Growing up in Brazil, I never really understood why roads would be closed for any other reason besides flash floods and soccer games, and that is probably why biking up Highway #40 has been on my mind for so long. Where else could I find a gorgeous, paved and maintained road that is completely closed to cars?
When I approached Theron about the idea of going up Highwood Pass (highest paved pass in Canada, 2206m) from the Smith Dorien Gate – he immediately agreed. It is a short, but steep climb on a paved and smooth road for the entire ride. It is 17km to the pass from the gate – with an approximate 700m elevation gain. It is quite cool to be pretty much at treeline when you are up at the pass.
Leaving Calgary at 5:40pm gave us the privilege to ride under the last few hours of sunshine – the whole ride lasted about 2 hours round trip. On our way back, we were told by a fellow biker that a big grizzly was just down the road – so be aware of wildlife even though you are on a paved road.
Overall, this is a fantastic ride for those looking for a quick and solid workout after office hours – we plan on riding different parts of this road on a weekly basis until the end of summer!
Here are some photos:
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