Day 2 - Morning Bike Ride

Our second day as Backroad wannabees, was also a biking day with a short hike. We started to get the feel of each day's mission.  J handed out the written turn-by-turn instructions and then described the ride, down the hill, across the foot bridge, make a left, under Banff Ave, stay on the bike path that eventually followed Canada’s trans continental freeway west to the back road that led to Johnston Canyon Falls.  Got it.

I discarded the printed instructions.  J’s verbal was simple.  I took off, down the hill, over the foot bridge, turned left....   No one followed.   I followed the path that went under Banff Ave and continued on.  I stopped after a half a mile as I saw no one had followed.  I rode back to the end of the foot bridge where I had made the left.  Riders circled and collected at the end of the bridge.  There seemed to be some confusion.  The paper turn by turn instructions said turn right.  I tried to gain some confidence, Banff Ave was to the left, the paper is wrong.  The majority of riders concurred, left it was and we were Backroading as a group again.  Paul and I took the lead  to discover the next phase of our route.

This second day of our tour was beautiful, picture perfect as they say.  I had my trusty Nikon and holster slung tight to my chest.  I grabbed some shots as I rode but this was not a conducive way to shoot with a SLR camera especially on a bike I'm not used to.  So, often, without stopping I would one hand the shots as I rode.  Lots of practice in the past life.  The landscape changed slowly as we rode reducing the  shot count.  As you will see I did snap some photos that at least captured the journey.  

The Johnston Falls parking was insane.  It was Sunday and the lot and trail were packed.  I’m glad I had hiked it a couple days earlier.  I had mistakenly rode to the trailhead instead of the pre-described lunch meeting place a half mile back down the road.  Ok, so I didn’t listen to all the instructions.  Selective hearing raises its ugly head.

The early arrivers hiked the lower Johnston Falls.  Upon their return lunch was had by the Backroaders and a herd of a  mosquitoes who dined on the Backroaders.

Ride Notes: This 18 miler had 820 foot elevation gain.