Hi all. Ive put a few other posts up relevant to my starting point at BC for my (End May/ Early June) trip across Canada. Other than this
i've not really look further along the route as yet but need to get my skates on. I've made notes from all the generous folk in here who have
offered their advice for BC YT and AK and reaching out once again to do the same with this thread to hopefully get some perspective on
the best route and things to see through Saskatchewan & Manitoba. There is the obvious TCH but trying to find out any better ways across these
provinces to help me draw up a map.

Thank you in advance and Happy New Year!!

How are you going through Alberta? Riding from Jasper down to TCH on the Ice Field Parkway may be one of the most beautiful areas on the entire route across Canada. There was a major fire a few years ago that damaged the City of Jasper, and the surrounding area. I don't think it changed the beauty of the area, but we rode it before the fire. I'm not sure.

My wife and I rode through Saskatchewan and Manitoba on the TCH. It was a good ride and we enjoyed the Canadian Prairies. We thought that the scenery was much the same for any route crossing the prairies, and there are many campgrounds.

Canada is a special place: it is hard to go wrong.

Saskatchewan-Land of the Living Skies

Hey Doug. Thanks for taking the time to reply as it doesn't seem that there are many folk in here who might
have gone across Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Did you just use the TCH all the way across? Where did
you end the ride and where did you start on the west coast?

I'm currently unsure where to start, either Prince Rupert or further north at Skagway AK and down the Cassiar Hwy.
Which ever way I do the plan is to head along Hwy 16 to Jasper the down the Ice-Fields Parkway as you mention
to Banff-Calgary and continue east.

I agree with Doug64 assessment of the Icefields Parkway. I took this in 2016 after the Cassiar.

In 1997 when I went down the Alaska Highway, I came via Edmonton and continued with the Yellowhead Highway across Saskatchewan and then via Winnipeg. The photo below was of the giant pysanka egg near Vegreville, AB. At the time the Yellowhead was four lanes in part of AB and mostly two lanes elsewhere. If you follow the Icefields Parkway you'll start somewhat further south than Yellowhead in Sasatchewan.

It probably would have been even better to take smaller roads (than either TCH or Yellowhead) but overall the Yellowhead was fine. I had several days of headwinds in MB but one day with tailwinds was really nice across the Prairie.

We started our ride from Vancouver Island, BC. While we rode over 6,000 miles, our ride “across” Canada was not really across Canada. Unlike our ride across the U.S., while we were still working, which was done in 74 consecutive days; our riding in Canada was done in five increments for a total of 7 months. We were retired, and took a lot of detours and side trips. It was a typical tour. We stopped for a lot of ice cream shops.

We “cheated” when we took a shortcut from Winnipeg through Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan to get to Toronto. We also have a 500 mile gap of unfinished riding between Toronto and Quebec City. And lastly, we rode from Halifax/PEI to Quebec City starting from the east coast

My wife and I were going to finish off the gap last summer, but decided against it when we saw the smoke from the Canadian wildfires. We still hope to finish the ride. We will have to rename it “Ride Across North America”.

The point of all this is that we won’t be too helpful on routes east of Winnipeg.

Enjoy your ride and best wishes on your planned venture.

The Icefields Parkway is truly amazing - ridden it a half dozen times.
But Jasper town and the park were heavily damaged by the fire.
So, do check what is reopened for your trip - should be most services.
There used to be a great bike shop in Jasper - should be back by now.

I've ridden the Yellowhead, the TransCanada, and "In between".
The YH and TC have good shoulders, but a constant buzz of traffic.
I prefer in between - on low-traffic provincial roads.
It was 20+ years ago and I'd have to scan the faded photos, but it was great.
Most little towns have camping - usually free.
And there are sufficient services - a restaurant and small store.

It would mean turning east at Saskatchewan River Crossing -
Then heading east on Hwy 11 thru Rocky Mountain House to Red Deer.
(There are some smaller roads around Red Deer - but you may want all the services.)
Hwy 11 merges into Hwy 12 - very light traffic in eastern Alberta.
Becomes Hwy 51 in Saskatchewan, then Hwy 14 into the college town of Saskatoon.

* There's a farmer near Kerrobert who owes me a steak dinner from many years back.
I stopped at a cafe for lunch and said that I always seemed to bring rain with me on my bike trips.
I laughed and said it was because the spokes stirred up the air in a special way.
They had been very dry all spring and he said he'd buy me a steak dinner if they got good rain.
I found out they got 2 inches the next week.

You can take Hwy 5, just north of the Yellowhead Hwy in the Park Belt into Manitoba
and then ride south thru Riding Mountain National Park.

** The wooden grain elevators that used to dot the prairie towns are disappearing fast.
You could see them for miles - the "Cathedrals of the Prairies".
If you spot one, stop and enjoy the sight.

PS - I'll see if I can dig out the old photos - by digital standards, they're not very good.

Yeh i'd be well south of the yellowhead after the Ice fields PKWY. I intend to head to Drumhellar after Calgary and then head east.
I have been recommended to take "The Narrows" at Ebb and Flow (north of lake Manitoba) any thoughts?

Thank you Doug, these sound like blissful memories for you. Will you finish your gap this summer?

Hey Jamawani, thanks for the reply. Did you camp along the Icefields PKWY? I should be there for mid June.
I'm assuming the numbers of tourists start to increase around then?

I think Red Deer will be too far north for me as I plan to go to Banff - Calgary and then head toward Drumhellar which will be further south.
I have been advised to take "The Narrows" north of Manitoba Lake, are you familiar with it?

By the way, there was a more extended thread on reservations on the Icefields Parkway that might be useful on your "where did you stay" question - Reservations along the Icefields Highway?

Not sure how much the fires also modified things.

Thanks for that Mev. Appreciated