It was along some incredible stretch of road while relishing the experience and celebrating the decision not to return home, when it occurred to me that I simply must at least attempt to ‘capture’ this special time… this very special feeling. If this wasn't the best road trip ever, it was certainly one of the very best, and I was riding the crest of the wave of ecstasy!
As frequently happens, I’d been ‘playing the tapes back’ in my cranial video arcade, relishing recent events, and shaking my head at some of the amazing, totally unforeseen experiences that seemed to just pop-up and astonish us. One in particular…
Our crew had recently departed Calgary and headed north… We were riding towards Jasper, AB, planning to make a turn southward back down to Lake Louise… along the Icefields Parkway… one of the most scenic and awesome rides in North America, and, arguably, the entire world! The ride up was to be east of the mountains mostly through the plains but with rolling hills, too, and with its own unique beauty…
In order to allow maximum flexibility and avoid being rushed, we'd chosen to make a three day ride out of what could have been done in two (wound-up being four!). We also had some 'add-on' opportunities in mind, should opportunity present itself and weather permit. We did not want to miss anything or miss out on anything due to time pressures! Plus, it's always wise to allow some 'wiggle room' just in case the weather doesn't cooperate...
I once read that for recreational sailboat sailors, the best plan is 'this many days available, so, half out, and half back, now all that is left is to select a direction’… that’s it! I’ve found that it works remarkably well for road trips, too… That hasn’t always been an option, of course, but… whenever it was…
Our first day’s ride was not entirely uneventful, but I won’t get into the close calls with elevated pooperosity levels. I’ll also forgo any lengthy discussion of the slippery mud we encountered, where a section of road was being re-built. Nope, other than those two little inconveniences, though, the day was nearly perfect, and everybody seemed to be holding up quite well, conversations were light-hearted and fun… then we arrived in Drayton Valley, AB.
That ‘event’ along the way typifies how the unexpected can just come right out of nowhere and drop a pleasure bomb smack in one’s lap! We hadn’t even gotten our kickstands down before we noticed this… burly… guy walking towards us. Now, to fully grasp the picture here, imagine Grizzly Adams and Larry the Cable Guy rolled into one person… “Now what,” we collectively wondered…?
He was the manager of the motel we were considering for the evening… and, he seemed as glad to see us as we were to be there! A really friendly guy, and as we discovered, full of amusing stories and tales of his quite eclectic and adventure-filled life. In his early sixties now, in apparently good health, and most out-going… To yours truly, anyway, it was abundantly clear that this place just might offer some potential!
We sat around a wee bit that evening, and pleasant conversation was the main course. Next morning, as we wandered in and began ingesting coffee and breakfast items… the conversations began again, and Richard was center stage entertaining us all lavishly. He’d also been our ‘chef’ that morning, and he’d even prepared bacon… with an extra helping or two for this aficionado of pig parts…
I just love a wholesome breakfast, don’t you?
Conversation naturally evolved into a discussion of options… as rain was beginning, and our prospects appeared rather dim and growing even dimmer. It isn’t so much that rain is unpleasant or even a bit riskier for riding, it is also often non-productive. We were on this ride to drink-in all the beautiful scenery in that gorgeous corner of the planet, and the low hanging clouds had the mountains completely shrouded in a damp blanket that made a site-seeing excursion totally pointless! We could have ridden on, but… why? We decided to stay another night… with Richard…
The two couples, Terry & Linda, Dennis & Shelia, did ride off in between showers and find things to do… I spent the day with Richard… He gave me a tour of the facility, shared with me his ideas and plans for ‘growing the business’, and, of course, he kept me in stitches with all of his tales from his time as a fishing guide, or as a provincial game management employee, or one of his stints as a corporate weenie… Along the way, he also mentioned the availability of the grill, if we were to want to ‘BBQ’ some steaks or anything…
One needs to bear in mind that within the sphere of southern culture, BBQ is a noun connoting a certain method of preparing various meats. It includes rubs and special sauces, lengthy ‘smoke times’, and it is considered quite a delicacy. Beyond the realm of southern culture, however, BBQ is a verb describing the cooking of anything on a grill… Huge difference, obviously, so when one is invited to BBQ up there… well… caveat emptor...
Anyway, we kicked that idea around a bit, and the next thing I knew, Richard and I were in his car headed for the ‘steak’ store… There we purchased several ribeye steaks, a chicken breast, some shrimp, and a salmon fillet. We then proceeded to the grocery store for additional items… corn on the cob, potatoes, and salad fixings… then a stop for some beverages… We returned to the motel, where Richard took command and started preparing the feast that would follow!
Throughout this entire day, I couldn’t avoid noticing how Richard seemed to be having way more fun than any of the rest of us! He’d been like a kid in a candy store when we’d been shopping, and his enthusiasm while reciting his tales had been inspiring! He had also revealed much depth and insight, and a rather sophisticated philosophical perspective on life and people generally. I had been like a novice following around his mentor trying desperately to mentally record as many of his pearls of wisdom as I could!
The off and on drizzle throughout the day did not seem to dampen the spirits of anyone… certainly not Richard, and definitely not his ‘understudy’! Richard greatly impressed me when all of the food reached perfection at the same time! It was downright good, too, and we all dined lavishly…
Our host getting organized…
The vittles to be prepared…
Richard working his magic…
The crew at dinner...
Water Bug living large...
Linda having a taste of the biker-gypsy life...
The following morning, the forecast indicated a good day for riding, and from what we could see… well, it was dry but still cloudy, and we could see some breaks in the clouds to the north and west… the direction we’d be heading. We rode on… We arrived in Hinton just after mid-day, and the sky had cleared to produce a bright, most pleasant day!
There was still time to make the ride south to Lake Louise, but it would make a pleasant day into a rather long one, and it would mean less time for stopping, shopping, gazing, and jawing… We elected to stay the night there instead, and then have the entire next day to be leisure tourists… to fully savor the reason for being on this ride in the first place!
DDT
