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Pages: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - Home
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Day 6: Salmo to Creston, 55 miles
In Salmo we were back to small-town Kootenay life - the modest Reno Motel and limited, but good, dining options. Salmo looks to be in a bit of an economic doldrum but it's certainly a beautiful location. There are several historic buildings and a number of stone murals built by local stone mason students that depict the mining and natural history of the town.
Old Salmo Hotel and Saloon and one of many stone murals in Salmo The Reno Motel is owned by a couple originally from England and we knew the husband had been a touring cyclist. We were looking forward to some nice conversations with him but he seemed to have little interest in fraternizing with the clientele. Fortunately though, a group of woman cycle tourists were staying in the room next to ours and we had a delightful afternoon chatting with them and enjoying their hospitality (they set out glasses of wine and plates of cheeses and hors d'oeuvres for all of us!). These ladies were doing a 3-day loop that we'd also be riding, though in the opposite direction. They gave us the scoop on tomorrow's ride over the Crowsnest Highway (which they'd done today). We looked forward to seeing them when our paths would cross again in a couple of days.
Our new cycling friends We had a very good lunch, and later, a nice dessert at a small, charming restaurant in town. The waiter was quite a character who addressed each table of customers in a different foreign accent - mostly to amuse himself I think. We finally pretended to guess where he hailed from until he admitted he was from Alaska. He was a big hit with the customers, ourselves included, and the food was excellent. The next morning was our "Big Day" - 55-60 miles with at least 4,500 ft of climbing over the Kootenay Pass. The weather looked great, we had a nice fortifying breakfast, and were ready to go. The road drops about 1,000 feet from Salmo to the base of the pass and then the long climb begins. The scenery is fantastic, traffic was light, and the weather was cooperating nicely. So we just slogged away as one does on these climbs and eventually found ourselves at the summit. We stopped for a snack in a little wayfarers cabin and took the obligatory photos of the summit signs. After donning some warm clothes for the ride down the other side we were rewarded with 20 miles of gentle downhill until the road opens up to a broad agricultural valley near Creston. It was one of the most enjoyable downhill rides I can remember with grades moderate enough that one didn't need to use the brakes much. It was just coast, coast, coast.
Outside Creston and Cabin at the Summit |
The Highway through Salmo
1/2 way up the Crowsnest Highway
Crowsnest Highway Summit, 5800 ft |
