Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Paradise in a bubble, part two

Right now, I feel happier than I have in a while. I credit both having finally made a definite decision about riding the Divide, and the stunning scenery of the Canadian Rockies. The word "healing place" is overused, especially in the context of the most photographed spots in Canada, but there's a reason these places draw so many people. They really do mean something.

I set out on Leslie's cruiser this morning to check out the first few miles of the Spray River Trail, where the Great Divide Mountain Bike Route begins. I actually meant to go on a few errands, which is why I had the cruiser in the first place, but the trail was in such great shape that it didn't even matter. The weather again was gorgeous - just cloudy enough to block the sun, but warm and dry.

Then, instead of going on my errands, I veered off on some horse trails and ended up at the hot springs, where I parked the bike and set out on foot up the Sulfur Mountain Trail. You can take a gondola up to the top, but the walk is much more fun - about 6 kilometers with 2,500 feet of elevation gain. There was snow at the top. New snow. Not to mention a whole lot of people wearing flip-flops.

But regardless of whether you walk or ride, everyone gets to look at the same scenery.

And the best part about walking to the upper terminal of a gondola is you can have a fountain Diet Pepsi and a $5 brownie at the summit before heading back down.

I spent the afternoon actually doing my errands. It's bad to start a big event in a town with all kinds of outdoor gear stores, because I end up second guessing all of my stuff and buy new, untested things. I switched out gear hours before both Iditarod races, and for this ride I decided to buy a new rain coat. It's probably a good thing. My old one was a soft-shell pullover with no hood, and I don't know what I was thinking. I'm going for the seam-sealed, pull-string bottom, fully waterproof jacket with a hood. Bring on the downpours.

In the evening, Leslie and I drove out to Lake Louise for more hiking. I hiked Sulfur Mountain a little hard and was already feeling it in my quads, so I was hoping for an easy evening stroll. But Leslie is a distance trail runner, so for her easy is 10 kilometers and 1,700 feet of elevation gain.

Probably not the best taper strategy. But, really, is it best to relax before a big push, or is it better to get fired up?

I'm gonna go with fired up.

I have to say, since the only thing I accomplished was buying my food and a new rain coat, which I probably didn't even need, and let more than 4,000 feet of direct impact pound my legs, which they probably also didn't need, that this has been a most unproductive day. And yet I feel so revitalized right now, that if I could go back to this morning, I wouldn't change anything about today.

Thursday is the last day before Tour Divide begins. I hope to do that thing I've been actively avoiding, which is a round-up blog post about the race. But since I also have to do that other thing I've been actively avoiding, which is prepare for the race, I'll have to wait and see if I can find the time. But stay tuned!

19 comments:

  1. Kill Jill!!!

    Not as in one should kill Jill, but perhaps that Jill should "kill"... please pardon my vernacular. "Kill" meaning do a very nice job.

    Make your blog stalker proud.

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  2. "Bring on the downpours."

    I guess you are going to try to challenge the Felix Wong curse. Good luck!

    Bob

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  3. I have the same shots from the same trails...

    Oddly enough, they also come from the happiest time of my life.

    Thanks for sharing those, I'll have a grin on my face all day just thinking about Banff & Jasper.

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  4. I think you've discovered the perfect way to start your adventure. Charge those batteries, and off you go!

    All the best out there, Jill, we'll be following you from Sandy.

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  5. Mike In WI say's

    I do believe you have been shining us on knowing full well you would ride the Divide...but that's okay - Blogs need a little drama and most followers knew there would be no cancellation.

    Have a "Great" Divide Ride Jill, I look forward to following along...Those picture of Canada "Rock".

    Mike In WI.

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  6. Jill, you do an awesome job of blogging.Great stories and pics. Go and enjoy your adventure!!

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  7. your blog has already gotten ten times more interesting in the last week. keep exploring.

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  8. Getting your head "right" is just as, if not more, important than getting your body "right" at this point in the game. I wish all the best! I will be sending positive vibes your way.

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  9. When you wrote about stopping for a Pepsi, for a moment I thought I was reading Joy Santee instead: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/page/?o=3Tzut&page_id=32590&v=Rk

    And to Anon - Jill's blog has been plenty interesting in the past. I found her openness in describing the frostbite and Itidarod experience enlightening.

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  10. Took a trip to the Rockies two years ago and fell in love with the place. Now moving to Kamloops and intend to do lots of biking and hiking in areas in and around. It's a beautiful part of the world.

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  11. Have a great tour! Ride on and on and on...

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  12. It is most definitely magic-y up there in them Canadian rockies. I'm quite jealous.

    Taper schmaper.

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  13. Rock on petal. You're going to do just fine :-)

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  14. Mike from MelbourneJune 11, 2009 at 7:18 PM

    You'll do great Jill. Actually, I think some people overdo tapering. You can lose a lot of fitness in a couple of weeks.

    Great scenery in those shots.

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  15. Canada loves you Jill. But you already know that. We will think of you at the 24 Hours of Light and we look forward to welcoming you back to the north after you see Mexico.

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  16. When we were slipping and sliding down the mountain on the ice and through the snow, I was thinking one thing:

    OMG, I CAN'T BREAK JILL THE DAY BEFORE HER RACE!!
    Seriously, I will take credit for that boneheaded idea. That was
    S-M-R-T. You know what I'm sayin'?

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  17. I'm with you, everytime I taper "properly" I end up feeling sluggish and gross. So, your Fired Up is the way to go.

    Go Jill, crush this thing!

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Feedback is always appreciated!