Day 65 - Wed, August 6, 2008 - Red Deer to Drumheller, AB - 751.9 km/469.9 mi - Total 15,490.4 km/9,681.5 mi.

Got an early start and headed east on Hwy 11 to go back to the Icefields Pkwy/Hwy 93 to head south to Lake Louise and Banff.

Saw my first pumpjack since I've been in Alberta on Hwy 11. First part of trip was through rolling farmland but as I approached the foothills of the Rockies the scenery got more interesting. Started going through the mountain pass and was in sight of the Saskatchewan River most of the way. Beautiful scenery with the blue-green river in the foreground and the mountains behind.

Entered the park and saw scenery from the reverse side for the first part of the ride down the Icefields Pkwy/Hwy 93. However, the temperature in this part of the ride was from 18C/64F to 22C/72F, way above what it was when I went north here last week.

Saw the Bow and Crowsfoot glaciers as I continued south to new areas for me. Stopped in at Lake Louise and walked around before continuing on to Banff. Tried to take mikeonabike's advice to have a beer at the lounge in the Banff Hotel but it was closed when I arrived and wouldn't open for a few hours.

Temp rose to 30C/86F by the time I reached Banff.

Went around the west side of Calgary on my way to Drumheller and there's lots of construction and new communities. Looks like all of the new places being built around Ottawa area with houses close together and strip malls.

Headed north from Calgary on Hwy 2 and at 16:30 I was approximately 100 km. from where I started out in the morning. Headed east towards Drumheller on Hwy 72 and then Hwy 9. Thought I was in Saskatchewan already as the land was very flat and the road very straight almost all of the way. Just before Drumheller the land started to take on a new character and then changed drastically when I descended a steep hill into Drumheller. To quote a website on Drumheller, "Rolling fields suddenly give way to steep, dry coulees ridged with the strata of hundreds of years of erosion by time, wind and water".

Got a campsite for the night and will see the hoodoos tomorrow before heading east towards The Soo.

Photos:  Saskatchewan River from Hwy 11; What Bear?; Hwy 11 entrance to Icefields Pkwy; Bow Glacier; Lake Louise; Alternate road between Lake Louise and Banff; Mountain Goats: Cooulees at Drumheller.