Day 14

Looking back, our final rest day in Banff was the perfect transition—a quiet moment to reset before the long road to Calgary. We hiked up Tunnel Mountain, a modest 300-meter climb that gave us a beautiful 360-degree view of the town and valley. I remember finding a quiet spot on the rocks at the summit just to relax and take it all in before the rain eventually chased us back down.

Lunch at Joe Btfsplk’s was... an experience. A friend had insisted I go there, and while the 50s-diner theme was charming, the food didn't quite live up to the hype. Still, it was nice to have one last 'tourist' meal before getting back to camp rations.

The afternoon brought a classic mountain thunderstorm that I happily slept through, a final bit of luxury before a week of camping. Ending the day with a simple walk to the grocery store with Shayne to restock for the two-day push to Calgary felt like a mental shift. The intermission was over, and it was time to get back to the bikes.

Today is our final rest day in Banff. I ride into town early to get some decongestant for my sinus cold. It does not take long to kick in. My sinuses are clear again but I feel like I have turned into a zombie; I cannot concentrate to save my life.

Later in the morning, Wendy takes us on an nice hike up Tunnel Mountain. It is a 4.5km round trip and has a total elevation of 300m. The trail gradually switchbacks it's way upwards. The terrain is a mix of sand, gravel, and rock with coniferous trees. We climb at different speeds so Blue ends up ahead of me while Wendy and our friend are somewhere behind me. I eventually arrive at the top and find Blue relaxing on some rocks. There is a good view of the valley and the town.

While waiting for the others to catch up I start wandering around the top. I find a nice pine needle covered trail that circles the top and lets me slowly make my way around the top letting me see most of the valley from a three-hundred sixty degree perspective. When I get back to where Blue was lying, Wendy is waiting for me. My friends have started back down because it has started to lightly drizzle with rain.

Wendy and I eventually catch up to the other two at the bottom. As we walk into town, we see a few elk wandering about nibbling on front lawns. A friend of Blue's recommended we go to Joe Btfsplk's, a fifties style diner, for a meal. After finishing lunch, I think we all agreed that the food was good enough but it was not exceptional.

We had intended on taking a bike ride in the afternoon to give our legs a much needed stretch but the weather is not looking promising. Back at Chip and Jim's, I end up taking a nap and sleeping through a thunderstorm. Wendy and her friend managed to return the U-Haul after some difficulty; Banff has very strict growth policies so it is not often that someone moves in and drops off a U-Haul here. After supper, Blue and I take a pleasant walk and go grocery shopping to restock again for the two day trip to Calgary.