spinnaker

I am considering riding the Icefields Parkway in July or August of 2011.


I won't be camping but want to make use of hostels when I can.

I realize the sooner I book the better but can someone give me an idea of how far in advance the hostels book on the Icefields Parkway?


I'll be flying into Calgary and should get there by noon. Is there a place to store luggage at the airport? I'd like to but in a few miles that day. Id there someplace reasonably priced to stay outside of Calgary?

Machka 

Look up the places you want to stay, and use the Book Now feature to see if there are still beds available. You can contact them too and ask them.
https://www.hihostels.ca/

The chances of there being a place to store luggage at the Calgary airport, or any international airport, is very, very slim. Most of them have removed any storage facilities.
This is the link to the Calgary Airport: https://www.calgaryairport.com/ ... again, you can contact them and ask.

Which direction would you like to go to find a place to stay outside Calgary?

spinnaker

Thanks for the links.

I did email the hostel folks but that was just yesterday.

If I can't get luggage store at the airport then I guess I might just stay in Calgary the first day. Hopefully at a Warmshowers host or maybe at a hotel where they can store our bike boxes.

I guess I will be headed toward Banff. I think that is about 130 KM from Calgary? That is a bit at the upper edge of my distance for one day. But what is the road like along this stretch? Are there a lot of climbs? What is the traffic like?

vik 

Sorry I can't be of help, but I wanted to wish you a great tour. The Icefield's are spectacular and one of my favourite rides. Now that I am in BC I'll be heading back to Alberta just for that ride.

spinnaker

This is still in the planning stage right now. Not exactly sure if I will be going.

I really prefer to have my comforts on a tour. Decent weather, lodging and food are important to me. The Icefields seems to have the last too but at a very high price.

That is why I am considering hostels. More comfortable than camping but not nearly as expensive as Icefields lodges. Actually I don't really mind camping as long as I can have a shower and I do not have to cook.

As far as weather, I guess you just deal with it. I have done it before. But it still goes into my formula for selecting a tour destination.

But I have seen pictures of the Icefileds. It looks so beautiful! Seems worth it so me to make a few sacrifices on my list of the ideal tour destination.

raybo

Spinnaker,

I, too, am thinking of an Icefields tour next year (2011). I have only the vaguest plans, so far.

While I usually carry camping gear, I would be happy using hostels, as well. Can you post any responses to your email or other information you get about reserving hostel space?

Thanks,

Ray

spinnaker

Of course I can.

They have a whole list of hostels in the area. But they don't list which ones are actually on the Parkway. It would require a bit of research, looking at each one. I was hoping they will just be able to tell me.


There is some nice lodging along the way but as I said, it is expensive. Somewhere around $200 a night. That would not be to bad when the CA dollar was around 70 cents but times have changed!



When were you thinking of going? It would be kind of cool to meet up again, if it worked out.

raybo

At the moment, I haven't decided on a time, other than sometime in July or August, 2011.

I have friends in Bellingham, WA and I've been thinking about a ride from Bellingham, WA to Jasper and back. One idea is to take a ferry up to Prince Rupert, BC and ride from there to Jasper, then down to Banff and eventually to the Northern Tier (Whitefish?) and then back to Bellingham.

If I follow this kind of route, it is unlikely that I will have any idea when I might arrive at a particular hostel, making the lack of reservations highly likely.

Ray

Barrettscv 

The trip from the Calgary Airport to Banff would be difficult to do in one day. The route is free of steep climbs, however the gradual change in elevation is significant. Also, the airport is on the east side of the urban Calgary area. If you fly in that day, you will need most of the day to exit the airport and travel from one end of Calgary to the other.

If I was determined to sleep in Banff the first night, I would hire a cab/minivan to take me across Calgary and reduce the distance by 1/3.

spinnaker

Sounds like we will be starting from opposite directions.

I heard back from them and they said a few weeks in advance is what you need for reservations, but I am trying to get them to nail that down for July or August. For example, they said all weekends are booked from now until March already. But I will bet that is because of ice climbing and skiing. I'd be curious at how bad weekends are during the summer.

They gave be a list of the hostels along the Parkway. They are Mosquito, Rampart, Beauty. Hilda,Athabasca, Banff, Lake Louise and Castle junction.

Sounds like there are plenty. I want to do some more research. It would be nice if the places I select will have showers and running water (or at least most of them).

If you are coming from Bellingham, you might want to do some more research on hostels from that direction.

My sent me a map. I uploaded it to my site.

spinnaker

One thought I had was to take the shuttle from Calgary to Banff. I thought I had check into it before and they said they can transport bicycle luggage. The other thought would be just to rent a bike in Banff.

Would I be missing much if I skipped the Calgary to Banff ride?


If I took a shuttle then I might have time to do a round trip.

Barrettscv 

You would not miss a thing between Calgary & Banff. Except a gradual uphill climb and likely headwinds! The route is not Scenic until about 15 before you arrive in Banff. The best scenery is between Banff & Jasper & Hinton.

Machka 

Since your flight arrives in Calgary about noon, if it were me, I'd take a shuttle to Banff shortly after landing. Do check to be sure they will take a bicycle ahead of time!! I disagree that the scenery doesn't happen until just before you get to Banff. I actually quite like the ride from Calgary to Banff. But if you only have a limited amount of time, I would recommend taking a detour out Hwy 11 at Saskatchewan River Crossing instead of spending 1-2 days getting from Calgary to Banff.

mercator

Actually, you can take Stoney Trail west from the airport and get to the west end of town in less than an hour, its about 25km depending on the route you take. If I was the OP, I would book in at the Alpine club in Canmore the first night, about 80km for the first day.

mercator

Weekends in the summer, they are usually full.
Lake Louise, Banff, and Castle all have showers, I would recommend Castle.
The only other one I have stayed at is Ramparts - no showers but the combination of the wood fired sauna and glacial creek are a much better option in my opinion.

spinnaker

Castle is way to close to Banff. In fact Lack Louise is a bit close but that is pretty much end of showers at a hostel till I get to Clagary.

spinnaker

Are you talking just a side trip up 11? I believe there is a hostel up there?

Machka 

There's a hostel at Nordegg. It's a fair ride, but not overly taxing. Or you might just do an out-and-back day ride to a point along Hwy 11.


BTW - why not camping? You would have increased flexibility and options (including the option to shower) if you brought camping gear.

Oh, and keep in mind that a number of the hostels are quite small ... that's why the fill up quickly. July and August are by far the busiest times in the parks and most accomodations are booked solid, but you can often still squeeze into the tenting areas of the campgrounds.

I'd actually recommend going in June or late August/early September.

spinnaker

Thanks a couple of reasons I am not camping. The main reason is that my of my friends that wants to go is just nit into camping. But I won't complain too much because I am nit exactly looking forward to hauling that extra gear on the plane. Plus if it rains, it would be far more comfortable holed up in a hostel as opposed to my tent.


I have been thinking of doing YSNP too and I have pretty musch settled on the fact that I will have to camp. Cabins there book a year in advance.

mercator

I guess it depends on how you are planning your itinerary. Castle is sort of in the sweet spot for touring around Banff. It's right on the parkway and equidistant from both towns. So if you are planning to take a couple of days in the park it makes for a good base. From there it is a nice days ride to Ramparts and a second day to Jasper.

spinnaker

I have Ramparts in the itinerary. But I am looking at 2 days from Ramparts to Jasper. The way I have it figured it is 90 miles (140km) to Rasper from Ramparts. Or is this an easy 90 (140km)?

cowtown_cowboy

My vote is is to stay somewhere cheap in Calgary, then take the shuttle to Canmore. There are some (somewhat) cheaper options at motel village off Crowchild trail, or along the trans-canada towards the western city limits. I agree riding through the city is a pain.
I used to drive the highway for work every day from Calgary to canmore, and really, it's only interesting the last 1/3 towards Canmore. The traffic is going to be very busy in the summertime - lots of heavy tractor-trailers, motorhomes, RV traffic. Plus everyone drives at least 20km/h over the speed limit. I've rode my bike on that stretch and it can be missed IMO.

Machka 

My father writes about the ride from Jasper to Banff here, complete with elevation maps
https://www.motorera.com/tandem/banff.htm

He and I have both cycled it from Jasper to Banff, as well as numerous cycling trips through parts of it. And Rowan and I cycled from Red Deer to Saskatchewan River Crossing and down to Banff on one cycling tour we did ... our first one together.


And this is from the BC Randonneur website ... the Rocky Mountain 1200 route goes down the Icefield Parkway from Jasper to Banff (and quite a bit more on either side). If you click on the profile links you'll get an idea of the lay of the land. Look at the Jasper to Golden section, and remember, you're heading the other way.
https://www.randonneurs.bc.ca/rocky/route.html


The Ramparts to Jasper includes the Columbia Icefields and the Sunwapta climb. That is a long, long, fairly steep climb going the direction you're travelling. It is shorter and steeper going the other way.

So no ... it won't likely be an easy 140 km.

spinnaker

Thanks Machka. That is what I had thought I remembered. Hence 2 days to Jasper from Rampart.

I was thinking I might make a RT to Banff. If I happened to turn around at Beauty Creek (between Icefields and Jasper) would I be missing out? It would save the steep climb back out of Jasper and might give me a couple of days to explore and relax.

mercator

Here are the profiles for the trip from north to south. Coming from the south is easier, well a bit easier. The stretch from Jasper to Ramparts is a reasonable days ride for a credit card tour but if you are fully loaded you will probably want to add a stop.


It's a great trip, I hope you get good weather