Waterton-Glacier Tour
Day 3 Fernie, British Columbia to Pincher Creek, Alberta

Fernie, British Columbia

I woke up to a cold clear morning.  I packed up my wet tent and got on the road for 9:15 a.m.  As I rode through the town of Fernie, I saw magnificent mountains that had been obscured by clouds and fog the day before.  

I reached the town of Sparwood, B.C. where I stopped for a second breakfast of bacon, eggs and home fries before the climb up Crowsnest Pass. Yes, I knew it was not good for me.  But what hell.  It was my only vacation this year and I decided to enjoy it.

At the top of Crowsnest Pass

Leaving Sparwood, I began a long gradual climb up Crowsnest pass. Along the way, I passed a large coal mining plant.  As I climbed, I could hear machinery operating in the hills above me.  Crowsnest pass is a major transportation corridor for Western Canada.  I saw lots of trucks.  But, the shoulder here was very wide the trucks didn't bother me.  As I neared the top of the pass, I saw a large weigh station.  I was tempted to get my bike weighed.  I estimated the combined weight of my  bike and gear at 100 lbs.  But, they looked very busy.  So, I didn't stop.

As it turned out, the climb was not as severe as thought it  would be.  Even though, I was crossing the Continental Divide.  Other climbs on this tour would prove to be much tougher.

Mountains near Crowsnest Pass

I crossed into Alberta.  I was astounded by the beauty of the mountains around me.  I also picked up a nice tailwind.  I rolled through the towns of Coleman and Blairmore to the town of Frank.  

At Frank, I left Route 3 and climbed a steep hill to the Frank Slide Interpretative Center.  This museum tells history of coal mining in Crowsnest pass including the infamous Frank Slide.

At 4:10 a.m. April 29, 1903, millions of tons of limestone slid off Turtle Mountain onto the sleeping town of Frank.

This model shows  Turtle Mountain before the slide.  The red dotted line depicts the area that broke off the mountain.  Note the mine entrance directly in the path of the slide

Turtle Mountain as it appears today.  The debris field extends far to the left beyond the edge of this photograph

I did not grasp the enormity of this disaster until I rode through the debris field on Route 3.  The limestone boulders stretched along the  road for a mile and a half.

I descended to the prairie with mighty tailwind.  I felt like I had been shot out of a cannon.  I was zipping along at 25 M.P.H. with very little effort.  I was astounded by the  beauty of the Canadian prairie. 

The Canadian Prairie near Pincher Creek.

Along the way I stopped at a very small town to pick up some food and a bottle of wine for the evening.   I hadn't had a shower since leaving Kalispell and I was getting pretty ripe.  I desperately needed a hot shower. I continued on to a private campground in Pincher Creek.  The owner was not in.  There was a sign on the door instructing me to pick out a site and self-register.  I did not have the correct amount in Canadian currency on me.  So I put $20 US in the envelope to cover a fee of $12 Canadian and a note saying I would come back to the office for my change in the morning.

I got my shower and washed some clothes.  It was great to feel and smell like a human being again.  This  was one of my best touring days ever.  On my notepad that night I scrawled "I love this vagabond life"  My mileage total for the day is 78 (the highest for this trip).

Continue to Day 4

Introduction
Day 1 Kalispell, Montana to Dickey Lake, Montana
Day 2 Dickey Lake, Montana to Fernie, British Columbia
Day 3 Fernie, British Columbia to Pincher Creek, Alberta
Day 4 Pincher Creek, Alberta to Waterton Lakes National Park
Day 5 Waterton Lakes National Park to Glacier National Park
Day 6 Going to the Sun Highway Glacier National Park
Day 7 Glacier National Park to Kalispell, Montana