Another unusually warm October afternoon had us out on the road once again, this time near the townsite of Sundre, AB around one hour’s drive SW of my hometown. We’ve ridden this loop before but decided to do a repeat performance as the fall colors were still quite prevalent and we suspected that most of the foliage on the tree branches had yet to touch the ground.
From a cycling perspective, it was a solid outing as we completed the 78km route without the aid of PAS. With a healthy elevation gain of 872 meters (2860 ft) and a handful of steepish grades to boot, we were definitely pushing it to the max. The Creo is such a great bike when it comes tackling longish rides. Even shod with beefier gravel tires, it exemplifes just how versatile it is at accomplishing the task at hand. Perhaps not as nimble or light as our analog bikes, the Creo certainly proves its worthiness over varying terrain, climbs, fast descents and overall comfort.
With everything seeming to come together on this day, we couldn’t have asked for a more reasonable October ride.
Traffic along the rural roads was sketchy at times and we attributed this partially to the early start of the Thanksgiving weekend but no doubt the mild October conditions had much to do with a higher-than-expected vehicle count for the trip. It seemed that many were headed out with their full complement of toys towards Bearberry which would ultimately be the turnaround point for us. For the most part, we had the roads to ourselves and relished every opportunity to take advantage of it.
Logging trucks can commonly be seen prowling the same back roads with their large loads destined for several mills that service the area. This quad axle semi-trailer with its freshly cut haul passed us on the way back and left behind an intoxicating scent of divine woody goodness.
A sublime view of the township road ahead facing west.....
....and looking in other direction.
We cam across some strange looking hummocks though I’m not entirely certain of their origin.
End of the line at the Bearberry cabins. We wanted to ride up the gravel road for a peek but thought better of it to make a quick departure towards homebase as only guests were permitted entry on to the property. The cabins are bit off the beaten track and the proprietors must be accustomed to intruders as was evident by the surveillance cameras and signage.
Sai leads the way back up the steep ascent towards Bearberry. She’s become quite an accomplished cyclist and really seems to enjoy a challenge.
I’m willing to bet that these were the same horses that we came upon last year. They certainly weren’t as friendly but I did recognize the one with the large brown marking on its underbelly.
Main street Bearberry. Not much to write home about but the roadside saloon and restaurant appeared to be doing brisk business from those who were passing by. We found ourselves a comfy perch on the stairs of the local community center for a brief respite and snack and, for a moment, even contemplated on indulging in one of the restaurants bison burgers. Suffice it to say, neither of us cycle well on full stomachs. I need to ask
@Stefan Mikes how he seems to polish off a full meal without any side effects.
Heading east along Hwy 584, the golden foliage on the poplars is just as vibrant as ever.
Another pastoral setting typical of the Alberta prairies and a splash of barn red adds a bit of contrast to the otherwise drab landscape.
More dramatic color came in the form of this eloquently sided bright red garage/suite complete with charming dormers.
Heading south along Hwy 27, enters the tranquil and calming Bearberry Creek as it meanders slowly though the prairie countryside.
One final hill before we turn back east towards Sundre.
It was closing in on supper time by the time we entered the town’s limits but the sun was still bright enough to snap a few shots before we hit the road back home.
The owner of this frontage property went over the top with respect to displaying their version of Canadiana or in this case, Canuckiana.
On this ride there were no towering pinnacles or turquoise blue alpine lakes to show off. With that said, there’s nothing quite as inspiring in something as quaint and simple as a snippet of prairie scenery.
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