Great Divide, Canada Section - Flooding - June 2013

[KenSmithMT]

Would love to see the picture... We're starting in Fernie Saturday the 13th.
Thanks

[Coldbike]

Vik did a quick photo upload her: http://www.flickr.com/photos/vikapproved/sets/72157634412270724/

[marcaurele]

We managed to bike on our tandem from Canmore, going up Spray Lakes Rd and over Elk pass. We skipped the trail on the west spray lake and stayed on the road (mile 17.2). After Elk pass, at mile 80.9, don't bear right further down as there's no bridge but bear left to stay on the left side of the Elk River, all the way to Elkford.

Between Elkford and Sparwood, it's better to take the hwy as a portion of the gravel road has been washed out and it's hard work to climb in the forest to go over it. It took us an hour to decide how to go through this section and to do it, but with a tandem and a trailer.

In short, Elk pass is open to mountain bikes. You'll get your feet wet in 2 places.

We have a spot device, so you can have a look at where we got through: http://come-away-with.me/#map

Enjoy the ride!

[jacin]

Hi,
We are from Barcelona, and we will spend our holidays biking the Great Divide between Canada and Montana (USA).
We will arrive to Calgary on 16 august at 13:00 PM.

We have booked a bus from Calgary to Banff. Is it possible bike from Banff to Roosville?

If it is not possible, how we can go to Sparwood or Roosville for start our route?

Thanks from Barcelona

[jim_bo09]

Hi,

My fiancee and I are planning on starting the Great Divide route this sat 3rd Aug. We've been concerned about the trail conditions and have been doing as much digging as possible to find out if it is possible to get through the Canada section. At the weekend we had a good kit buying session in Banff and took the opportunity to ask the outdoor shop assistants their knowledge of the routes, we also asked at Parks Canada but they had little first hand knowledge and will always toe the party line.

What we have concluded are that trail conditions following Spray River and up Goat Creek are poor, with several bridges still out and the trail washed out. However, a bike shop bloke said that his girlfriend had cycled that part of the route. There are sections where you will need to ford rivers, so, as long as river levels are ok, this is possible. Another cyclist told us a similar story. Our plan is to be prepared and get in amongst it.

As a safer alternative to this there is the Legacy trail, that goes from Banff to Canmore. You can then cycle through Canmore and onto the Smith Dorien Road where you can join the Route at the South end of Spray Lakes.

From this point the previous thread from the couple on a tandem suggests we can make it over Elk Pass.  From here on, the information is thin on the ground.

I also ordered my ACA Canada maps for the route 6-8weeks ago and not received them, is this normal?

Hope this helps Jacin. We have got a spot device so I'll try post the link and update this thread as we go.

Cheers.

[jacin]

Thanks for your information.

Please, if you can, update information about the route between Banff and Roosville. We will start the route at 16 august and we need decide the route.

Your experiencie and information is very important for us.


Note: we are Juan and Cristina, and we will start bike on 17 august at Banff. Some other biker will start the route on 17 august?

Cheers

[Alphawolf]

Thanks to all for their help in dealing with this issue. Apparently the Legacy Trail is now complete and provides a fully off road means of getting to Canmore from Banff. It therefore seems to me that at present, the best route is the Legacy Trail from Banff to Canmore then the Smith-Dorrien road to the route at the end of Spray Lakes.

I found the following updates from Albertta Parks very useful:
 
http://www.albertaparks.ca/kananaskis-country/advisories-public-safety/trail-reports.aspx
and click on
Peter Lougheed Provincial Park and Spray Valley

I will be departing from Banff on 17th August and would appreciate your company, Juan and Cristina. I have all of the maps. I will be staying at the Y Mountain Lodge in Banff, arriving late on 15th August and departing on 17th August. Feel free to email me at
bylochinvar@yahoo.co.uk

[Alphawolf]

Canada Maps.

jim_bo09 reported that his Canada maps have not arrived after 6-8 weeks. When I ordered my maps, I was told that paper copies of the two Canadian maps were not in stock. In their place, I received two .pdf files which I printed out onto 8 A4 sheets of paper and stuck together with tape. Not pretty, but as they were electronic files, they were in my hands much faster than the paper copies for the rest of the route. Perhaps ACA can send you the .pdf files?

[marcaurele]

After Sparwood, the flathead section is ok. You'll see a couple of damages going up flathead pass and down for a few miles. We rode it without problems all the way to Roosville.

The only pb is Elkford to Sparwood. You can zoom in on our track and you would see a small "Z" going west of the road where the river does a kind of S loop on the east side of the road. It's there where the road is gone.

Ps: jim_bo09 / do you mind sharing your spot adventure page? http://www.bikingthegreatdivide.com/?p=645

[jim_bo09]

Thanks...totally forgot those PDF's were sent to me!

We are now in Fernie. The route down so far has been pretty good. We followed the Goat Creek true to the Divide Route out of Banff. There is a bridge out but the river is easily crossed, there were lots of day trippers out along there when we went through. Then the route to the West of Spray Lakes is also good, no problems, and gets you away from the dusty, busy Smith Dorien.

The bridge is out over the Elk River 40 k's or so North of Elkford. We went the alternate route on the East side of the river, there are several big wash outs that are slow to cross but definitely passable although the rivers are reasonably fast flowing and knee deep when we went through. Also, on this East side there has been significant traffic; heavy machinery (repairing wash outs) and locals using the back country on 4x4's. This has really chewed up the track and you can expect slow and muddy progress, but possible! Took me and the Mrs 5 hours to go 30km.

We spoke to a cyclist going North who said the route East from Elkford to Sparwood has a big wash out that took him 3 hours to negotiate. We missed this section out.

We made an unimaginative B-line for Fernie after our 5 hours rolling around in the mud this morning, arriving in Fernie in good time by road! I also had no maps for this...there's the excuse.

I'll get that SPOT information posted. Life was hectic before departing on this trip so not much time to figure out how it all worked. Marcaurele can you tell me how I can upload information that has already been recorded on my SPOT onto a new shared page that I just set up tonight?

All the best.

[marcaurele]

Normally the share spot page should display all your points already that you've done with your spot. I don't know a way to upload old/extra points.

[jim_bo09]

Thanks.

In Swan Lake.

Route to here is good in all sections, for any following us. This is a tough cycle though! Wholly cow.

Careful of drivers in Canada, big trucks and small brains don't mix with cyclists. Katie nearly caught out by caravan and truck on small bridge. Take care.

Our blog with link to SPOT live page: www.jamesbracher.wordpress.com

All the best

[marcaurele]

Wait until New-Mexico 

Here is a photo of the washed out road between Elkford and Sparwood