and the Three Sisters mountain range. Or if you're simply thirsting for unspoiled wilderness, there's the entire Kananaskis region - laced with some 40 marked trails - just to the south of Canmore.
Indeed, whatever your idea of the ultimate trail, chances are you'll find it somewhere around Canmore, population 10,000, in the Bow River Valley, just 15 kilometres from Banff and the other Rocky Mountain national parks, and a mere 75 minutes from Calgary International Airport.
Popular Pastime
Many people who work in Banff actually live in Canmore, drawn by its laid-back tranquility. Canmore residents also tend to be outdoor sports enthusiasts, and mountain biking is particularly popular. Brian Cooke is a prime example. Affectionately known as "Big Bri," he was raised in Calgary but moved to Canmore because of his love of cycling.
Big Bri, who has roamed all over Canada and the United States on two wheels, swears there's no better place for "cross-country riders looking for epic single track in pristine non-motorized country." Plus, he says, there's another aspect to the cycling hereabouts that enhances the area's reputation. "The trend in B.C. is for lift access or shuttle access-type freeriding, but because we are in park country, this sort of thing has not happened in Canmore." Cyclists here have to earn their wild mountain descents with much effort, and there's a certain amount of pride in that.
Canmore was founded in 1883 as a mining town. Many of the present-day cycling trails wind away from mining roads that lead to the coalmines, especially in the area around the Canmore Nordic Centre. Built to host the biathlon and cross-country events in the 1988 Winter Olympics, the centre offers 70 kilometres of extremely varied trails just five minutes from downtown Canmore. Novices can rent bicycles or take introductory courses at the centre, where the trails are generally suitable for beginners - although some sections are tricky enough that they posed serious challenges for the world's best cyclists when the World Cup Cross-Country Mountain Biking races were held here in 1998, 1999 and 2000.
Canmore has also hosted numerous Canada Cup competitions and is now serving as the finish line for the TransRockies Challenge (August 10-16, 2003), an international event billed as the toughest mountain bike race in the world. In teams of two, competitors cover more than 600 kilometres of unspeakably rough wilderness trails in seven days, struggling over a route that includes numerous portages and three crossings of the Continental Divide. Also on the TransRockies agenda are a one-day race over 80 kilometres of narrow, difficult trails, and a 24-hour team race.
But Canmore isn't just for experts. For guided tours, you can join local bicycle-club outings along the most popular trails in the region. If you prefer to explore on your own, just pick up some maps and a copy of the book Backcountry Biking in the Canadian Rockies, which details various itineraries throughout the area.
But be sure to plan ahead. The climate in the Rockies is unpredictable, so take tools, spare tubes, food, water and warm clothing. Always remember that you're in the land of bears and that around any curve in the trail, you may find yourself face-to-face with one. A black bear would probably get out of your way quickly, but grizzlies are a different matter. The good news is that grizzlies tend to avoid humans, and you'd likely have to go deep into Banff National Park to encounter any. In any event, local bike shops will gladly sell you the Number One accessory for repelling unwelcome beasts - a bear bell.
Attached to your bicycle saddle, the bell jingles constantly, warning all living creatures of your coming. It can also get pretty annoying for the cyclist, but chances are you'll end up keeping it affixed forevermore to your bike as a souvenir of an unforgettable Canmore cycling vacation. If, that is, you can get used to the noise.
source: Canadian Tourism Commision
This reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor has it been made in affiliation with or with the endorsement of the Canadian Tourism Commission.
Click here for more adventures in Canada
Click here for more information on British Columbia
BY GILLES MORNEAU
Picture the perfect mountain-bike trail. At first it climbs gently through a forest redolent of pine and damp moss. Then it drops and narrows, running along a cliff and around an enormous glacial lake in a postcard setting. After that it flows onwards for 10 fast kilometres, punctuated with challenging obstacles that thrill experts and beginners alike. Yet you needn't be in peak physical condition to tackle it.
Such a trail exists. It's the Lake Minnewanka Trail near Canmore, and it's a magnet for mountain cyclists in Banff National Park.
If, on the other hand, your definition of the definitive trail involves something rougher and tougher, you could strike out for the Skogan Pass, a 20-kilometre ride that takes four hours of hard effort to complete. After climbing a steep 660-metre path, you reach the top of the pass (2,090 metres) and are rewarded with a view of the Canmore Valley spread out below, flanked by Mount Rundle and the Three Sisters mountain range. Or if you're simply thirsting for unspoiled wilderness, there's the entire Kananaskis region - laced with some 40 marked trails - just to the south of Canmore.
Indeed, whatever your idea of the ultimate trail, chances are you'll find it somewhere around Canmore, population 10,000, in the Bow River Valley, just 15 kilometres from Banff and the other Rocky Mountain national parks, and a mere 75 minutes from Calgary International Airport.
Popular Pastime
Many people who work in Banff actually live in Canmore, drawn by its laid-back tranquility. Canmore residents also tend to be outdoor sports enthusiasts, and mountain biking is particularly popular. Brian Cooke is a prime example. Affectionately known as "Big Bri," he was raised in Calgary but moved to Canmore because of his love of cycling.
Big Bri, who has roamed all over Canada and the United States on two wheels, swears there's no better place for "cross-country riders looking for epic single track in pristine non-motorized country." Plus, he says, there's another aspect to the cycling hereabouts that enhances the area's reputation. "The trend in B.C. is for lift access or shuttle access-type freeriding, but because we are in park country, this sort of thing has not happened in Canmore." Cyclists here have to earn their wild mountain descents with much effort, and there's a certain amount of pride in that.
Canmore was founded in 1883 as a mining town. Many of the present-day cycling trails wind away from mining roads that lead to the coalmines, especially in the area around the Canmore Nordic Centre. Built to host the biathlon and cross-country events in the 1988 Winter Olympics, the centre offers 70 kilometres of extremely varied trails just five minutes from downtown Canmore. Novices can rent bicycles or take introductory courses at the centre, where the trails are generally suitable for beginners - although some sections are tricky enough that they posed serious challenges for the world's best cyclists when the World Cup Cross-Country Mountain Biking races were held here in 1998, 1999 and 2000.
Canmore has also hosted numerous Canada Cup competitions and is now serving as the finish line for the TransRockies Challenge (August 10-16, 2003), an international event billed as the toughest mountain bike race in the world. In teams of two, competitors cover more than 600 kilometres of unspeakably rough wilderness trails in seven days, struggling over a route that includes numerous portages and three crossings of the Continental Divide. Also on the TransRockies agenda are a one-day race over 80 kilometres of narrow, difficult trails, and a 24-hour team race.
But Canmore isn't just for experts. For guided tours, you can join local bicycle-club outings along the most popular trails in the region. If you prefer to explore on your own, just pick up some maps and a copy of the book Backcountry Biking in the Canadian Rockies, which details various itineraries throughout the area.
But be sure to plan ahead. The climate in the Rockies is unpredictable, so take tools, spare tubes, food, water and warm clothing. Always remember that you're in the land of bears and that around any curve in the trail, you may find yourself face-to-face with one. A black bear would probably get out of your way quickly, but grizzlies are a different matter. The good news is that grizzlies tend to avoid humans, and you'd likely have to go deep into Banff National Park to encounter any. In any event, local bike shops will gladly sell you the Number One accessory for repelling unwelcome beasts - a bear bell.
Attached to your bicycle saddle, the bell jingles constantly, warning all living creatures of your coming. It can also get pretty annoying for the cyclist, but chances are you'll end up keeping it affixed forevermore to your bike as a souvenir of an unforgettable Canmore cycling vacation. If, that is, you can get used to the noise.
source: Canadian Tourism Commision
This reproduction is not represented as an official version of the materials reproduced, nor has it been made in affiliation with or with the endorsement of the Canadian Tourism Commission.
Click here for more adventures in Canada
Click here for more information on British Columbia
Comments