Day 18. Canada US border Del Bonita
48 miles 1,736 feet
After a good night's sleep in Mountain View I headed east into a growing headwind. I was almost certain I wouldn't make it to Cut Bank (over 80 miles) and until then there was only one town, Cardston, about 15 miles away and only one campground 20 miles away. Neither of these were good solutions since they made for a very short day today and a long one tomorrow to reach the end of the limited services zone in Cut Bank. It was cool and despite the wind pleasant morning biking to Cardston. My direction then was at an angle to the wind.
In Cardston I stopped at the town hall hoping for advice on where to stay near the US border. To my delight one of the people in office was an avid bike packer and took my need as a challenge. On Google Maps satellite view he found a group of trees near the Canadian border control building and suggested I could camp there! We talked for quite a while and checked out each other"s bikes. (His is nicer and lighter.)
I bought a grocery store lunch and checked out Cardston. The region was settled by Mormon immigrants. I noticed there was no alcohol for sale and lots of churches of many denominations. Then I left for the border.
The road was a collection of straight segments at varying angles to the wind. Much of the next 30 miles was straight into it. The wind was 15 mph, so not too bad by plains standards, but tiring physically and psychologically. I looked forward to occasional segments at 45 degrees to the wind, and when there was a rare segment at right angles to the wind it felt like a tailwind! So now that I'm through the mountain passes I'm at the mercy of wind direction and speed.
I biked generally southeast and with each passing mile the mountains grow smaller. I'm in the high plains now.
Tonight with permission from the Canadian Border Control officer I'm camped in the clump of trees just on the Canadian side of the border. Tomorrow back in the US!
After a good night's sleep in Mountain View I headed east into a growing headwind. I was almost certain I wouldn't make it to Cut Bank (over 80 miles) and until then there was only one town, Cardston, about 15 miles away and only one campground 20 miles away. Neither of these were good solutions since they made for a very short day today and a long one tomorrow to reach the end of the limited services zone in Cut Bank. It was cool and despite the wind pleasant morning biking to Cardston. My direction then was at an angle to the wind.
In Cardston I stopped at the town hall hoping for advice on where to stay near the US border. To my delight one of the people in office was an avid bike packer and took my need as a challenge. On Google Maps satellite view he found a group of trees near the Canadian border control building and suggested I could camp there! We talked for quite a while and checked out each other"s bikes. (His is nicer and lighter.)
I bought a grocery store lunch and checked out Cardston. The region was settled by Mormon immigrants. I noticed there was no alcohol for sale and lots of churches of many denominations. Then I left for the border.
The road was a collection of straight segments at varying angles to the wind. Much of the next 30 miles was straight into it. The wind was 15 mph, so not too bad by plains standards, but tiring physically and psychologically. I looked forward to occasional segments at 45 degrees to the wind, and when there was a rare segment at right angles to the wind it felt like a tailwind! So now that I'm through the mountain passes I'm at the mercy of wind direction and speed.
I biked generally southeast and with each passing mile the mountains grow smaller. I'm in the high plains now.
Tonight with permission from the Canadian Border Control officer I'm camped in the clump of trees just on the Canadian side of the border. Tomorrow back in the US!
The Bear Country Inn/grocery store/restaurant/gas station in Mountain View Alberta. Very nice folks.
My source of great advice—a fellow biker (Shem) in Cardston City Hall.
Del Bonita. Not many options; hence the photo below.
Wild camping (with permission) near the border. The Canadian border opens tomorrow at 8; the US border at 9.
