The Alberta Review

It took about twelve days to cross the province. I clocked 840 KM/5835 meter gain in elevation. 
Alberta served up some impressive scenery along with one of my best rides to date. The Royal Tyrrell Museum, the Icefields Parkway, Sunwapta Falls, beautiful crystal clear lakes and mountain views that seemingly went on and on.
It also had its share of significant ascents and descents. Climbing the Bow Summit and descending to Bow Lake. The Rampart Valley was one of the longest descents, it was a blast! 
Jasper, Lake Louise and Banff all world class destinations. But for me it was the places and sights that lay in between, the less touristy, quieter places. The early mornings when the mountain air was cool and the traffic was light were my favourite times. 
Prior to departure the family was good enough to share with me all the rather terrifying stories of grizzly encounters. I made several enquires at MEC regarding bear spray, other options were bear bangers, bells or whistles. I opted in the end to forgo them all! Despite all the stories and being rather vulnerable on a bicycle I still wanted to see a Grizzly. That wish was answered in the Valley East of Bow Lake. A large female and her new born, she was relatively close to the road with park staff monitoring her, keeping her and young out of harms way from the passing traffic. “A wish come true-It made my day!”
The other bear story was a rather closer than I’d like encounter with a large black bear in the early morning leaving Rampart Creek Campground. I was truly alone, the campground did not open until the following day. It simply required me to put distance between us in crossing the road, generally they run off, this one didn’t.
One of my best rides ever, ya sounds a little over the top. It was outside Canmore on the Bow Valley Trail. It took a bit I think to acknowledge that I had actually cleared the Rockies, the mountain climbs were behind me. This ride was really a celebration of that. It was the perfect day with the wind at my back.The grass covered foothills lay before me, fields of yellow dandelions contrasted against the white bark of the birch. The skies were blue with puffy white clouds . I could see the horizon all around! The pedals felt light and the bike almost effortlessly glided along. The downs provided enough momentum to see me up the next gentle rise with minimal effort. It was the perfect ride and good reason to celebrate.
The shoulders on many of the roads were not the best in Alberta, in fact in places they were none existing. Not sure if Albertan’s are the most friendly towards cyclists, I again had several too close for comfort incidences. 
Camping for the most part was exceptional, many of the places I pitched I hated to leave.
The people were friendly but not as inquisitive as those in B.C., altho there were many inquiries about my trip.
I seemed to have been almost pushed through Alberta, before I knew it I was leaving it behind and entering “The Prairies”.