Th Go-Pher Run - A southern Alberta treat!

Submitted by Cindy Nobiss
WITW Southern Breeze Chapter Pres.

On a very cool and drab looking Saturday morning I was debating whether I should take my car or take my bike up to Brooks for the 1^st Go-Pher run in support of the Jumpstart Program in Brooks.  I looked to the North and it looked like it may rain...so as a friend once said “I put on my big girl panties and bikered up”. I put on the rain gear just in case and headed up to Brooks to the Go-Pher Run.

All Lined up and raring to go...

I made it to Brooks and found the Wal-Mart where registration and kick off point was.  There were 110 bikes registered and 140 people.  This Go-PHER run was not a poker run.  This run was to raise funds & awareness to the Jump Start Program which raises funds to help kids get into sports & activities in their community.  The riders headed out at 10:30 our first stop was Bassano.


There was no poker involved in this run how it worked was you registered and they gave you a number on a key chain then every stop you were given a different colored ticket and you would put your number on that ticket and at the last stop in Tilley the tickets are handed in for draws for prizes.

No room at the pumps in Bassano

 No room at the pumps in Bassano

We landed in Bassano and everyone had a stretch got their tickets some gassed up and then we were off to Duchess.  Now I had not ridden up in that part of the country so I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

On the road side at Rosemary getting some shots of the riders going by...

 From Bassano we headed east to Duchess.  I headed out first as I wanted to get ahead of the group so I could take some pictures and video of the bikes going by me.  I pulled over in Rosemary it was amazing to watch all these bikes of all makes & models go by.  From Duchess we headed to Jenner and then onto the final stop in Tilley.  Tilley is a small town and they closed off Main Street for this fundraiser.  Live music and a BBQ put on by the Tilley minor hockey association.  This run was so well planned and organized I actually thought this was an annual event. 

In Tilley I finally had a chance to talk to the organizers how this event came to be.  It turns out that this is the first year for this event.  They started planning this event in January.  And what a great job they did.  My first question was why they put this on.  The answer was that there were no events in the area anymore so the seed was planted now to pick a charity to support.

 The organizers - Randy in the white shirt in the middle

So they contacted Randy Patton head of the local Jump Start Program as they knew that all the money raised for Jump Start in Brooks stays in the area.  Randy Patton is also the owner of the Canadian Tire Store in Brooks.  Randy told me that he was more than happy to jump on board with this run.  It is a great way to raise money and raise awareness about the Canadian Tire Jump Start Program.  Randy explained to me that the Jump Start Program helps kids in their community to join in sports and different activities.  To date they have helped 92 kids join different sports and activities.  Randy said that he was stocking shelves one day and a little girl tapped him on the shoulder and said “I’m in gymnastics” he said that is great.  At first he didn’t make the connection but then he said he saw the look in the mom’s eyes and realized that this was one of the kids that the Jump Start Program helped out.  That is the reason he does this and was so glad that Steve and the rest of the organizers picked Jump Start Program as their charity to raise money for with this Go-Pher Run.

Main Street in Tilley

It is simply amazing what can and did happen over a cup of coffee at Tim Horton’s! 

So folks remember…NEVER RIDE FASTER THAN YOUR GUARDIAN ANGEL CAN FLY!

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A fabulous idea for a day ride!

My friends from the Two guys who like to ride meet up group sent me this fabulous idea for a day ride:

The Giants of the Prairies!

Day trip to visit the largest pumpkins (Smoky Lake), Largest Mushroom (Vilna) largest perogy (Glendon), maybe lunch at the Perogy Cafe, which serves "Ukrainian and Chinese Perogies, UFO landing site (st Paul), Large Easter Egg (vegreville) and large Kobasa (Mundare) total of 490KMs...great day trip

A group of them are planning this trip fro July 10/2010 - I just might have to try and join them for that depending on my schedule!  Thanks for the idea Dusty!
If you'd like to know more about their meet up group:
http://www.meetup.com/2-Guys-Who-Like-To-Ride

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Grande Prairie to Grande Cache

The view between the handle bars on this day trip is a wonderful one.

It is a full day ride to do the round trip. It takes about 2 and a 1/2 hours to ride one way. (190 kms)
You will want to make sure your bike is full when you leave Grande Prairie as there are no services until you get to Grande Cache.

There are some pretty good restaurants in town and the tourism information centre is very interesting. There is a lot to see tin the centre and worth the ride alone.

The Grande Mountain Get-a-Ways Best Western has a good restaurant and the rooms are pretty nice. The staff was very friendly.  Although there is no motorcycle specific parking, there are some fairly secure areas to park close to the main doors and for those of us who don't do stairs well, there is an elevator to the 2nd floor.

You do need to be careful as there is much wild life on this stretch of Highway.

Belt Drive Betty

Thorsby to Drayton Valley

Only about a 75 kilometer ride but what a beautiful one...

We held our first ever Rider Friendly Business Association Ride & AIM Can Memorial in Thorsby and then rode to Drayton Valley for the V-Twin Family Diner's Show 'n' Shine.

The Rider Friendly Town of Thorsby

We filled a good portion of main street up in front of our 

Rider Friendly Business Partner's location: Kountry Kitchen Bakery

Leaving Thorsby with about 50 riders

The V-Twin Family Diner's Show 'n' Shine

The V-Twin Family Diner's Show 'n' Shine

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Grande Prairie - Wembley - GP via Emerson Trail

If you are visiting in the Grande Prairie region and looking for a ride that only takes about an hour - a little brain clearer - this one works for me.

Head north out of Grande Prairie via 100 st - Hwy 2 Turn left (West) Emerson Trail (which is Township Rd 723) At Range Road 83 turn left (South) until you hit Hwy 43 and turn left again (Kinda like a NASCAR Race) Head back in to Grande Prairie - total trip - about 80 kms.

Heading out on the trail

Heading into GP from Wembley

 
Nothing special about the trip other than low traffic on the road and some nice rolling hills.Like I said - just a little brain clearer.

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Red Deer to Bragg Creek Return

If you like meeting other riders, Bragg Creek is a must stop.

Here's a great Video that shows off the area: Bragg Creek 

Red Deer to Bragg Creek return: 379.7 km, 4 hr 21 min

This Ride will take you through Didsbury, Cochranes, Bragg Creek, Cremona and back to Red Deer

About Didsbury:

Whether this is your first time visiting or your fourteenth, driving up through the coulee into Didsbury always feels a little like coming home. With its many historical structures, as well as its more contemporary buildings, Didsbury is where old meets new in a wonderful mix of traditional values and community progress.

For more information on Didsbury: http://www.didsbury.ca/municipal/didsbury/webcms.nsf/0/5B1AF04A7EA22B71872572EA0077DB8B?opendocument

About Cochrane:

Endless Opportunities for Adventure, Relaxation and Fun

Cochrane is situated at the base of the Big Hill in the Bow River Valley, 20 minutes from Calgary and less than an hour from Banff.  With spectacular vistas of the rolling foothills and majestic Rocky Mountains, Cochrane combines a proud western heritage with all the modern conveniences required for a great vacation.

For more information on Cochrane: http://www.cochrane.ca/municipal/cochrane/cochrane-website.nsf/0/955252F10CE6EC0187257610006AFC69?opendocument

On the way to Bragg Creek

About Bragg Creek:

The Hamlet of Bragg Creek is nestled in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, 44 kilometres west of Calgary

For more information on Bragg Creek: http://www.braggcreek.ca/

About Cremona:

The Village of Cremona is located along Highway 22, about 45 minutes NW of Calgary. Cremona officially became a village in 1955.

For more information about Cremona: http://www.village.cremona.ab.ca/

 

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Red Deer to Buck Lake

This day ride will take approximately 304.0 km, 3 hr 51 min

This wonderful day ride will take you by Bentley, Rimbey,  Winfield, Buck Lake, Eckville and
back to Red Deer.



About Bentley:
Skirting the south shore of beautiful Gull Lake, you break over the crest of the height of land just west of the lake into the Gateway of the famous Blindman Valley. There, before you, lies the Town of Bentley.
Visit our Rider Friendly partner: Slumdog Bar & Grill
For more information about Bently: http://www.town.bentley.ab.ca/


About Rimbey:
Our community is nestled in the scenic Blindman River Valley amongst the rolling hills which border the Rocky Mountains and its many parks and facilities.
For more information on Rimbey: http://www.rimbey.com/index.php/home

About South Buck Lake:
Buck Lake sits in the rolling hills within the County of Wetaskiwin, 105 km southwest of  Edmonton and 70 km north of Rocky Mountain House. The nearest centre is the town of Drayton Valley, 30 km to the northwest.
For more information on South Buck Lake: http://www.hauserscovehomesonthelake.com/aboutbucklake.html (This is a real estate site, but well done and informative)

About Eckville:
Proud home of Skeleton Racer, World Cup Champion and Olympic Bronze Medalist, Mellisa Hollingsworth.
For more information about Eckville: http://www.eckville.com/

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