June 19: Hosmer to Sparwood - We get some advice

July 14, 2026

70 km of Mountain Bike Trail up to Elk Pass

Today was an easy day on the bike, but more importantly we got some vital information. We just managed 12 miles on the bike today, travelling along Highway 3, the Crowsnest Highway. It was an easy route with nice scenery on both sides of the road, with a moderate elevation gain of 268 feet over those 12 miles. The destination was Sparwood, the last community in BC on the Crowsnest Highway. In Sparwood, the major item of interest to tourists is the largest dump truck in the world (picture and information below). It was interesting to find out that this truck was actually used in the coal mine near here back in the 1970's. It is one of a kind, and would be driven 24 hours a day, loaded by a steam shovel, to transport the coal. While it could deliver more coal faster than the other dump trucks, it had one of a kind parts, and it became too expensive to maintain. Also, as time passed, coal became less important as a fossil fuel, and I don't believe the coal mine is in operation now.

In our guidebook the route of the TCT in BC was split into 21 parts, and at Sparwood we finished part 20. Part 21 would direct us to take Highway 43 to Elkford, followed by 70 kms of trail to the Continental Divide at the border of BC and Alberta. I had been looking forward to this segment; it would probably pose the greatest challenge along the TCT in BC.

If one looks at a map of BC, they find an interesting situation. Highway 43 leaves Sparwood heading northerly to a little community called Elkford 35 kms away. And then ends. There are no other roads to take at Elkford. Motorists basically can just turn around and return to Sparwood. The TCT runs along the Elk Valley Trail, and beyond Elkford, the trail is the only means by which one can continue northward, eventually topping out at Elk Pass around 6250 feet.

I have been a member of the Adventure Cycling Organization (formerly Bikecentennial) for over 30 years. Adventure Cycling is headquartered in Missoula MT, and is a national organization, founded in 1976, to provide a bicycle map across the USA, to celebrate the bicentennial. The organization continues to be active in promoting bicycle tourism, and producing bike maps. My ride on the Lewis and Clark Trail in the Covid year of 2020 utilized Adventure Cycling maps. The most difficult route sponsored by Adventure Cycling is their Great Divide Mountain Bike Route from Banff in Canada to the US/Mexico border, staying as close as possible along the Continental Divide. Yes, basically it goes along the mountain tops. In this area, the TransCanada Trail, the Great Divide Mountain Bike Trail, and the Elk Valley Trail are all one trail, and Adventure Cycling monitors the condition of this trail. Now why do I digress?

Well, Audrey met a gentleman at the Sparwood Information Center, who was an employee of Adventure Cycling! He had just arrived after completing the 70 kms of the trail, after wilderness camping the night before. Audrey is really good at striking up conversations with people we don't know, and she found out that the trail was in difficult condition for the 70 kms. In addition he had traveled downhill on this stretch, and if I were to continue, it would be a long slog for me up to 6250 feet.

Having completed around 8 miles of the Elk Valley Trail yesterday (same as Coal Discovery Trail, same as Old Stumpy) in around 3-4 hours, of course we became concerned about our plans. So finishing up the bike ride to Sparwood around lunchtime, the next several hours were devoted to travelling by car to Elkford, and taking a look at the trail. Basically if the trail turned out to be truly a mountain bike trail, we agreed I should look for a detour.

In the picture above, the beginning of the trail is seen just to the left of my image, and it clearly is a mountain biking trail, similar to the trail I rode yesterday. Disappointed, but surely prudently, we decided I would need to find another route to Elk Pass.