Day 05: Calgary - Moskito Creek Campground (Banff National Park)

For me already the 5th day of the trip, although it really starts today. I slept quite well and seem to be on Canadian time already. I got up at 7 and then first sorted out my panniers. Quickly done. Still some space left for food.

A short walk to find some breakfast - neither the restaurant nor the burger shop are my choice, I only buy some wheat biscuits. The cappuccino from the petrol station is very sweet. But for today this breakfast is ok for me.

About lunchtime, I prepare my motorbike, fasten the spare tire on the left pannier, fuel up and I'm ready to go. I jerk around a bit, almost doze off and have a shower, to wake up and which is refreshing at 30 degrees too. Trevor has already packed in the evening, he phones me at 13:30 and I go to pick him up directly from work, from his current construction site.

At the entrance to the National Park I buy an annual pass, which is definitely worth it. We drive directly into the Rocky Mountains - very impressive! Great scenery, great colors, impressive rocks. The riding itself is not very exicting, hardly curves, very different riding than in our mountains. By comparison, the Alps are simply narrower, more compressed.

Small stopover for dinner (Taiwanese run restaurant - I can proof my Chinese again). We buy some supply, a few beers, some whiskey and after having dinner around 6:00 pm we head to a campsite in about 30 km distance. Unfortunately, there is no free space. While we think about what we are doing now, we are invited to pitch up our tents on a site which is already occupied by a family - very friendly offer! It needs a first beer for pitching up the tents, Trevor says and there we go. Meanwhile I got some kind of camping routine. The infrastructure offers two outhouses and running cold water.

We talk for a while, but when the sun sets, it's going to get cold very quickly. In the night I have to use everything I have: two sleeping bags, inlet and thermal underwear.