August 17, 2008
Miles ridden - 76
Total miles - 552
Elevation climbed today - 4840 feet
Elevation at St Mary - 4390 feet
Ride time - 7 hours 22 minutes
Average speed - 10.3 mph
Weather high - 96f
Weather low -50f
We started early once again from Pincher Creek; a quiet Sunday morning ride into Watertown National Park. Winds were not blowing much in southern Alberta plains but the heat rose quickly and was really hot by the time we started to climb out of Watertown NP.
Waterton is quiet, uncrowded National Park. It is the perfect place to view spectacular scenery, wildlife and enjoy outstanding recreational opportunities. A rare gem tucked into the southwestern corner of the province of Alberta, Canada. In this breathtaking part of the world, the majestic Rocky Mountains rise suddenly out of the rolling prairies. Amid the peaks are the lakes of Waterton Lakes National Park, carved out of the rock by ancient glaciers. Waterton is a tiny park; the total size is only 203 square miles. However, the park has great historical significance: based on more than 200 identified archaeological sites, historians think that Aborigines first populated the area 11,000 years ago.
Waterton Lakes National Park borders Glacier National Park in Montana to the south, together making up the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, the first of its kind in the world. A place like no other, the uniqueness of Waterton Park is a blend of unusual geology, mild climate, rare wild flowers, and an abundance of wildlife. It is a scene which has remained unchanged for centuries.
We saw so many wildflowers from this seat of a bike. On a hot climb to the border we saw a bear cross the road. When we reached the summit a man who was driving in a motor home stopped and told us he saw a baby grizzly bear cub.
We were pretty spent from the last days of riding so we will stop for a rest day tomorrow.
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