Tyre strapped to the back i find the local yamaha dealer who will change the tyre straight away. The mechanic gets to and changes the tyre and does an oil and filter change. Finally iget away and head for Jasper a few hours away. The day is warm and the scenery as beautiful as all the other days.I see lots of Black Bears and Caribou as i slowly wend my way towards Jasper.Herbert starts to weave all over the road so i stop and have a look. The rear tyre is down, maybe the mechanic didnt put enough air in. I pump it up with my trusty Walmart $10.00 compressor. It doesnt seem to be leaking so i continue on then 20kms or so down the road after just seeing bears a few k's back the tyre is flat again. Then i realise that the idiot has probably pinched the tube. Thats ok iwill keep stopping and pumping up the tyre, I put the cap over the valve and then i hear it a crack and my cheap compressor breaks serves me right. 6 hours later i limp into Jasper exhausted. As i start to contemplate repairing the tube a chap from Colorado on a BMW F650 pulls up and i enlist his help, together wwe replace the tube what a relief but i still havent put up camp. All told 16 hours after starting out in the morning i am lying in my tent. Dwayne shouted me dinner once again the kindness of strangers. In a deep sleep i am woken with a start by caribou trumpeting as they walked past the tent at 4am them it starts raining thats all i need still exhausted and now wet too so i get up and i forgot how loud little spitting rain sounds on a tent fly. What a beautiful sight as the clouds lift its amazing to wake to mountains surrounding you snow capped and light shining off the summits. I load up and head off for the Icefields Highway and Banff, again this has got to be one of the most magnificent rides loads of wildlife, mountains, forests, roaring rivers, reflective lakes as well as frozen lakes and glaciers and valleys right to the road, it felt like you could reach out and touch these amazing sights. The only downside are these humungous RV's stopping where they wantwreaking havoc on other road users. I reach Banff and feel a slightly underdressed for the occassion as people look down ther noses at me, maybe i am a bit smelly, definently dirty after lying on the side verge of the highway yesterday. I ring Ryan who i bumped into in Whitehorse and he invites me to stay at his place in Canmore amazing views from every aspect of his house even though he is away he lets me stay, again such generosity of spirit.Sit on his back deck and watch the sun disappearing behind the mountains truly magical.
