Cycling the Highwood Pass as a novice rider

Instinctively I start riding on the far right side of the road. I want to give the cars and trucks space. Then I remember I won’t have to jostle for space on the road today.

I was cycling on the Kananaskis Trail on my way to the Highwood Pass within Peter Lougheed Provincial Park on one of the remaining days before the road opens up for the year. (Every year a section of the Kananaskis Trail is closed to motor vehicles between December 1 and June 14 as part of Alberta’s annual seasonal road closures, and to protect wildlife.)

Depending on the year, cyclists could be riding to the summit as early as late May or early June. It all depends on the snow melt.

Riding to the Highwood Pass is a big deal in the cycling world – it is the highest paved road in Canada – topping out at 2,206 metres. Not to mention, it’s one of the most scenic and breathtaking drives in Canada. Think mountains. There’s many hiking trails, campgrounds and dayuse areas along the trail.

Of course I wanted to do this – even though I am very new to cycling. I waited anxiously for days for reports of “all clear” on the road. I recruited a cycling friend from Cochrane to join me this past Thursday.

Riders have two starting options – north and south gate. Some choose to ride gate to gate (and back) while others do an out and back from one gate. I was in no shape to ride gate to gate (and really second guessing my ability to do an out and back).

After a false start (cycling from Longview), we attacked the trail from the south gate about mid-morning. The out and back would bring us to 76 kilometres round trip.

Vehicles were already lined up on both sides of the road when we started pedalling. Lots of smiley happy faces in what felt like a party. The sun was shining and the skies were blue.

I have to tell you – I am pretty impressed with myself. I managed to stay on my bike for 99% of the ride. The elevation gain was quick and steady. We stopped every few kilometres to take pictures or to give our legs a short break.

Most people were taking frequent stops to enjoy the view or to have a snack. It was in the final five kilometres that my legs started to feel the elevation. Oh boy. It was challenging. I got off my bike a few times – probably one kilometre in total – to push my bike up the hill. Thankfully my friend was a good sport and wasn’t in a hurry to reach the pass.

I was so happy to reach that darn Highwood Pass sign. My legs needed a break, and I mentally needed a time out. But boy, I felt a great sense of accomplishment. I’ve been cycling now for a few months but nothing with this kind of crazy elevation. Because I have this ultra mindset, I wasn’t about to give up even if I had to push my bike for 38 kilometres. Thankfully that wasn’t the case.

After a few minutes of chatting with other cyclists, we started our descent. And boy did we fly down those hills. I was pretty impressed that I reached 52 kilometres/an hour until I talked to another cyclist on a road bike who mentioned he hit 75 km/hour.

Going downhill on a bike was just as awesome – maybe even better – than when trail running. My legs completely forgot about the three hours that it took for me to reach the summit. We more than halved our time descending. I forgot that I was nervous of riding downhill.

Even if you are not a cyclist, I highly recommend that you take a drive on one of our country’s most beautiful roads.

Are you a cyclist? Have you ever cycled the Highwood Pass? I would love to hear from you in the comments below.