We are meeting at the Donut Mill on Gasoline Alley at 11am and heading out to the Icefield Parkway gate to take some pics and chat for a bit, then head home...the guy that is organizing the ride is asking for a $2 donation to help him with his website...http://www.meetup.com/Red-Deer-Central-Alberta-Motorcycle-Ride-Group/...if you would like to join us, check out his website and maybe join and RSVP...let him know that Wayne sent you...

Hope to see you Sunday...

There was about 6 of us that did a trip on Saturday.  We left edmonton around 7am and returned at about 1am sunday morning...Putting on 1020km.... And I think like you, we managed to find all the construction and edure POURING ICE mountain Rain on the icefieds...  So we did edmonton to hwy 13, then highway 22, over to Highway 11.... Started pouring at that park gate, poured all the way to Saskatchewan River Crossing...Went in to eat (none of us had rain gear either, lol) Sun came out when we went in to eat....Finished eatting went back to our bikes, CONTINUED TO POUR all the way down the icefields (93) right until Lake Louise...Sun came out to bless us through canmore and then we took the 1 and got off at the 1A, had some fun on the twisties and taking in the scenery to Cochrane.  Which by the way Ghost Lake is SO COOL!  ..Then hopped onto 22north, then took then over to airdrie, and up Highway 2 to home...... I think the warmest part of the ride coulda been when the sun went down, lol
What a crazy insane and wicked ride!! Great times!!! I think we encountered so much construction it added at least 2 or more hours on....   I would do it again in a heartbeat!!! Still tired!!! lol

Sounds like you both had good rides.

I've done the ride out through Rocky to the Icefield parkway, although I usually loop it up to Jasper or down to Banff as opposed to an out and back.  I did a run to Jasper at the end of June and the leg from the park gate to Jasper townsite is one of the nicest I've been on...

I've haven't ridden 1A yet, might have to head down this Saturday if the weather holds (no rain gear yet). 

Ikshar, was there construction on 1A?  I checked the AMA road report and it looks clear, however, I'm not sure how accurate the construction reporting is...

The 1A is clear sailing, we didn't run into any construction there, so it was well worth it!!  :-) 
 

Cool, thanks.  You've just given me my weekend ride 

I know what you mean about night riding.  I rode at night for the first time last week as well and it was quite the experience.  I was on roads around Red Deer, so I knew them fairly well, however, it was still a bit unnerving.  I tried to use other drivers head/tail lights as indicators as often as possible and found that really helped. 

The worst thing about it was the bugs!  They.Were.Insane!  Whenever we stopped, we were swarmed.  My lenses were covered in bug guts.  It probably doesn't help my cool factor here, but since I didn't have any lens cleaner with me, I was actually licking my lenses  in an attempt to improve my visibility (note to self - always carry lens cleaner).  Needless to say I met my protein quotient for the evening.

No worries though, you still cool in my book!!!

LOL, thanks, appreciate it.

In truth, there was more spitting and wiping than actually licking my glasses, but the tongue tip did come into contact with something crunchy.

Geez, I really gotta learn not to over-share so much... 

Madjak30--

Well WHEN we were together we rode in formation...But they were on MUCH faster bikes than me....so all it took was them to open it up and I was riding solo...lol  But I could see them from afar and I could see they maintained positioning...
Basically it was understood that they could do their thing, and I would ride my own ride too..And we had agreed upon meeting points if we lost sight..... (at one point I was literally riding solo through the rockies, being that it was my first time riding in the mountains AND through torrential downpours, I was going between 80-90)
That being said, when we were in formation I was riding sweep, and I was not riding as tight as they all were... Still being new to the formation riding and all.  Plus my first time riding with them...
So basically, I think the key is what we were taught... "RIDE OUR OWN RIDE".  Discuss beforehand what the plan is, and have set meeting spots... I would be a little frustrated too if the person I was riding with was fluctuating such extremes as well.  I am like you, I tend to ride about ten over...maybe 15, but usually flow with that one speed...

However the other time I went in a group ride with 3 people, we were all noobs and we maintained position our whole trip, and it was a nice and comfortable time...We discussed speeds and made sure everyone was okay with it, at the stretch stops...

Anyway, not sure if that sheds any input?