Off to Canada!

Another year, another long trip... I think this is a good habit.

This year is Calgary to Vancouver, across the Canadian Rockies.  My expected route (see map above) is 660 miles and takes me through Banff, Lake Louise, and many other beautiful, mountainous spots. 

This actually started as a plan for both Alicia and I to go to Scandinavia and bike from Oslo to Copenhagen.  We never really got around to planning it and felt we had run out of time to pull together a trip to Europe.  So we thought about places in North America we would like to see, and decided that Vancouver Island sou did good.  Last year we did the same thing - planned a trip to Zion National Park, and then I found a starting point that would give me a nice bike ride to Utah.  So this year we did the same thing, and Calgary was just the right distance from Vancouver to make it into a trip.

Sadly, the mapping program I've used in the past has gone under, so you won't be able to see my currently location on the map.  But I do have a Google map of my route, so you can follow along on that.

I did add a Canadian data plan to my phone, so I will be able to send updates from the road, but they might be a little thin on pictures unless I can find WiFi.  I could quickly burn through my 100 MB allotment.  But, I'll do what I can and I do promise amble pictures of mountains and rivers and maybe even the inside of a grizzly bear.

Anyway, I've just landed in Toronto for a 2 hour layover.  I land in Calgary at 1 AM (!) but I do have a campsite reserved.  It's 15 miles from the airport, I'll probably wimp out and take a taxi.  I promise to make up for my laziness tomorrow, though!