Rocky Mountain Magic will be our inaugural program and will set the tone for the future. We'll offer a different itinerary each season, and we'll plan without boundaries as to location or duration. If anyone's interested in a glimpse into the future of this series, we're looking towards celebrating the bicentennial anniversary of the Lewis & Clark Expedition by replicating the Lewis & Clark odyssey from St. Louis to Astoria, Oregon.

Rocky Mountain Magic: Missoula-to-Jasper

Dates: (14 days, 13 nights; Sun-Sat) Aug. 8-21

Assembly Point: Missoula, MT (airline service to Missoula prior to tour and from Calgary following tour; Timberline van transfers from Missoula airport prior to tour and from Jasper to Calgary following tour)

Tour Cost: $2,895 (includes all lodging, breakfasts and dinners, whitewater raft trip, leaders, support van, transfers, tour maps & narratives)

Our odyssey begins in Missoula, where we've launched so many of our Glacier programs over the years. We'll trace the course of the Clark Fork and Blackfoot Rivers as we ride east of Missoula over the Beavertail Divide on Day 1 and then head north through the Swan/Seeley Valley to Holland Lake, where we'll spend our first overnight at the historic Holland Lake Lodge. We'll continue north through the Swan Valley on Day 2 and visit Bigfork on the shores of Flathead Lake. We're headed for Whitefish in the northern reaches of the Flathead Valley on this evening.

It's on to Glacier the following morning, but not before breakfast at the Buffalo Cafe. We'll pause before entering Glacier to experience the excitement of whitewater rafting, Montana-style. A half-day's raft trip through the beautiful Flathead River Canyon has become the perfect plan over the years as we await the 4 p.m. opening of the road into the park for cyclists. We'll ride the gentle 10 miles to Lake McDonald Lodge along the shores of the lake later that afternoon.

One of North America's premier alpine cycling experiences is ours on Day 4 as we challenge Going-to-the-Sun to the summit of Logan Pass and the Continental Divide. We'll continue on to Many Glacier where we'll spend the evening at the Many Glacier Hotel. We'll then ride from Many Glacier Valley early-morning of Day 5 and cross into Canada along the Chief Mountain Road—perhaps our all-time favorite cycling road. The next two overnights are planned for the magnificent Prince of Wales Hotel, perched high on a hill overlooking Waterton Lake.

Day 6 may be a layover day but it is anything other than a rest day. An early morning boat launch will transport our group across Waterton Lake to the Crypt Lake trailhead and we'll spend the better part of the day engaged in this extraordinary ll. -mile round trip trek to one of Canada's most magnificent alpine lakes.

The adventure continues on Day 7 as we ride north from Waterton and into the historic Crowsnest Pass region. We'll overnight in Blairmore and then crest Crowsnest Pass early the following morning as we cross the divide into British Columbia. It's on to Fort Steele that evening and then we'll follow the great Columbia/ Kootenay River system north to Radium Hot Springs on Day 9. A soak in the natural hot springs at the Radium Aquacourt will be a welcome conclusion to this day.

We'll climb from Radium early on Day 10 as we enter Kootenay National Park. We'll crest Sinclair Pass and spend much of the day tracing the course of the Kootenay and Vermillion Rivers. A final climb up Vermillion Pass at the Continental Divide precedes another great downhill into the beautiful Bow River Valley. We'll spend the night on the Bow at charming Baker Creek Chalets and then ride the short distance to fascinating Lake Louise the next morning. We'll arrive in Lake Louise with virtually the full day to explore the magnificent lake, hike its shoreline and perhaps beyond to elegant Agnes Teahouse well above the lake. And, without a doubt, we won't leave Lake Louise until we've visited amazing Moraine Lake and the Valley of the Ten Peaks. Our overnight is planned for Deer Lodge, adjacent to Lake Louise.

Our Odyssey continues on Day 12 as we head into the heart of the Canadian Rockies. We'll ride the remarkable Icefields Parkway, one of North America's great cycling roads, to Saskatchewan Crossing. We'll climb gently to the Bow Summit, the highest point on the Parkway. Along the way, we'll visit Hector Lake, Crowfoot Glacier and Bow Lake, all before lunch at Num-ti-jah Lodge. At the Bow Summit lies Peyto Lake, the crown jewel of Canadian high alpine lakes. It's then downhill to the Saskatchewan River and our overnight at The Crossing.

We'll continue along the Parkway the following day to the Columbia Icefields, pause at the summit of Sunwapta Pass to hike awesome Parker Ridge, and then descend along the dramatic Endless Chain to Sunwapta Falls Resort. A short leisurely ride to Jasper, including a visit to Athabasca Falls, is planned for our final day. We'll have time to explore Jasper before our van shuttle to Calgary and the end of an Odyssey.

Total Mileage – 780