During my bus ride back from Jasper to Calgary a week prior to the start of my tour, I found a new appreciation for the scenery around me. Gazing at the mountains without having to concentrate on driving allowed me to notice many things I would have missed such as a waterfall hundreds of meters up a mountain or a small patch of glacial ice ontop of a peak. It reminded me of the time I put on my first pair of glasses - I just couldn't believe what I was missing !

This feeling was magnified again by riding my bicycle through the Rockies but unlike that ride on the bus, I was able to stop and take as much time as I wanted. Maybe it was the sound of a bubbling stream or a strange rock formation which wasn't visible from the road - being on the bicycle definitely gave me a newfound appreciation for my natural surroundings.

Oh yeah, you can be sure I won't be looking at a Mountain Pass the same way ever again. If you ever happen to be riding up a pass on your bicycle only to see a black Civic fly by while honking its horn, the chances are that it's me.