West Canada Tour CCW2601

…and it's finally starting! Our tour through western Canada, the province of British Columbia, begins. We welcome our guests at our WelcomeBriefing and discuss all the information and necessities for the coming days. The first day of riding begins, and first we have to pick up our motorcycles from the rental station. We familiarize ourselves with the bikes and then head straight out of Vancouver. Highways 7 and 3 will be our constant companions today. The landscape changes quickly, and we ride through the first forested areas with the Fraser River on our right. Snow-capped mountains are visible in the distance, and the first sense of adventure begins to kick in. Our ride to Osoyoos takes us along the Canadian/American border. Incidentally, this is the longest land border in the world, stretching approximately 8,600 km. After passing through the first forests, the landscape changes, and it gets noticeably warmer. We reach the warmest region of Canada, where summer temperatures can exceed 40°C. Agriculture, orchards, and viticulture are major economic factors in this region. Today has been a very long drive, covering over 420 km. We arrive happily and contentedly in the late afternoon at our truly lovely and inviting hotel in Osoyoos, beautifully situated on the lake of the same name. We end the evening with a delicious dinner and are already looking forward to tomorrow.

Off we go on day two of our Canada trip! You might feel like you’re driving through Italy today; we’ll be passing by so many beautiful lakes. First, however, we head east, leaving Osoyoos Lake and the Okanagan Valley behind. From there, we enjoy a stunning view back over Osoyoos. We ride the winding Crowsnest Highway, enjoying the ups and downs of the road. After a quick visit to the Kettle River Museum and a brief history lesson on the Canadian Pacific Railway, we continue to a very special coffee stop. I (Michaela) met Blake during the Southern Spain Extreme Tour. He told me, "If you're ever in Canada, come visit." And since everything in Canada is a bit bigger, we all got to come along. Experiencing such hospitality was a fantastic experience for everyone. Thanks, Blake. What a beautiful spot, featuring a tree that’s over 100 years old. We rode past a few more lakes and then headed further west toward Kootenay Lake. Unfortunately, we didn't spot any large wildlife, but maybe tomorrow. So, be sure to tune in again.

Day 3 of our trip takes us north, away from the Canadian/American border. Beautiful scenery awaits us today. The weather forecast is for a bit of rain – but no matter. We set off and ride along Kootenay Lake to Kaslo. In Kaslo, we make our first coffee stop. Those who wish can visit the old paddle steamer, the S.S. Moyie. This steamer operated as a ferry on the lake from 1898 to 1957, supplying the towns with everything they needed – the modern-day equivalent of a bus. After coffee and photos of the ship, we continue on. A few kilometers later, the rain started – simply part of any proper motorcycle tour. We quickly put on our rain gear and continue to Nakusp before taking a ferry across Arrow Lake to the other side. A wonderful road leads us over Monashee Pass to Vernon, a fantastic route with beautiful, flowing curves. A quick fuel stop, then off to the hotel and on to dinner. Tomorrow we continue :-)

We begin the day on one of Canada’s most important roads: the Trans-Canada Highway. Built between 1949 and 1971, it spans 7,821 km, stretching from the Pacific to the Atlantic. It is easily recognized by the maple leaf symbol. We stop for our first coffee in Sicamous. Unfortunately, it is raining and getting colder. We find a warm spot for lunch in Revelstoke. For safety reasons, we decide against taking the "Meadows in the Sky" route, as there might be snow up there. We push on, still needing to cross the 1,330-meter-high Rogers Pass. Sadly, the temperature has dropped to just 6 degrees, and it is raining. But our accommodation makes us forget all the hardships of the journey. We receive a warm welcome from Doris and Norbert. The hearty, home-style German cooking makes us forget all the day's struggles. What a day—and it’s not the last one!

After an incredibly delicious breakfast at Doris and Norbert's, our hosts for the night, we hopped on our motorcycles and set off for Lake Louise. The weather was still on our side, and we arrived in Hot Radium Springs almost dry. Unfortunately, the ride then turned wet, and on our way to Banff, the mountains and landscape were shrouded in clouds. There wasn't much to see due to the bad weather, and our photo stops were obscured by mist. So, we pressed on to Banff. Before everyone explored the town on their own, we photographed the legendary Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel (built by the Canadian Pacific Railway and opened in 1888) from a beautiful vantage point. The name Banff comes from the Scottish county of Banffshire. Important financiers for the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway were Scots, and these came from Banffshire. Finally, we rode the scenic Bow Valley Parkway to Lake Louise, where we're spending the night.

For some, our day starts very early today, because our shuttle to the famous Lake Moraine leaves at 5:15. We arrive in the dark and find our way to start the new day with a fantastic view of this magnificent lake. Many others have this idea, but we have our picture in the box. Afterwards, we have the pleasure of riding the Icefields Parkway, one of the most dramatic and fascinating mountain roads in the world. The route runs from Lake Louise to Jasper. Along the way we pass spectacular mountain lakes such as Lake Bow. Of course we take pictures, even if this lake will remain in our thoughts forever. At the Columbia Ice Field we have a view of the Athabasca Glace, one of the largest ice accumulations south of the Arctic Circle. After we had a great view from the Skywalk (glass floor), Heiko waited for us with a picnic in the sun. The sun was a great gift today after all the rainy days and it even got warm at the end of the day with 12 °C. ;-)

Today was all about sleeping in. After a great breakfast, a few people joined me—Michaela—on a lovely excursion to Maligne Lake. It is 22 km long and the second-largest glacial lake in the world; the colors are fantastic. Even though it was just a short drive today, we really enjoyed it—including a nice coffee break by the lake. In the afternoon, Heiko took over, and we rode the Jasper Skytram up the Whistler Mountains to an altitude of 2,277 meters to go for a hike—short or long—along the boardwalk up to 2466 meters. Some people did laundry, while others simply enjoyed the day off. In the evening, everyone got together again. We needed to gather our strength, as the longest leg of the trip is coming up tomorrow.

4°C in the early morning, brilliant sunshine, and a 420-kilometer drive through Canada’s stunning landscape from Jasper to Kamloops—that’s what our day on the road looks like today. We set off at 8:30 a.m., warmly dressed, and make good time heading toward our first highlight: Mount Robson, the highest peak in the Canadian Rockies at 3,940 meters. We are treated to a fantastic panorama and take in the view. After a short break, we are back on the road, heading straight out of the mountains. Michaela has prepared a delicious picnic for us, and we enjoy our lunch by a lake in 25°C weather and brilliant sunshine. The landscape changes rapidly as we leave the mountains behind; farmland now dominates the scenery on either side of the road. After one last quick coffee stop along the way, we arrive at our hotel in Kamloops in the afternoon.

How time flies. Today is unfortunately our last day of nine days in Canada, but it should be a very special one, because today we drove on Highway 99, the See to Sky Highway on our way to Vancouver. Where our tour started. We stop at delightfully blue see to feed our photo album again with beautiful souvenir photos. A mandatory stop is of course Whistler where we look at the Olympic village from the 2010 Winter Games and to strengthen ourselves for what may come. Curve and curve we drive through five different climate zones, and then dive into the Vancouver traffic which was not so bad despite rush hour. Pride and the luggage full of memories. Let's refuel our motorcycles one last time before we return them all unharmed. We are already reminiscing our Ferwell Dinner. Look here, look there, have you seen that made new friends again? Appointments are made for new tours and you see what can go. We thank you very much, Heiko and Michaela That we can accompany you through Canada.

….many thanks for these great days…