Icefields Parkway Run

[Guest]

My buddy and I are going to be riding to the Icefields Parkway and back next week, on a very limited budget.
This is going to be the first motorcycle road trip for both of us.
We will be leaving on Saturday July 21st, and returning on Sunday July 29th.
He is getting married August 4th, so this trip will like a rolling bachelor party/last run as a free man.
He'll be riding a 2009 Kawasaki KLX250SF, with performance intake, exhaust and a jet kit installed.
So it's not as gutless as it was new a couple months ago.

I just bought my 1982 GS750T a couple months ago, so I have been sinking money into it getting it riding safely and reliably.

Things I've done since buying it are:
Valve adjustment including OEM gasket and half moons, new tires, used fuel tank, new petcock, oil and filter, front break overhaul including line, carb cleaning and adjustment, electrical system cleaned, new chain, new ignition/gas cap/key set, sonic springs and new seals and oil in the front.
Other things I've bought are a new full face HJC modular helmet, leather fork tool bag, magnetic gas tank bag and in case it rains, a new rain suit.

On top of all that, everything was inspected, cleaned, greased, and lubed from the rear brakes to all the bearings and bushings.

About two weeks before we leave, my battery stopped charging.
After a quick check I find one leg of the stator is cooked, along with one diode in the R/R.
So, if I'm lucky, the new Kawasaki KZ1000 SH-532 R/R, used stator (tested and working properly) and oem gasket I ordered will be here the day before we leave.


We are riding 6 hours the first day, from St. Walburg Saskatchewan to Edson Alberta.
We will stay in campgrounds that only charge $15/night.
Mostly "tent only" provincial campgrounds with no electricity. (glorified rest stops)

Next day after a two hour ride we will be getting to Jasper and to the start of the Icefields Parkway that winds through the Columbia Icefields.
This will give us all day to do sightseeing and tourist stuff.
We are going to stay the night in Jasper, and the next day we ride 2 more hours to the Saskatchewn River Crossing between Jasper and Banff.
We will go riding and sightseeing in the area and camp there that night.

The next morning we ride about 2 more hours to Banff and after finding a spot to camp, we will ride around and see the sights.
Also planning on taking the Gondola ride to the top of Sulphur Mountain while in Banff.

After three days and 300kms of mountain roads, reaching 6500ft elevation, we will be riding five hours south to a town where a very good and life long friend of mine runs the kitchen at the hottest night club in the mountain ski resort town of Fernie, BC.

When we get there we will finally be able to shower and wash clothes(5th day in to the trip), and since my friends work place is a restaurant and bar we will eat, drink and be merry.

The next day is scheduled for local sight-seeing, and hangover recuperation, and one more nights sleep under a roof with running water!

After we leave Fernie on a 5 hour ride, we will drop out of the mountains on to the southern Canadian plains.
We will head east passing below Calgary, turning north before Medicine Hat towards Dinosaur Provincial Park, known for it's discovery of a large amount of dinosaur fossils.
Many of which are still in the rocks there, and after checking those out we will be camping there for the night.

The morning after that we will be making the 7 hour ride home, completing the 2,300km loop.


We will be carrying an extra 2 gallons of gas with us, because we will likely run out at a couple spots along the trip.
With my weight and PO installed mismatched air filter I only make about 25-30 mpg.
I have a stock airbox lined up, but won't be here in time.
My friends bike gets more like 50mpg but only has a 2 gal tank.
Giving us a safe operating range of about 160-180kms before filling up again.

We are only bringing a couple changed of clothes, tools and tire repair kit, tent, rope, tarp, 12volt cooler bag and our cigarettes and cameras.
I got a fork bag to hold the tools, and a tank back which will hold all the quick access and valuable items as it can be removed from the bike quickly and carried with us.
My friend will be carrying the tent and all his clothes and stuff, as his KLX has no real storage space or enough horsepower to carry much more than a rider.

I don't have enough money to get saddle bags anymore as that money got spent replacing my charging system, but I still need a way to carry the extra gas, oil, tarp, rope, rain suit, air pump and other stuff.
Using a bit of redneck ingenuity, I came up with a way to install 2 plastic milk crates in place of saddle bags.
They are steady and secure, and will hold ALOT of stuff.
I will post some pictures of them in this thread tomorrow once I get them installed.
My bike is staying true to it's name of "The Hillbilly Express" lol.

My friend is looking at about $200 for gas for the trip, I'll need about $300.
Put together we will have around $750 for the whole trip so it should be interesting to see if we make it!

If I break down though, I couldn't think of a better spot to be stranded than in the middle of the biggest mountain range in North America!

8-9 days, 1,400 miles (2,300kms), 3 provinces, old friends, new adventures, and the open road.




Tank

[bccap]

The Ice fields Parkway is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Have a great trip. I'm jealous.

[Steel Toed Tank]

I was through there as a kid about 21 years ago, and camped beside us in Jasper were two couples on (what seemed at the time) GIANT Goldwings.
I spent the rest of the trip through the mountains looking out the van windows imagining how awesome it would be to be riding a bike through there.
It was profound enough to me that I never shook off the idea of riding it.
So a couple decades later I found myself with a motorcycle 8 hours away!
One more bucket list item gets checked off.


PS: As much as I would like to post photos as I go along, I won't have a computer with me but I will have access to one once I get to Fernie.
So hopefully once there I will be able to post some photos of the trip.
Once I get home I will post most of the pictures though.

Tank

[Haadkoe]

Sounds like an awesome experience! Be safe, and enjoy it to the fullest.

[mcneilk]

Gonna stop at the northerner

I am goin to the kootneys tomorrow(monday). Gonna stay in nelson or maybe vernon if i can make it that far. I was gonna ride all day tuesday in the kootneys and come home wednsday... new plan. Tuesday stop by the northerner and see Audio Rocketry.

[Steel Toed Tank]

I am goin to the kootneys tomorrow(monday). Gonna stay in nelson or maybe vernon if i can make it that far. I was gonna ride all day tuesday in the kootneys and come home wednsday... new plan. Tuesday stop by the northerner and see Audio Rocketry.

That is the bar my friend manages the kitchen at! Too bad you weren't going later or we could meet up there and have some beers!


Tank

[7981GS]

Some of this?



















Nothin' to see there worth looking at.

Eric

[earlfor]

Sounds like a great trip. Wish I could be going.

[Buffalo Bill]

You're kinda rushing into this long trip, before you've established confidence in your bikes reliability. But you're not the first guy to do that.

Dress warm, looks like days of riding in chilly air, and high altitudes.

Your bike won't like 5000 ft., expect power drop and overheating.

This is one trip you may need to pack a gun, because of brown bears.

Very nice country!

[RichDesmond]

Any discussion of the most beautiful stretches of road in North America has to include the Icefields Parkaway.
It was the highlight of my Alaska trip a few years back.

http://www.sonicsprings.com/catalog/alaska2008_ride_report_day6.php

[tkent02]

Your bike won't like 5000 ft., expect power drop and overheating.

Bullsh:t.
Power drop yes, maybe 15% or so less. It's 20% less at 8,000 ft, and it is linear. No big deal. You have CV carbs so it will run properly at any elevation with no jetting changes. You may want to turn the idle screw in a half turn or so, it will idle slower up high.
Overheating, WTF? There is plenty of airflow, little chance of stop and go traffic, making less power they make less heat, there is no reason for the engine to get hot. I ride up to 12,000 feet quite often, sometimes higher, overheating is never an issue. Even dirt riding, struggling up steep loose hills at walking speed or less with mud packed cooling fins for as long as it takes to get up a few thousand feet. Not an issue.

[Wizard]

Expect to pay lots for a multiday Park Pass, or find a Seasons Pass.
Ride in to see the Jasper Park Lodge, see how the other side lives.
Ride the Maligne Lake Road.
The Gondola ride takes you up into the Alpine, big adventure for you FlatLanders.
Fill up in Jasper, don't stop till the Athabasca Glacier. Good Interpretive Center and some munchies (no gas).
Ride over to the other side, walk up and kick the toe of the glacier.
There is a unprotected campground a few clicks south.
Even if you were Packin Heat, no guns in the park, unless you have a permit to carry, in a locked box, with ammo separated. If you are attacked by a bear, you're supposed to get eaten.
Bear Pepper Spray works, and you can even squirt some into your evening One Pot Glop for seasoning (yum).
Been way back there, one February, 4 of us and 2 dogs pulling small sleds trudging up the Saskatchewan Glacier. Bad weather locked us down, dug holes in glacier, slept in snow caves. Had to ski out in a white out, navigating by altimeter and compass (before the days of GPS), hoping my notes of where the Crevasses were, was accurate.
I have to go back up that way later this summer for some ReCon notes, unfinnished business.
Sunwapta Pass and Bow Summit are no big deal, but if your jetting is already real rich, you'll notice it.
Pull over at top of Bow Summit and see Peyto Lake Overlook. We dropped down from there and went up into the Wapta Icefiealds one February. Keep skiing south for 50 km and eventually drop onto the Trans Calamity Hiway ( One of the classic Ski Tours of the World).
On the way down from Bow Summit, keep looking west and see the near linear Bow Glacier. You won't see the Bow (condo) Hut up there but you might see people specs on the glacier.
Stop at Crowfoot Glacier (hanging glacier).
I can't believe you are gonna blow by Lake Louise? Its the Gem of the trip.
Our Vacation #2 will be there late this summer (currently on Vacation #1 with whole fam damly at bottom of FlatHead Lake Montana, er at South end of Lake,,..)
You have to ride up to the Lake,see the Chateau, take the 11km road to Moraine Lake. It goes around Mt Temple (11'626') the biggy in the area. Been up there a few times too, up tourist back side (hike) and done the 2 day technical climb up the Classic SE ridge.
Lk Louise has a 200 tent site surrounded by electrified fence (don't piddle on it), and a 200 site RV side (no Tent Trailers, bears go right through it).
Banff has a 700 site campground, but its a zoo. Stay in Lk Disease, just visit Banffff.
I try to spend as little in the mostly foreign owned businesses there. Go to Canmore instead (outside park). The Old Spaghetti Factory is still a good deal in Banffff.
Sounds like you are tryin to do way too much, with too little time and way to little $$$. But then you have reasons to go back.
You're young and naive, and if you're tough, it'll be an Adventure, rather than an Epic.

[Steel Toed Tank]

You're kinda rushing into this long trip, before you've established confidence in your bikes reliability. But you're not the first guy to do that.

Dress warm, looks like days of riding in chilly air, and high altitudes.

Your bike won't like 5000 ft., expect power drop and overheating.

This is one trip you may need to pack a gun, because of brown bears.

Very nice country!

Not really rushing into it. I've been planning it since the week I got my bike.
I have a lot of confidence in my bike. I've done all the repairs myself, using quality or oem parts. No emgo, motion pro, or discount type brands on this GS.
I've done several 300 mile runs on it, and just about anytime I leave the house it's a 100kms trip to get anywhere.
The only thing that has broken down on me is the stator and r/r, but even then I can still bump start it or boost it and it will run all day.
It has less than 18k miles on it, still a baby!!
Also, both my friend and I are heavy truck mechanics, and we are quite prepared for any kind of break down aside from complete engine failure.
With us we will have spare cables, extra fluids, mechanics wire, tire repairs, fuses, bulbs, RTV, spare wire connectors, electrical tape, duct tape, etc etc.
In the case of complete engine failure we also have enough for bus fare, we both have CAA coverage, and I have a friend 4 hours south of Banff.

The daytime weather between banff and jasper for the last couple weeks has been 20-25C, so not really chilly.
The nighttime temps on the other hand is what I'm more worried about!!
Needless to say, we are quite prepared for riding in any kind of weather, including snow.

No guns, one does not simply "pack a gun" in a national park in Canada.
I live mostly in very rural areas where run ins with bears are not uncommon.
We will have our food cache hanging in the trees, and are otherwise prepared for such encounters.

I'm just trying to point out that we are not really rushing into this, and we are well prepared.

Thanks for the advice!

[Steel Toed Tank]

Bullsh:t.
Power drop yes, maybe 15% or so less. It's 20% less at 8,000 ft, and it is linear. No big deal. You have CV carbs so it will run properly at any elevation with no jetting changes. You may want to turn the idle screw in a half turn or so, it will idle slower up high.
Overheating, WTF? There is plenty of airflow, little chance of stop and go traffic, making less power they make less heat, there is no reason for the engine to get hot. I ride up to 12,000 feet quite often, sometimes higher, overheating is never an issue. Even dirt riding, struggling up steep loose hills at walking speed or less with mud packed cooling fins for as long as it takes to get up a few thousand feet. Not an issue.

Thanks for that info, that is pretty much exactly what I found while researching the issue and reading others ride reports through the area.

Expect to pay lots for a multiday Park Pass, or find a Seasons Pass.
Ride in to see the Jasper Park Lodge, see how the other side lives.
Ride the Maligne Lake Road.
The Gondola ride takes you up into the Alpine, big adventure for you FlatLanders.
Fill up in Jasper, don't stop till the Athabasca Glacier. Good Interpretive Center and some munchies (no gas).
Ride over to the other side, walk up and kick the toe of the glacier.
There is a unprotected campground a few clicks south.
Even if you were Packin Heat, no guns in the park, unless you have a permit to carry, in a locked box, with ammo separated. If you are attacked by a bear, you're supposed to get eaten.
Bear Pepper Spray works, and you can even squirt some into your evening One Pot Glop for seasoning (yum).
Been way back there, in February, 4 of us and 2 dogs pulling small sleds trudging up the Saskatchewan Glacier. Bad weather locked us down, dug holes in glacier, slept in snow caves. Had to ski out in a white out, navigating by altimeter and compass, hoping my notes of where the Crevasses were, was accurate.
I have to go back up that way later this summer for some ReCon notes, unfinnished business.
Sunwapta Pass and Bow Summit are no big deal, but if your jetting is already real rich, you'll notice it.
Pull over at top of Bow Summit and see Peyto Lake Overlook. We dropped down from there and went up into the Wapta Icefiealds one February. Keep skiing south for 50 km and eventually drop onto the Trans Calamity Hiway ( One of the classic Ski Tours of the World).
On the way down from Bow Summit, keep looking west and see the near linear Bow Glacier. You won't see the Bow (condo) Hut up there but you might see people specs on the glacier.
Stop at Crowfoot Glacier (hanging glacier).
I can't believe you are gonna blow by Lake Louise? Its the Gem of the trip.
Our Vacation #2 will be there late this summer (currently on Vacation #1 with whole fam damly at bottom of FlatHead Lake Montana, er at South end of Lake,,..)
You have to ride up to the Lake,see the Chateau, take the 11km road to Moraine Lake. It goes around Mt Temple (11'626') the biggy in the area. Been up there a few times too, up tourist back side (hike) and done the 2 day technical climb up the Classic SE ridge.
Lk Louise has a 200 tent site surrounded by electrified fence (don't piddle on it), and a 200 site RV side (no Tent Trailers, bears go right through it).
Banff has a 700 site campground, but its a zoo. Stay in Lk Disease, just visit Banffff.
I try to spend as little in the mostly foreign owned businesses there. Go to Canmore instead (outside park). The Old Spaghetti Factory is still a good deal in Banffff.
Sounds like you are tryin to do way too much, with too little time and way to little $$$. But then you have reasons to go back.
You're young and naive, and if you're tough, it'll be an Adventure, rather than an Epic.

We looked at season passes, $65 per person.
Day passes are $10 per person per day, so It will cost us less to buy day passes as we go.

The info that you posted is fantastic! I have added a few more things to my list of stuff to see and check out.

I googled Maligne Lake road, sounds fantastic!

I really don't want to stay IN Jasper or Banff, being a cheap Scotsman I don't like to spend money I don't have to.

Of course Lake Louise is on our list of places to go, as is the Crows Foot, and several other glaciers!!

Thanks to you though, Lake Louise will be where we are camping, sounds much better than the zoo of a campground I'm sure awaits us in Banff.

Moraine Lake sounds like a fantastic place to ride to, thank you again!!

We will have only 2 hours of travel time a day to each stop (Jasper, Saskatchewan River Crossing, Banff) with the rest of each day open to explore the areas and see the sights.
3 full days to explore less than 300kms of highway seems like plenty of time to me.

We won't be doing much hiking, skiing or climbing though, lol.

We aren't young, with both of us being in our 30's, and we aren't naive when it comes to (non motorcycle) road trips and wilderness and mechanical things.

And we are two very tall and very large Scotsmen who have known each other for over a decade, and have lived most of that time in places so rural that they don't have physical addresses, toughness isn't going to be an issue, lol.

Thanks again for the info you gave me, you can be sure I will be all over the roads you mentioned!!


Everyone else thanks for the well wishes and pictures and stories of the area, I'm incredibly excited for this trip.

Thanks to you too Rich, because of my stator issues I haven't been able to test out the springs you sent me a couple weeks ago, but they've been installed and are ready to go!!


I can't wait!!!!
Tank

[Wizard]

Sounds like you 2 Lumberjack Scotts could start your bikes with a Pull Cord,,..
Maybe save a stack of money on food by eatin the Bark off the Trees,,..
Oh, ya, can't touch anything in The Parks (need a permit to fart).
Just in your 30's?!,,.. better bring a note from mom just in case,,..
When in Lk Louise, go see the Hotel/Lake/Moraine in the early AM or after dinner, else its just stupid with crowds.
I like gong in the eve. Someone died on the Moraine Lake Rd 2 weeks ago, so obey the Slow Orders.
Also go up to the Ski Hill during the day, to waste some time. Go up there in the eve again to look for bears on the road up.
Head south down the old 1A HWY about 8 klicks to an obvious overlook, see train, river, mtns,,..
Some people still have the ancient recessive Gene that demands they burn stuff.
The campground has a blue smelly pallor over it in the eve from idiots making tons of smoke trying to make fire, not putting it out, and even burning garbage. Only about 1 in 20 people actually know how to make fire. 1 in 50 actually "cook" over a fire.
For those who have evolved past this defective gene, ask for a site in F Loop, where the clean air enters the campground.
In Banfff, drive right through, over bridge, turn left and ride up to the Banff Springs Hotel. Cool Castle/Hotel palace,,..
Then ride down to Bow Falls, and the golf course road, might be some Elk out there.
Also ride up the Mt Norquay Ski Hill Rd. All switchbacks. Nice lookout about 3/4 way up.
Bring a spare Clutch and Brake lever, 'bout the worst that would happen is your bike falls over, breaks a lever.
Keep an eye on your Master Link Clip, unless its a rivet.
Well, sounds like you're about ready to Pee your Pants,,.. so that's all for now.
More can be done on another tour.