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Biking the Canadian Rockies
In August 1991, Al Moen (1933-2018), John Miller, John De Jong (1931-2022) (plus wives Julia Moen and Joline De Jong), and I drove to northern Alberta and biked south, crossing the Continental Divide three times, ending in Glacier National Park. They were each about 25 years older, but they had been biking together for years and were strong riders. We had several training rides before our departure, and I could see their skills and strength.
On the trip, I took notes in a notebook and recently transcribed them. Below, I will expand on these notes. This will be a day-by-day narrative. I will try to insert photos as well for the right day, though the days are sometimes just guesses.
- Friday, Day 1: 1991-08-09
- Our biking caravan consisted of two cars, 4 bikers, and 2 support drivers: John DeJong, as a rider, with his wife Joline as a driver carried John Miller, me, and Al Moen, as a rider, with his wife Julia as the other driver (while we biked). We had things ready the night before and left Pella at 6:00 am. We stopped along the Missouri River at DeSota National Wildlife Refuge near Missouri Valley, IA to take a break. We saw a replica of the keel boat used by Lewis and Clark. We then got to the Badlands of SD about 4:30. I spent 5.55 on supper and 2.00 more for some pie. We then took a 30-mile bike ride in the badlands after we had set up camp. I slept in a small cozy tent with John Miller for the whole trip. We had driven 630 miles on our first day.
- Saturday, Day 2: 1991-08-10
- I was up at 4:50 and we left our campground at 6:00 a.m. We had breakfast at Wall Drug (3.91). We had lunch at a McDonald's (4.50). We stopped at Tom Iverson's ranch near Roundup, MT in the afternoon. We then continued, had supper in Lewistown (MT - 5.70), and then slept in an RV park. We traveled 580 miles.
- Sunday, Day 3: 1991-08-11
- We were up at 5:40. We had breakfast at a local place called Snow White where John Miller and I shared some excellent blueberry pancakes (4.15), and left at 7:30 after breakfast. We had lunch at Lethbridge, Alberta at Brian's and I had spaghetti (7.00 Can). It was raining in Calgary and got to Three Sisters campground in Bow Valley Provincial Park. We set up camp in the rain and then decided to eat supper at a buffet restaurant (8.57 Can). I called Marcia from there and did some hiking.
- Monday, Day 4: 1991-08-12
- I was up at 5:30, and I took a walk. We then packed up and headed to Banff for breakfast (5.60). We then went to Lake Louise and hiked up to Lake Agnes. There we had tea and biscuits (scones?), went back, and headed to Jasper. We set up tents and went to town to go to a bank and to get some pizza. We got our bikes ready but it was a rainy evening so no riding. It rained all night.
- Tuesday, Day 5: 1991-08-13
- It was still raining when we woke up. Though it continued some, it quit for a bit long enough for us to make some breakfast at camp. We were getting ready to start biking when more rain came. The forecast did not look good and we waited in the car for some hours. We decided to wait it out. We went to Jasper for a snack (5.00). We waited in the rain all day. Al had some car trouble. We ate supper when the rain stopped for a bit and then it rained again - wet night.
Mount Robson
- Wednesday, Day 6: 1991-08-14
- There was rain in the morning but we found a gap in which we could make breakfast. We then started out. We stopped at Athabasca Falls and glacier. We ate lunch there and I had soup (2.95). Then we had good weather. On a long hill downward, I got up to 41 mph. Later it started raining again and I had a near spill on the shoulder. Hard rain for 15 miles of biking. Came to Rampart Creek Park. We were able to start a fire in a shelter. We hung our clothes to dry and we changed clothes. We ate. Then more rain came. When there was a break in the rain, we set up the tents. Then more rain came. My sleeping bag was wet all night. Not fun. We had put on 91 miles, trying to make up for missing the previous day.
West of Jasper
Athabasca River
LTR: Al H., John M., John D., ? near Athabasca River
Al M. resting near Athabasca River
A glacier
Along the road
A cross-country tourist to the right of John D, with John M and Al H to his right (Al M taking the photo).
Athabasca Glacier
End of Athabasca Glacier in 1982
A fast-moving Al Hibbard near Athabasa Glacier (Al M's words)
Looking down from Athabasa Glacier
Al Hibbard (pink stripe on tights) and John Miller (yellow jacket) on Athabasa Glacier
John DeJong (red jacket) and Al Hibbard on Athabasa Glacier
Athabasa Glacier from Sumwapta Pass
Going down from Sumwapta Pass: John DeJong and John Miller (at the lead)
Down Sumwapta Pass - John M.
Near Mt. Coleman along Sascatchewan River - John M puts raincoat back on
At junction with David Thompson Highway - LTR: John M., Al H., John D.
- Thursday, Day 7: 1991-08-15
- We were up at 6:30. The rain had quit at 10 the previous night. The clear sky for the day was promising a better day. Though there was some fog at first, we had a good morning. We stopped at a café for a break after we had a long uphill climb. My knee started hurting at 10:30. We had good weather and then had lunch at Jimmy Simpsons (6.50) and I split with John DeJong 1/2 of some dish. We then had a warm ride. We got to Lake Louise and then on to Castle Mountain and called it a day. I called Marcia again. Put in 76 miles.
Jagged peaks and trees
(LTR:) John Miller and Al Hibbard along Mistaya River
John DeJong going up Bow Pass
The crew along Bow Lake (Al on left, John M adjacent and John D behind)
Al Hibbard and Crowfoot Mountain
John Miller riding along
Lake Louise Junction - John M on left and John D on right
Castle Mountain Campground - John M on the left and Al H on the right
- Friday, Day 8: 1991-08-16
- We left at 8:20 and it was quite cold, being 47 degrees, so I dressed warmly. After our first mile, we had a 4.5-mile uphill climb that helped warm us up. We ate breakfast at the top (8.00). I think this is where we continued following Alberta 93 even though the "straight" version would have joined Alberta 1A. This led us into British Columbia. Then it was an 8-mile downhill ride being a nice drive in a valley. I had a peach malt in Radium Hot Springs, BC (2.00). Then we went on to camp at Windermere, BC. Put in 79 miles. We waited several hours before the women arrived with the cars. We were at a private campground. My knee still hurt all day today and yesterday. Rain threatened with a few drops. It was a birthday and anniversary celebration for Julia. We had more spaghetti. The other riders recommended I adjust my seat a tad higher to help my knee. Twin Range [not sure what this note means]
Vermilian Pass - Al H, John M, John D
Near Lake Windermere Twin Rane [Range?] Campground - LTR: Al H, John D, John M
- Saturday, Day 9: 1991-08-17
- We left at 8:30 after we packed Moen's car. John De Jong decided not to ride for the day and so we split off. We met for breakfast (5.00) at Canal Flats, BCCanal Flats, BC, about 27 miles later. I had too large a breakfast after having a big one at camp. My knee was good all day. I was very thankful for the wisdom of the group to help me find a solution to my knee pain. I didn't eat again until Ft. Steele, another 42 miles where I had ice cream (1.50). We had a good rest there. We then had 13 more miles on a road that had a fair amount of traffic but a terrible shoulder. This was followed by 10 more miles on a less-traveled road with nice scenery. We spent the night in Norbury Lake Provincial ParkNorbury Lake Provincial Park in British Columbia after we got there at 3:20. We had a cold swim at the lake and then a good supper. We read in the tent.
Start of Columbia River (Columbia Lake) - John M and Al H
Elk or mountain sheep
Moutain sheep (top center on rocks)
John and Al following the mountain sheep
- Sunday, Day 10: 1991-08-18
- I was up at 6:50. I had a small breakfast of dry milk and cereal. We left at 8:10. We biked about 20 miles to Jaffrey, BC and stopped for breakfast. I had a good omelet with many fillings. We then biked to Fernie, BC (about 37 miles, though notes say 29), leaving highway #93 for #3 when #93 went south and we continued eastward and then north. I picked a huge amount of large juneberries just outside of town that none of the others appreciated as much as I did. Julia met us at a park in town and we had a good lunch. We then continued mostly north but a bit east to Sparwood, BC another 21 miles. I fixed my front fender a bit and we continued on to Crowsnest Pass with an easy climb to it. This also, just barely, got us back into Alberta. That was the last 16 miles, bringing a total of 80.3 miles (per my bike computer). We stayed at a primitive campground there. There was a threat of rain, but PTL no materialization. We had a fire. I took a walk and found some raspberries and more juneberries along the road. I read and wrote in the evening.
John M and Al H Juneberry picking near Fernie
Near Hosmer - John M
In Sparwood - Al H
Crowsnest Pass - Al M and Al H
Crowsnest Pass - Al H, John M., Julia M
- Monday, Day 11: 1991-08-19
- We left at 8:00 and immediately saw 10 mountain sheep. They were beautiful climbers. We had breakfast at Cowley, AB. I had a large breakfast (6.00). We then continued to head east and had a strong headwind across the plains once we left highway #3 and headed south on Alberta #6 (about 40 miles, though it switched to #5) and then switched to terrible crosswinds (from the south) in the last part as we entered Waterton Lakes National Park. Those crosswinds were so bad that I even now clearly remember having to lean left into the wind so that I wouldn't be blown over. This was a nice place to spend the night. They had a nice lodge. We ended up with about 79 miles that day.
Leaving Crowsnest Pass Campground in the morning - Al H and John M
Six other bike riders from Iowa in Blairmore - John M and Al H
Waterton Park - Al H, John M, Julia M
Waterton Park mule deer
Waterton Park
Waterton Park
- Tuesday, Day 12: 1991-08-20
- We left camp at 7:30 and biked to Prince Wales Lodgeand had a buffet breakfast (7.50). The problem with that is that everything looked so good and I knew I was going to burn up the calories but I didn’t want to be so full as I started biking. We left at 8:30 and had many climbs as we headed toward the US/Canada border. We first went mostly east 35 miles or so to Cardston, and then we headed south on US 89. We took a break at the border. We then continued south and climbed to the top of a hill before Babb, MT. Then it was a steep, and long, downhill to Babb. Mostly I was going 43mph but topped out at 45mph, which was just too fast. Al topped out at 48. Going that speed for 5-10 minutes is quite exhausting since one has to fully concentrate. (I needed to check a map to see how it actually was.) There were many other bikers on this lightly-traveled road. We stopped for lunch there and I had a cheeseburger (3.75). It was 26 miles from Cardston to Babb. We then went past the Lower Saint Mary Lake on to the St. Mary entrance into Glacier National Park for another 10 miles. (See adjustable maps at https://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/maps.htm.) We then had a long, 2-hour trip uphill on the Going-to-the-Sun Road with strong headwinds, particularly along Saint Mary Lake. We got to the top at Logan Pass at 3:40. But we had to wait until 4:00 since there was a traffic constraint given for going downhill. I was hungry at this point and there was a fair amount of traffic. The last 10 miles were mostly downhill but with much slower descents because of the amount of traffic in this busy park. Someone sold us some ice cream and I called home again. We spent the night there, I think in McDonald campground.
- Wednesday, Day 13: 1991-08-21
- We left at 8:00 with all the bikes mounted on the cars and headed out of Glacier Park. One car (Al's?) had water pump problems in Butte, MT at 12:30, one block away from a car shop. We left again at 5:00 and got to Billings for the night. Spent 5.30 for spaghetti for supper.
- Thursday, Day 14: 1991-08-22
- We left at 8:00, had lunch at Gillette, WY and then spent the night in Murdo, SD (450 miles) and had some chili (1.60) in Sturgis.
- Friday, Day 15: 1991-08-23
- We left Murdo, SD at 8:00 and had 530 miles to get to Pella.
Published on 2026-06-06.
If you find any errors in the text, please let me know. Thanks. Contact me with errors or comments using hibbardac@gmail.com. [Back to the top] [About the author, Al]