A plan hatched in the spring/summer of 2020, my husband got the idea in his head that this might be the summer to ride the Icefields Parkway. A route that is usually slammed with RVs and tourists gawking at wildlife alongside the highway, not paying attention to any potential cyclists on the shoulder that they quickly careen in to get their Kodak moment. But 2020 had brought quiet. Reduced road volumes. And the perfect opportunity to head out on an adventure.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t really on board! I have a thing for riding along roads that I have driven umpteen times; I hate the idea of riding over ground that I have driven many times and the idea of anticipating some of the climbs on this particular route — one that I had driven every summer for nearly a decade on my pilgrimage to the Northwest Coast of BC to go and plant or count more trees — was not my cup of tea. And, honestly, I have no patience for riding on highways anymore, even ones that have reduced volumes. The cars zooming past me are still zooming and, well… yuck.
Never fear, another member of our household had her imagination captured by dad’s idea. My eldest and my husband spent the summer dreaming about their adventure, figuring out the details, and proceeded to start during the first week back to school, except this year we were homeschooling — we joke she got all of her phys ed hours done the first week of school this year! A special first daddy-daughter adventure that also happened to be the last few days of her 9th turn around the sun. We were to drive to meet them to pick them up on her birthday.
I was excited for them but I can’t say that I was completely relaxed the whole time they were gone, because, well, highways. Setting aside a mother’s worry, they had a grand adventure. Read on to discover more, plus any details that may help you plan a slower paced trip along the Icefields Parkway for yourself or your friends or family…
Aside from the overview, the following trip report was written by my 9 year old. Enjoy!
Contents
Overview of the details
This trip report is based on part of a 5 day ride at 8 (almost 9) year old pace. Adults tend to do the trip in 3-4 days. The more time you take as an adult, the more opportunities you may have to do short day hikes once you reach your camping destination (or even along the way if you can figure out how to secure your stuff). In non-pandemic times, hosteling may help you to lighten your load as there are many Hosteling International hostels along this route (some more rustic than others); while it was tempting for them on this trip, they opted to remain self-supported and camp, mostly due to the pandemic, but also the distances were a lot more manageable for a kid. The fact that it was a pandemic was also precisely why they made the push to do the trip this year: traffic volumes were much lower than normal, which means safer and a more calm/less frenetic experience of highway-riding, especially with a child.
- Start/End: Day 1 Hector Lake (lookout/pullout) to Waterfowl Lakes (campground)
- Route type: one way (northbound)
- Campground: Waterfowl Lakes Campground, Banff National Park (first come, first served)
- Distance: 40 km
- Elevation gain: Climbing— 289 m; Descending— 468 m
- First trip: August 2020
- Terrain: Paved highway, decent paved shoulder (usually)
- Notes specific to kids: Suitable for competent riders. This can be a high traffic route (depending on the season) due to tourism. It is hilly (especially for kids) although highway grades.
- Highlights: Amazing scenery! Bow Lake & Waterfowl Lakes were highlights of my daughter’s day.
Day 1: Journal Entry
Our first stop was Bow Lake, which was beautiful, but very windy, Dad and I had a snack there in a spot that wasn’t as windy (barely). When we started riding again, we talked about what archaeologists a thousand years later and what they would think if they dug up our era, we wondered what they would think of all the forgotten masks; then again, the fabric probably would have disintegrated in a thousand years, right? Maybe they would have tried on the things you mould around your nose, that would be funny.
I liked the little path that we went on. In the tent, we had a game of chess before bed, and I won! When we ate breakfast there, we didn’t see much waterfowl, just a few ducks, even though the campground was called Waterfowl Lake. We also played a game of Swish while we ate (Swish is a fun game that exercises your brain a lot). We also met a nice old couple who were walking by, enjoying the beautiful mist on the lakes, and we saw some kayakers on the water. We met Mount Chephren too, while he played hide-and-seek in the clouds with the other mountains while getting a dusting of snow. (Mount Chephren was named after an Ancient Egyptian Pharaoh!)
Other days in this trip
Other family-friendly bike trips in the region
Disclosure: This Mom Bikes is independently owned and the opinions expressed here are our own. Complete privacy policy & disclosure found here. Attempting trips like this requires a certain degree of experience and skill, especially with younger kids in tow. Please only attempt what you are capable of and always be prepared. This Mom Bikes attempts to keep this route information as current as possible but always check trail (or in this case, road) reports and weather before leaving, and expect things to change suddenly in the mountains. This Mom Bikes is not responsible for your safety.
