Henry's notes for today:
Our campsite was at approximately 4,500 feet of elevation, and Logan Pass was at 6,646 feet, 12 miles away. There was pretty light traffic at that time of day, so that we could ascend with minimal interference from vehicles on the shoulder-less road. The plan worked well, and even though we stopped for photo ops and to make sure none of us had any trouble, we reached the pass in about an hour and 45 minutes. About halfway into our climb, there were 3 bighorn sheep ambling across the road, resulting in the expected traffic jam. A park ranger drove by honking his horn, shouting to the tourists: "25 yard minimum!" This reminded me of the Catholic school principal walking with Bible held high, creating space between 8th graders dancing too close at a mixer, exclaiming "Make room for Jesus!"
Maps of today's ride:
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3829833283
https://www.relive.cc/view/u3656896960
More pictures:
Day 40: The rain started shortly after tucking in for the night. It seemed to go on for most of the night, but it was realistically probably only a few hours of light rain. Brisk, and I managed to sleep decently, but Linda said she had a relatively restless night. We got up at 5:30 am to pack up camp, arrived at the restaurant at 6:30 when it opened for breakfast, and rolled on to the Going-to-the-Sun Road by 7:30. There was already a lineup of vehicles waiting for campsites at the entrance to Rising Sun campground at 6:30 am. The rules stated that first entry for open campsites that day would not occur until 11 am. Competition is fierce to survive in our National Parks!
 |
| Climbing the Going to the Sun Road |
 |
| View from Logan Pass |
Logan Pass is yet another continental divide, separating waters that flow either east into the Mississippi via the Missouri River, vs. waters that drain into the Pacific Ocean from the western slope. We did not linger at the top, as we had spent sufficient quality time there yesterday. Our goal was to descend to the west side of Glacier NP before the traffic became too heavy. The 3 of us besides Tim don't think we have ever ridden such a long descent. We dropped from 6,646 feet to 3,100 feet in 19 miles. It was an exhilarating, chilly ride at that time in the morning. We stopped for several photos to document the spectacular scenery on the way down, but also to partially warm up in the sun's rays. We passed many bikers going up from west to east, which is definitely more of a climb. The road leveled out, and we made a short visit to Lake MacDonald Lodge. We proceeded westward and stopped for lunch in Apgar village on the west side of the park. The temperature was much warmer at this lower elevation, and ice cream was de rigueur after the meal. Sufficiently fueled, we headed towards Whitefish. About 10 miles before arrival, I had a rear flat, which was quickly repaired by the Team Spokane pit crew. This was our 3rd flat tire collectively on this trip. Now we have each had one, except for Tim, who had way more serious rear wheel trouble.
In Whitefish, there was a farmer's market and outdoor festival taking place. Wanting to sit for our meal rather than eat from a food truck, we chose a nearby restaurant. Rob Hickman from Brooklyn, the other westward biker we met earlier in our journey, had decided to stay in Whitefish also, and joined us for dinner. We pedaled a few more miles after dinner to Whitefish Lake State Park, where we met 2 more mountain bikers from Boise at the hiker/biker campsite. They're riding the continental divide (Great Divide Mountain Bike Route). The campers at the RV site across from us (the haves), offered us (the have-nots) some dinner leftovers because they had no room left in their refrigerator. Chicken, asparagus, and watermelon. It all disappeared in a flash, even though in theory we should have been full from our dinners. It was a Dickensian scene from Oliver Twist.
It was a long, yet productive day. We are elated to have completed the scenic Going-to-the-Sun Road in its entirety. A conservative estimate would be that Tim has been to Glacier NP 20 times, and he knows the park more intimately than the back of his hand. Without his experience and logistical expertise, the whole process would have been much more complicated than it already was. We could not have asked for a more knowledgeable tour guide.
We are getting closer to the home stretch, but we still have 3 more days of riding before we leave Montana and cross into Idaho. At least we are on the correct side of the Rockies!
In Whitefish, there was a farmer's market and outdoor festival taking place. Wanting to sit for our meal rather than eat from a food truck, we chose a nearby restaurant. Rob Hickman from Brooklyn, the other westward biker we met earlier in our journey, had decided to stay in Whitefish also, and joined us for dinner. We pedaled a few more miles after dinner to Whitefish Lake State Park, where we met 2 more mountain bikers from Boise at the hiker/biker campsite. They're riding the continental divide (Great Divide Mountain Bike Route). The campers at the RV site across from us (the haves), offered us (the have-nots) some dinner leftovers because they had no room left in their refrigerator. Chicken, asparagus, and watermelon. It all disappeared in a flash, even though in theory we should have been full from our dinners. It was a Dickensian scene from Oliver Twist.
It was a long, yet productive day. We are elated to have completed the scenic Going-to-the-Sun Road in its entirety. A conservative estimate would be that Tim has been to Glacier NP 20 times, and he knows the park more intimately than the back of his hand. Without his experience and logistical expertise, the whole process would have been much more complicated than it already was. We could not have asked for a more knowledgeable tour guide.
We are getting closer to the home stretch, but we still have 3 more days of riding before we leave Montana and cross into Idaho. At least we are on the correct side of the Rockies!
Maps of today's ride:
https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/3829833283
https://www.relive.cc/view/u3656896960
More pictures:
 |
| Jeff herding sheep |
No comments:
Post a Comment