Fri, Jul 18 2014 - Cycle Canmore Legacy Trail / Bow Valley Pkwy to Johnston Canyon (View Original Event Details)
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YABBA DABBA DO!!!!!! After 799 COC events, it finally happened! A face to face encounter with a real live man eating black bear!! It all happened while cycling along the Bow Valley Parkway where I noticed something out of the corner of my eye and quickly screamed to Jenna and Rob to continue on and save themselves while I circled back to fight off the beast, giving them time to escape (as any decent coordinator would do). During the struggle, I managed to get one hand free, grabbing my camera and capturing a fantastic shot of the hungry fellow! The flash seemed to confuse the bear and I was able to escape unharmed.... now granted Rob & Jenna may tell the story a little differently - but in the end it proved to be my highlight of the day.
Now other than that, despite the haze from all the forest fires, conditions were very good for cycling with cooler temps hovering around 20C and a nice breeze which kept us comfortable most of the day. Brand new member Jenna took the lead most of the way but was kind enough to give Rob and I a short break once in awhile. lol We enjoyed a nice long lunch on the restaurant patio at Johnston's Canyon before heading back. We even came across a "bear jam" but missed all the action this time around. When we finally pulled into the Canmore Info Centre it was around 6pm and time for some well earned ice cream! A fantastic ride, if you haven't tried it yet, you should! :)
Duane