Help Ain't Plan for June Trip

[BobAin'tStoppin']

With PMS in full swing I am, for the third straight year, working on routing for a trip to the Lake Louise area. This will start on June 10th with a four day back road ride to the Arkansas Ozarks. I will properly watch out for money launderers, drug cartels and dead bodies floating in the lakes. This leg is 1665 miles.

Leaving Arkansas on June 15th I'll head to Golden BC assuming the border is open. This route is pretty easy to plan. Will stay in that area at Mary's motel for 5 nights to do hiking and that kind of thing.

Then the hard part is the route home to Taxachusetts. That's a lot of going east through Canada, Alberta, Saskatch, and a bit of Manitoba before crossing back into the states.

If you've ever done the TransCan highway, you know there is really no need or desire to do that again. I've done it several times so an alternate is needed. Right now I have set myself getting east of Canmore and taking route 40 south. If it's open! When it turns to dirt, I'll jump over to route 22 south then start east on 6. The second day gets me on a small route 501, and here is my question. (Sorry it's taking so long!) In base camp, 501 shows as dirt. I'm interested to know if anyone knows about this road and might have suggestions. It's just above the US border in eastern Alberta and into Saskatch.

The ride home is looking like 7 days keeping daily mileage pretty easy. If this works out, I'll do a ride report with lots of pics.

[Grumpy Goat]

That sounds like quite the adventure Bob, and I am so envious! I have never been west of Ontario in Canada, and that is all on my bucket list. I am looking forward to the ride report and pictures. Maybe even a feature on the RSWb website!

According to Wikipedia information as of 2017,

"Alberta Provincial Highway No. 501, commonly referred to as Highway 501, is a highway in the province of Alberta, Canada. It runs west–east from Highway 5 east of Mountain View as gravel to Cardston, then pavement through Del Bonita and Milk River to Highway 879, then gravel again to the Saskatchewan border."

Here is the relevant part of this map from the Provincial Transportation Department - shows maybe more than half is gravel, which is better than dirt but too much for an RS:

   

[Lee]

If it's dry, I like dirt better than gravel or sand.
If it's wet and the soils are clay don't even try it

When I want to know if a road is hard surface I use Google Satellite view and zoom in.

Best information is someone who has traveled the road in the last couple years.
Ex wifes are not a good dependable source of information like this

[Lee]

With PMS in full swing I am, for the third straight year, working on routing for a trip to the Lake Louise area.

Can't remember if you have been there before.
It's been too long since we have been in that area. It's great.

The first time we were returning form Washington and Oregon with no plans of going up into Canada. Someone told us we should go to the Banff and Jasper area. We had never heard of it and decided to check it out.
I think it was a 4 day detour and one of our best trip plan changes.

[Lee]

Looks like that first time was 1983.

Lake Louise

   

West of Lake Louise near Field BC is a neat corkscrew train tunnel.
   

Banff and Jasper area.
   

   

   

[BobAin'tStoppin']

Lee, I was there in 2006 before I got fat You always have pics of places. Me too. On this trip I am planning to hike up into the mountain and be able to look down on the lake.

[Grumpy Goat]

You? Fat? Hahaha ... nice pic, Bob.

[BobAin'tStoppin']

GG. Thanks for posting that map. I had seen it but then lost the thing. I'll be on 61 going east to Orion, then drop down to 501. So it will be the gravel section of 501 going into Saskatch. If the weather is bad, I'll take Lee's advice and kick north to 3 or something.

Yes, The ride report will be on this site.