Fellow inmates...I recently purchased a 2010 1200GS and would like to put some kms on it. I'm planning to ride out to Saskatoon at the end of June. I am trying to figure out the best route to take. I want to take a different route back and also hit some forestry/dirt roads. I will have street tires so nothing too knarley. Perhaps heading through Jasper on the way there and Banff on the way back. Maybe 85% tarmac/15% dirt? I am somewhat flexible with my time, however, I don't want to make this long trip, 3 days there, three days back? I don't currently camp so it will be motels for accomodation. Thoughts on routes, places to stay and points of interest would be appreciated!
Here's the thing: There is nothing exciting in the way of riding once you get east of Edmonton/Calgary. It's hour after hour of mind-bogglingly uninteresting flat straight soul-sapping boredom. Not sure where this is, but it doesn't matter. This is the Prairies - the most boring, soul-sucking hellhole for motorcyclists there could ever be. The second picture here is a bit of an anomaly, given all its contours and hills. (I'm joking - sorta.) The fun stuff is on the other side of the Rockies. I'd suggest playing around Kaslo, coming through Calgary and then on the way back, going through Edmonton and Valemont.
LOL. I don't really know what I was thinking. I just purchased a new 1200GS and want to get some quick trips under my belt and thought visiting family in Saskatoon would be a good idea...not so much. Like someone chimed in on another site, perhaps set aside a week to ride around BC and go with West Jet if I really need to get to Saskatoon. I had a feeling that it would be pretty bleak riding east of the rockies.
If you take the Trans Canada across the prairies, it would be pretty bleek, but get some maps and venture along some secondary highways and backroads. Isn't that what a GS is built for? It may be flat, but the country is pretty at that time of year. Lots of neat towns to ride through. Personally, I'd rather ride anywhere on my motorbike than hop on a plane.
The idea was more about getting some quality kms on the GS rather than visiting family...they can wait 'till the fall now I may get my feet wet (figuratively & literally) closer to home first with some forestry & dirt roads in BC and then take my adventures further away, likley south into Northern California an beyond.
Heck,,,,first thing I'd do is cross the border at the nearest opportunity, and take Hwy 20 to at least Montana. Several thing's for sure, there's no chance of getting your bike taken away if you go 40km/hr over, the hotels will be 50% less than hotels in Canada, gas will be 35% less expensive, and the little towns along the way will be much more entertaining. Oh,,,,and the road's WAY better than anything in Canada other than a few roads in and around the Kootenays. Steve
That's right - it's terrible: If you want boredom, stay on the slab as Moving Pictures showed you. If you want a kick-ass trip from Calgary to Saskatoon, do a little digging into what is developing with the TCAT route. http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?p=14688766#post14688766 The Cypress area (and the irrigation canal route from Calgary to the east) are a blast to ride.
Hey Steve, Thanks for the suggestion. I have ridden south to 20 and then east from Sedro Wooley (S Skagit Hwy, backroads to Marblemount, through the Cascades and then south) and most of the Destination Highways (WA) in 2008 & 2009 heading to and from from Salt Lake City (WSBK Racing). Taking dip south across the border on my way back to check more of northern MT might be a good idea since I have zipped around the East Kootenays in the past (although not on dirt/forestry roads, just tarmac). Thank you for the suggestion and the link, I will check it out! I'm new to the dirt/trail riding so I want a good mix of asphalt & dirt, the best of both worlds really.
you have a number of choices based you preferences... crowsnest hwy, TCH, or yellowhead in any and all cases, once you get to this side of the rocks, make a turn on hwy 93 and head for the Sask river crossing, then swing east on the David Thompson hwy to red deer, then meander out towards Provost and from there down to S'toon. if you want to see gravel make your turn onto the forestry trunk road, eventually you will find the D. Thompson hwy and then route from there you have to ignore moving pictures bad @$$ comments, he still misses Sask after moving to New brunswick.
I am still unsure why a person would goto Saskatoon on purepose You could take the Yellowhead north then Edmonton then Cold lake then Canoe Lake then down through PA Park then to the city of flat or maybe put LacLaRonge in there too ? If your looking to Slab it the whole way the the northern route is the fastest and most mind numbing :eek1
I rode from pincher creek ab to moose jaw once in day had dinner and a beer with my Friend in the military base and rode home the next day.it was fun passing about 18 semis in a row on a Long straight of highway the scenery small towns was good . ya gota do it once in your life and decide why people live there and even a boring bike ride is still better than a week of work if nothing else you will appreciate the BC rodes a lot more when you get home .
Thank you to everyone who made suggestions regarding this trip. I have now changed my plans and will be heading south for 8 days (or so) through Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, N. California and back up the coast.
