Monday 27 May 2013

Changing it up a little...group ride Highwood Pass


Hi everyone

Last spam for the week.

Etienne has noted this is the last weekend that Highwood Pass is closed to regular traffic.  We thought we would try to ride it this Sunday. We haven’t quite organized any logistics other than “meet at the trailhead at 11 am on Sunday”. It will obviously be longer than our regular Sunday ride.

Please let us know if you are interested and we can coordinate car pooling and logistics.

Ciao,
Lorraine

From: Poulin, Etienne [mailto:EPoulin@trican.ca]
Sent: Monday, May 27, 2013 10:07 AM
To: Lorraine Chan
Cc: Wilma Braat (wilma.braat@mnp.ca)
Subject: RE: highwood

Where to meet: Drive on TransCanada Highway 1 West of Calgary to Hiway 40 exit. Take Highway 40 exit and Drive South and park at Kovach Pond Day Use Area (this is close to Kananaskis Village).
Time to meet: Should we meet at around 11h00AM at the trailhead? We could car pool if possible.
Description of the ride: This is the Highwood Pass on Hiway 40. From June 15 - Dec 15, it is the highest paved road in Canada, from Dec. 15 - Jun 15, it is the highest paved road in Canada with a great big GATE across each end of it.
In the spring, it is a common destination for bike riders of all shapes and sizes, from knobby MTBs to sleek Cervélos, and even one fold-em-up.
The winter has a lot of people skiing and snowshoeing along it and possibly making a loop with Pocaterra trail in the vicinity of Lookout / WhiskeyJack / etc.
In the late spring, they typically have to plow the top of it to make it ready for cars, so you can do a gate-to gate of 54km each way for a weekend or two before the opening. Even before it is plowed, many people do it but have to hoof through anywhere from 100 to 3,000m of snow.
Other people will park at other places along Hiway 40 well before the gate, say back at K-village or even Canoe Meadows and make a Century out of it.
The enclosed tracklog is from the North Gate to the Summit and back, 17.1km each way. But you can certainly go on without a tracklog, it would be very difficult to get lost.

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