Days 18 and 19- We’ll call them “Gong Show Days”

Day 18 - Calgary, AB to .... Chestermere?

Mel: We were joined by our driver, Tiffany (my sister), and the Gillingham brothers (John and Eric), both of whom had not ridden bicycles in a “very long time”. Luckily, they remembered how to pedal and kept up without any issues. We rode a nice 30km just beyond Chestermere, AB then took a snack break in Lois. We started off on our ride again when my cell phone rang. Tiff couldn’t get Lois

to start! We circled back, thinking Lois was just having one of her many mood swings, but quickly realized that the machine gun-like sound coming from her was not a good sign. We called trusty CAA (aka AMA in Alberta), and a tow truck promptly showed up in about 1.5 hrs (by the way, it was 30 degrees out). Lois started after a battery boost, and the tow truck driver left us all feeling happy and confident. We got our bike shoes back on, water bottles filled, ready to go, then Lois died again! We boosted her with Bryan’s Jeep with the help of John and Eric, only for her to die for the third time within about 10 minutes. Bryan diagnosed the problem over the phone (while at work) and determined that we needed a new alternator.

We drove into Chestermere in the Jeep, leaving Lois behind, to get coffee and wait for Bryan to show up after work with the necessary parts to rescue Lois.

Tiff and I waiting in Chestermere, with our companion Arwin (Tiff was dog sitting for a friend).

"Mr. Fix-It" aka Bryan.

Bryan was able to trouble shoot over the phone with his dad, while two local farmers stopped to “help” us out (mainly to chat)... at one point we had 3 guys tinkering under Lois’ hood. With a replaced alternator and regulator, a boost was all we needed and Lois was back in business! All of us, however, were starving so we went to Chestermere for food, then back to Calgary for the night.

What a day.

Day 19 - Chestermere, AB to Beiseker, AB

An early start in Calgary got us to Chestermere to pick Lois up at the Shopper’s parking lot where we had left her the night before. We took her to Lube X to give her some TLC, then tied up the Jeep on the dolly and we were off again! This time, we had gone about 3 km when Tiff noticed that one of the straps holding the Jeep tire had come undone! We stopped to check it out, and sure enough, the strap was ripped from having gotten caught (somehow).

Back into Calgary we went to buy a new strap at the nearest Princess Auto... then back to Chestermere again (this time we had left Lois in an Elementary School parking lot). Long story short, it ended with a bang and a scream and me thinking that Lisa had gotten run over by the Jeep that had fallen off the dolly un-announced. This was officially the “breaking point” where we decided to leave the car dolly behind us, for good.

We got to our starting point that we knew very well, having spent 9.5 hours there the day prior, got on our bikes and started riding against the wind North on HWY 9 toward Drumheller. About 30km in we had to call Lois back because there was a rain storm with small icy hail pellets that kept us from cycling. We waited out the storm and were off again, this time deciding to call it a day in a little town called Beiseker where the campground owner, Jack, was happy to sponsor us for a free night’s stay.

Things were starting to look up!

The never-ending sky is definitely the highlight of riding through the prairies so far!

July 12-14 - Rest in Calgary

Mel: We took a three day rest in Calgary, much to our bodies’ relief.

This short stint consisted of:

• Going for massages on Monday morning;
• Hot yoga class on Tuesday morning;
• 1000 km Party at Meghann’s on Tuesday night then taking in the Stampede fun downtown;
• Catching up with old friends;
• Sorting out other Pedaling Feat administrative odds and ends.

A much needed rest!

Days 16 and 17: Yoho National Park to Calgary, AB

Day 16: Yoho National Park to Banff, Alberta!

We were up early on Day 16, the weather was great (again!) and we headed out on our bikes with a climb to Kicking Horse Pass. Along the way we stopped at the Spiral Tunnels to watch a train snake its way through the mountain. In the past the trains would use a route that followed the trans Canada, but it was too steep a grade (4.5%) and so the grade was cut in half by weaving the railroad into and out of the moutain!

That morning was the highlight of my trip so far... Just before reaching the Alberta border, we passed a big brown Grizzly bear!!!!! He was about 20 ft away, and as we were riding along we both spotted him eating berries to our right. Mel did not want to reply as I whispered/yelled "Mel, do you see it? Mel, there's a bear. Mel, DO YOU SEE THE BEAR? MEL!!" We rode along and he looked up briefly while eating his berries. It was amazing.

Shortly after, we left BC, and passed into Alberta. One province down, seven more to go!





Pedaling Feat crossing into Alberta!



We arrived at Lake Louise that morning and from there we left the Trans Canada highway and took the Bow Valley Parkway to Banff. The route was fantastic with very little traffic and lots of bikers.

Mel's family: Tiff (sister), Jeff (brother-in-law), Lauren (cousin), Craig (cousin's fiance) and a truckload of adorable pups (Ollie, Heidi, Arwen and Nova!), met us in Banff for the night. We set up camp and headed into the city to visit with Bob and Lynne Hancock, friends of the Ranken family. They spoiled us with a delicious spaghetti dinner - of which I ate way too much! - and we shared stories of our Pedaling Feat adventures. The rest of the evening was spent relaxing around the campfire before we passed out for the night.




Team Arsenault around the campfire.




Day 17: Banff to Calgary

Today was a sleep-in day as we didn't start riding until 10 a.m. Mike Garrett (another Ranken family friend!) joined us on the ride, along with Bryan (man in tights!) who were very excited to have join us.

Mike had warned us ahead of time that he had a mountain bike and he wasn't very quick. We assured him that we went at a steady and slow pace, and that he would have no trouble keeping up. Well... not only did he not have trouble keeping up, but he was a Speedy Gonzalez and WE had trouble keeping up with HIM! Mike later informed us that he does not believe in using his brakes on downhills. Since most of the ride was downhill, he picked up speed like a madman and clocked his maximum at 57 km/h!! Speed demon.





Bryan, Mel, Lisa and Mike - ready to ride. Banff to Canmore.




Once in Canmore, Mike left us to watch the World Cup and we met up with te crew to go hiking in Grotto Canyon. The hike followed a creek up into the canyon. Unfortunately the puppies all had to be on leashes (there were 4 of them!) which proved to be a challenge and so the hike was kept short and sweet.



Hiking through Grotto Canyon.






Shortly after, the Arsenault clan and Bryan left for Calgary and we hung out in Canmore eating ice cream and sitting by the river. We then headed to Mike's place for a tasty home-cooked steak dinner, with pudding for desert. Mike did a GREAT job getting it all ready - Margie, you would've been impressed!

That night we headed back into Calgary for our days off. We were very excited because it meant we had all the comforts of home, and Mel was back with her family, but at the same time it felt wierd being back in a big city.

Our bodies are definitely in need of resting. Our legs have been doing well, but they are quite sore, tired and stiff. Other painful body parts? Our shoulders, from being bent over in the same position for such a long time. And our butts - for obvious reasons!

Days 14 and 15: Revelstoke to Yoho National Park

Day 14: Revelstoke to Glacier National Park

After a day off and a luxurious night of wining and dining at the Hillcrest hotel in Revelstoke, we were up early the following morning and on our way to Glacier National Park, via Rogers Pass. The weather was hot (30C!) and sunny. We were expecting the clouds to roll in as Meghann was our riding buddy, but they stayed away and we enjoyed a wonderful down hill to kick off the ride.

We've decided over the last couple of weeks that the best way to see Canada (or any country for that matter) is by bike. The views of the rockies as we biked along were incredible.

Kirstin, Mel and Lisa roadside, enjoying the views of glacier-fed waterfalls.

We passed through the gates to Glacier National Park and began the climb to Rogers Pass, a 1,330 meter summit. The climb was much less treacherous than we had anticipated (relative to all the other passes we had completed so far). once at the summit we took our time taking in the snow-capped mountains all around us.

Pedaling Feat at the top of Rogers Pass!

That night we found a hidden gem of a campground called Kinbasket Lake resort, owned by Rick (a former NHL player for the Habs). The campground faced a glacier-fed lake surrounded by mountains. It was a very hot day and so, we decided to take a dip in the lake. As we walked towards it, we passed a couple who warned us that it was way too cold for a swim. They may have been right. But we went for a dip anyway. A very quick one.

Mel and Lisa in the ice cold water of Kinbasket Lake.

As we lounged on the beach, our rest and relaxation was rudely interrupted by a horsefly appropriately named Adolf (by Karin). We quickly became avid fly swatters that afternoon and eliminated Adolf and his two followers. That night we enjoyed a scrumptious dinner of fresh corn, veggie burgers and smores, followed by a competitive game of Taboo. It was a doozie of a day!

The ladies hanging out lakeside, after a long bike ride through Rogers Pass.

Day 15: Glacier National Park to Yoho National Park

The next morning we were up bright and early and rode 50 km, mostly downhill, into Golden, BC. The good thing about down hills (other than the obvious!): It gives you time to really take in the views. The small glacier-fed waterfalls, the wildlife, the rivers, and the lush valleys. That and the fresh warm air made the ride a ride to remember. Western Canada is so beautiful!

Once in Golden, we met up with Lois and our awesome crew, and stopped for lunch at Subway. Leaving Golden, there was a section of our route that was under construction which we decided to drive (in the name of safety!). Once clear of the construction, we hopped back on our bikes and rode all the way to Field, a small town in Yoho National Park with the Kicking Horse River flowing through it.

The best part of the ride that day were all the avalanche tunnels we got to ride through! As we rode down the mountainside, we passed through covered sections of the highway which are dark and awesome, especially when you have a motorcade with you to control the traffic! We had Kirstin's SUV in front and Lois behind us. After each tunnel, we pulled off to the side to let the traffic pass and wave at all the drivers we had held up along the way!

Sadly, this is where Kirstin, Karin and Meghann left us. They were a dynamite team who represented Pedaling Feat well and not only got us through the toughest part of the ride, but helped us collect a lot of donations along the way!

We spent the night in Yoho National Park where Bryan and Nova joined us once again.

Mel and Lisa in the McGill Alumni News!

MELANIE ARSENAULT, BEng’06, and LISA RANKEN, BEng’06

Mon, Jul 12, 2010

Alumni Update

They call themselves Pedaling Feat. Their mission is to raise $50,000 for the fight against cancer. Their method of choice: biking 6,000 kilometres across their home and native land, Canada.

Melanie Arsenault, BEng’06, and Lisa Ranken, BEng’06, make up this dynamic duo. Together, they left the Mile Zero marker in Victoria, B.C. on June 25, and they are now in the middle of a 70-day cycling trek that will end in Charlottetown, PEI, later this summer.

Along the way, they’re chronicling all the challenges and victories on a fun and enlightening blog, named after their team. Read it here >>

While both riders note that biking across Canada has been a lifelong dream, it was the lost of a close friend of Lisa’s that set the wheels in motion for their ambitious journey.

Funds raised through their efforts will benefit the research of Dr. John C. Bell at the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute.

Check out their website for more information >>

Click here to go to the McGill Alumni website.

Days 10 to 12 - Castlegar, BC to Revelstoke, BC

Day 10 - Castlegar, BC to New Denver, BC

The Slocan Valley is one of those places that few people know about, and those who do know about it want to keep it a secret. It is home two huge lakes, Upper and Lower Arrow Lakes, which are widening of the Columbia River and located between the Purcell and Kootenay Mountain ranges.

The ride had very little traffic and so we didn’t need Lois to follow us for most of the day. Bryan drove ahead and waited every 10km or so as we weaved through the twists and turns of the valley. The views were stunning, especially when the rain stopped in the afternoon.

There was no cell phone reception in the Valley, so when we arrived in New Denver we had to ask the locals where to camp. We had a mini celebration with fireworks on the beach that night! Nova had fun running around the park and meeting other campers.

Lisa found some lamas.

Day 11 - New Denver, BC to Halcyon Hot Springs

The Blondes arrived mid-morning to relieve Bryan from the driver duties and literally increase the chattiness of our adventure by 300%. Kirstin, Karin and Meghann showed up and the energy level of Pedaling Feat took a bounding leap forward. The girls brought their bikes, and each took turns riding with us for one third of the day.

A Lesson called: LOIS - Level 1

We arrived in Halcyon Hot Springs, and discovered the beauty of hot springs after a long day of riding. Not to mention the view of the mountains from our campsite... with red wine... life is rough!

Day 12 - Halcyon Hot Springs, BC to Revelstoke, BC

A not-so-early start got us going around 11am. We had a beautiful ferry ride across Upper Arrow Lake. There are plenty of free ferry services in BC, due to the abundance of huge lakes.

We rode 65km to Revelstoke in 30 degC weather, loving every minute of it (except when we had to send a scout car to look for more bears)!

Each girl brought something special to the ride.

Karin - Bears (3 sightings in 2 days, thanks Karin!)

Meghann - Rain and Song (It’s either raining or we’re singing while riding with this girl)

Kirstin - Hills galore (Minimum 6% uphill is Kirstin’s gift to us)

Days 8 and 9- Osoyoos, BC to Castlegar, BC

Day 8 - Osoyoos, BC to Grand Forks, BC

We were sad to leave the adorable town of Osoyoos, but we had to get an early start for our 100km day. We rode through Rock Creek to an adorable town called Greenwood.

It would be physically impossible not to stop in this town. It had a very "Olde West" atmosphere, and it felt like a John Wayne movie set from the 50's.

The ride into Grand Forks was windy and refreshing. Bryan and Nova were there to meet us! Nova looked even bigger than the last time we saw her in Calgary. After some hot dogs and s'mores, we were beat and in bed quite early.

Day 9 - Grand Forks, BC to Castlegar, BC

After saying goodbye to our driver/volunteer/entertainer of 7 days, Andres (and his girlfriend Jasmine), we were on the road to Bonanza Pass, a 1535m elevation pass through the Monashee Mountain range.

The climb started off gradual, so much so that Lisa was confused as to whether we were going up of down. I believe

the quote of the day was, "So, are we climbing? Because otherwise that was a really hard downhill." After dementia was over-ruled by Bryan and I, we decided not to put Lisa in Lois and take her to a doctor. Instead we continued climbing until the road narrowed and we were on our easiest gear and grunting up the mountain. It was a pleasant downhill coast into Castlegar where we found a nice campground on the river. Castlegar is situated in a large valley right at the point where the Kootenay River meets the Columbia River.

The best thing about Castlegar is that there is a DQ there.