There is a place on this road where the colour of the ground changes from grey to rust. Kootenay National Park, on the western side of the Continental Divide, is the quieter neighbour of Banff, and Highway 93 South threads through it for about ninety kilometres from the Vermilion Pass to the hot springs at Radium. The stretch around Marble Canyon is the heart of it, with a deep, narrow limestone gorge and, close by, the Paint Pots, where iron-rich springs stain the earth ochre, and where the First Nations once gathered pigment to trade.
The riding is excellent. The highway rises and falls through forest and past avalanche slopes, mostly smooth and well-banked, with plenty of long sweepers and good sight lines. In 1968, a big fire burned the Vermilion Pass area, and walking the little interpretive trail there shows the way the forest regrows, with silvery dead snags standing among the young pines. Traffic is moderate, and the speed limit is low because wildlife is common: bighorn sheep, mountain goats, black bears, and sometimes elk or moose beside the road.
Fuel is a real consideration. There are no pumps inside the park for long stretches, so fill the tank before you enter, either in Banff or Radium Hot Springs. The park gate requires a national parks pass, which you buy at the booth or beforehand, and you should keep it displayed. Snow can fall on the pass any month of the year, and the road is open all year but often requires winter tyres from late autumn to spring.
Best times are late June to September. In June, the waterfalls are loud with melt; in September, the larches on the high slopes turn gold, a fine sight if the light is right. Dress in layers, since the mountains can be cool in the morning and warm by noon.