Headed to the Canadian Rockies last week in July/first week in August, looking for do's and don'ts.
The plan is to head to Winnipeg from Mn then head west to Medicine Hat then 3 west to Cranbrook, then north to Golden, Revelstoke, Kamloops then north to Jasper and south to Banff and then back to Mn.
We plan on the Columbia ice fields and a ski lift north of Lake Louise. Any advice would be appreciated! Just the wife and I on two bikes.

Thanks for the input!

 

Pack some warm clothes. Can snow anytime in the Columbia ice fields.
Ride Safe

 

Your biggest struggle will be keeping awake between Winnipeg and Medicine Hat,not a lot to see but flat,bald *** prairie,give your bike a good coating of wax,it will be covered in bugs like you have never seen on the open plains.Once past that all is good,but be prepared for temps anywhere from 40 to 95 degrees, snow to sunshine,sometimes all in the same day!

 

Another guy suggesting lots of clothes. You never know what could happen and some of the elevations you're going to be at the temperature could drop sharply.

 

Columbia Ice Fields is cool. If your camping, there is a great Tent only site about 1/2 a mile south of the Interpretive Center. I camp in there every chance I get, but be prepared for cold at night. There are little shacks with wood stoves. I rode out of there once in August in the snow.....Mt Athabaska is right across the Valley and if it is a clear day you can see climbers on the flow going up on the right, and if your lucky maybe see them come straight down the East Face. There is a Bus Tour out onto the Ice Flow. I have never taken it. Don't walk out onto the Ice unless you are on a guided tour. Very dangerous!

The Interpretive Center is worth going in. There is a cafeteria in it, and a restaurant plus gift shops.

Make sure you fuel up in Jasper or be be prepared to pay an arm and a leg at Saskatchewan River Crossing!

In Jasper, Cafe Mondo is my GoTo morning coffee and bagel place. The Cheese & Egg bagel melt is my favourite.

There is a Gondola that goes up Wistlers Mountain that is definitely worth the time. Take some walking shoes and your camera.

Cranbrook is my home town.

 

Thank you CR2, we talked about having a cup of jo if it works for everyone, old trucker to old trucker earlier. We'll see how it works out.

 

Ubet. Another nice ride is up and down Mt Revelstoke.

 

The ride from Banff to Radium Hot Springs through Kootenay National Park is beautiful. Not far from Cranbrook. Any part of highway 3 across southern BC is worth seeing. Accommodations in Jasper and Banff parks are very expensive and often full up. Pre-booking at least a couple of days before would be adviseable if possible. I once found myself SOL in Jasper and had to make my way all the way to Golden to get a room. That was a long day of riding! Relatively close to Jasper is Prince George which is also a good place to stop. They have a dealership too as does Cranbrook.

 

One thing most Canadian National parks have, that I haven't seen in US, or Provincial parks, is overflow camping. That is why I always pack a small tent and a down bag. Worse comes to worse, you have a shelter and an outhouse.

 

Thanks, that's what I'm looking for!