Day 19 - RAA Sect 3 - June 30th
- Andre Wakeford
- Jul 6, 2022
- 2 min read
Well now I know exactly why they call it adventure cycling.
Today’s ride was going to be a straightforward 50 mile cycle to St. Marys, Canada. Confirmed with the locals that the pass was open, and all is good. That was true until the early hours this morning when an avalanche occurred and buried the road again.
By the time I got to the bottom of the pass, there was a line of folks who were trying to get through, and absolutely no way that we could. We had to turn around and seek out alternate routes.
Cycling back, I came across a different group of cyclists and hikers who were milling around aimlessly. Clearly something was up. Turns out there was a grizzly bear just around the corner walking up the road. We all stood around waiting to see what was going to happen. The grizzly eventually appeared still walking in the middle of the road as if it was on a Sunday stroll.
Everybody backed up as the bear approached. This was a problem for me with a loaded trike, as I cannot just lift and turn the bike. I suggested we all just move to the side of the road and let it pass. A few other folks agreed, and some even produced bear spray.
Bear spray was not necessary, the bear just ignored us and moved on by. The links to the video clips are below. What a privilege it was to see this beautiful animal up close.
When I reached the main road, I spoke to the rangers. They indicated that the detour to St. Marys would be about 130 -140 mile ride. I am on that detour route now, and will have to decide whether I should continue to Canada, or go directly to Cut Bank which is the end of this map section. I can consider entering Canada later on my trip.
Ride Up To The Pass Following The Route Next To McDonald Lake
Leaving the park
Have to figure out what these are
McDonald Falls
The Bear Encounter
Hey Andre, that is incredible! What an experience!
The bear encounter is unbelievable. The road was his!