Cycleforward 2019: Black Diamond to Waterton National Park

It’s been over a week now since we returned from this summer’s Cycleforward trip, which led our group of about 25 to the foothills of southwestern Alberta all the way to Waterton National Park. A couple of weeks earlier I had injured my ribs in a fall, so I decided – reluctantly but wisely, as it turned out - against biking and drove our pickup as one of the accompanying vehicles instead. It somehow doesn’t feel right: a big part of this adventure is the time spent together on the bikes, enjoying the landscape immediately as it is only possible in biking, hiking or horseback riding, facing the same difficulties as your fellow bikers. Both were abundant on this trip, beautiful landscape and challenges, and even watching from behind or driving by I saw what this brave and strong group of people were dealing with: long drawn-out climbs, sometimes steep hills, very strong winds and intermittent showers with not very summery temperatures. 

View from Tullichewan Ranch near Black Diamond

I don’t feel fully qualified to report on more than this, so will just include photos of our stops at the ranches of two friends, Ben and Steph’s ‘Grazed Right’ Tullichewan Ranch near Black Diamond and Nick’s, Holly’s and Jack’s place near Pincher Creek, both gracious hosts generously opening their homes and yards to our big group of people. 

Bar U Ranch National Historic Site on the way south along Hwy. 22

I also have a few photos from our second night at Chain Lakes campground where we had a large group site all to ourselves, surrounded by amazing wildflowers. 

 

Chain Lakes Campground

Gaillardia (Blanket Flower)

 

Fleabane

 

 

 

Western Wild Bergamot

 

 

 

Sticky Geranium

Old Man's Whiskers (Geum Triflorum)

Lunch break at the Oldman River

 

Morning rainbow near Pincher Creek

A visit to Head-Smashed-In-Buffalo-Jump

Getting close to Waterton

View from Crooked Creek campground

Crooked Creek campground, where we spent the last two nights, only a few kilometres away from the entrance to the gates to Waterton NP, was very nice as well, except that we experienced less than perfect weather on the last morning and decided to either turn north towards home instead of staying an extra day, or south into Glacier National Park in the US, something Johann and I had planned originally and took up again when it rained all morning with a temperature of only 9 degrees Celsius.  

Biking up to Red Rock Canyon, Waterton NP

Waterton Lake, view from the Prince of Wales Hotel - better hang on to your hats (and grandchildren)