Day 50: Into the Rockies

Today was amazing, I'm finally in the mountains! Good riddance prairies! I had decided to have an easy day and only go 50km, so I left Pincher Creek around 9.30am and rode towards the mountains. As I got closer, they changed from one long silhouette to having individual characteristics - some forested, others rocky - and I could start to see which ones were in the foreground, which ones behind. 

I stopped for a break in a small town that actually felt like a small town. It was nice. If I don't see another strip mall on my whole trip, that would be just great. Then back on the highway I saw a cyclist heading east so I stopped for a chat. I never asked his name but found out that he's tried to cross Canada a few times but never made it the whole way, despite having done other long tours. He looked about 100 years old and he said this was his last shot at it. I hope he makes it! 

After that, I rode between my first two mountains on the crowsnest pass. They're so beautiful and covered with trees! I didn't even realise I missed this type of landscape, it's like seeing an old friend even though I've never been here before. 

There were a few roadside signs and historic sites along the way, so I learned about Limber Pine trees that can grow anywhere by the looks of it, and I learned about the coal mines that brought people to this place looking for their fortunes and finding themselves making a living or dying in the mines. The town of Frank was decimated by a rockslide in 1903 - the bare rocks are strewn either side of the highway and the mountain is left naked on one side. The cause of the slide was a greedy mining method that undermined the mountain. You can only push nature so far before she pushes back!

I rode into my destination for the day around 3pm and had lunch. Blairmore is another nice little town that reminds me a little of villages in the Highlands of Scotland, although there isn't enough granite or tartan.

After pitching my tent and doing my chores I went to explore the town in the hot afternoon sun. I'd hate to say that the weather is too nice, but I'm really struggling with the heat. Every few hours a tiny cloud passes in front of the sun, taunting me with a few blissful seconds of shade before leaving me to sizzle once more. But I know that when the rain comes, it will be cold, so I should enjoy it whilst it lasts. 

I'm passing the evening in a bar chatting to the barmaid about life in the mountains.