Making the most of a two-day ride.

Two days — that’s usually all we get. I’d wager most people reading this work full-time and only get two days off a week to do with as they please. This might seem limiting but, if you’re creative, sometimes it can work in your favour. As was the case with this quick weekend trip. 

On the morning of day one, my partner, Spencer, and I left early from Calgary and headed west toward Banff on Highway 1. Spencer was riding his 2023 Harley-Davidson Road Glide and I was on my 2018 Moto Guzzi V7 Rough; both bikes were strategically packed to include camping gear and everyday necessities. In fact, this was the first overnight trip for the Road Glide as Spencer had only purchased it the previous fall. The Moto Guzzi, on the other hand, was a veteran as it has been my faithful companion for the past six years and has endured many a road trip. 

The beginning of the ride was uneventful, consisting of a double-lane highway that was relatively full of other vehicles. The turning point was seeing the towering line of the Rocky Mountains, standing at attention almost as if to beckon us in. From here the road began to bend, first right then left, banking around lakes and following alongside rivers. The route was stunning, with mountain views flanking us most of the way. 

Into the Rockies

One of my favourite parts was just outside the town of Golden, B.C. Here, we drove near the base of a mountain, eventually passing through two towering pieces of rock that had been blasted apart to allow the highway passage, creating an impressive, gate-like entrance. 

After Golden, the beauty of the highway continued, eventually snaking through Glacier National Park and over the famous Rogers Pass. Luckily for us it was July, which meant no snow in sight, only green hillsides and tiny waterfalls, complements of a particularly wet spring. 

We stopped in Revelstoke for lunch, buzzing from the views of the morning ride, and then headed south on Hwy 23
to the Shelter Bay Ferry. The ferry was a welcome break and offered us beautiful views of the bay and Upper Arrow Lake; we took the opportunity to walk around, stretch our legs and admire the surrounding hills that lingered in the distance. 

Destination Toad Rock

After docking at Galena Bay, we headed out on Hwy 23 toward Toad…