We tried to get an early(ier) start but still didn’t leave the hotel parking lot until 9:00. Instead of just going to St. Mary and spend the night there the plan was to ride to east Glacier and see what time we got there. If it was early enough and we felt up to it we would ride through the park during the afternoon rather than in the morning when it was likely to be colder.We arrived at the Glacier NP visitor center around 13:00. The weather was beautiful, white puffy clouds and maybe mid seventies. We actually had to take off clothing layers we had put on earlier.
As expected the park and the road were crowded. Not too many RVs (actually I think nothing over 21 feet is allowed through the park) but the road side pull outs were packed nonetheless. All was well until we hit Logan Pass. Even up to that point I was afraid to pull over into one of the less crowded pull outs since I knew Diane wasn’t going to like the sheer drop offs. Still, I couldn’t help myself – I had to stop at least once for some photos. Even then, Diane’s eyes were transfixed on the road. The pictures I took don’t even capture half of the feeling riding through the park. You could have stopped every couple of hundred feet for another breathtaking view. Simply amazing.
Unfortunately, the downhill portion of the park road was under construction with some unpaved bits and bumper to bumper 1st and 2nd gear traffic. The road seems to claw into and hold onto the mountain. For stretches only some big boulders separate you from hundreds of feet of sheer cliff. Not for the faint of heart. Diane didn’t see too much of it, focusing mostly on traffic and the road condition, a good thing I suppose given her fear of heights. Nonetheless, I must say she managed just fine. What a trooper. Million Dollar Highway here we come! ;-).
West Glacier was a tourist trap so we headed for Whitefish where, based on earlier research I knew they had a micro brewery ;-). That’s all the excuse we needed to get a hotel within walking distance. After a brief shower passed through the area we walked to the brewery for a veggie sandwich and some beer ;-).
Todays route.
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- just outside Glacier NP, twenty miles to St. Mary on US 89
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- just outside Glacier NP, twenty miles to St. Mary on US 89
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- Glacier National Park
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- Glacier National Park
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- Glacier National Park – done with the bad stuff, just cruising along the lake now, ending in West Gacier
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- evening rain in Great Falls, MT
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- US 89 on our way to Glacier NP
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- US 89 on our way to Glacier NP
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- US 89 on our way to Glacier NP
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- US 89 on our way to Glacier NP
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- US 89 on our way to Glacier NP – rocky mountains in the distance
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- US 89 on our way to Glacier NP
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- US 89 on our way to Glacier NP
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- US 89 on our way to Glacier NP
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- US 89 on our way to Glacier NP
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- US 89 on our way to Glacier NP
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- US 89 on our way to Glacier NP
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- US 89 on our way to Glacier NP
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- US 89 on our way to Glacier NP
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- US 89 on our way to Glacier NP
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- US 89 on our way to Glacier NP
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- US 89 on our way to Glacier NP
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- US 89 on our way to Glacier NP
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- US 89 on our way to Glacier NP
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- just outside Glacier NP, twenty miles to St. Mary on US 89
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- just outside Glacier NP, twenty miles to St. Mary on US 89
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- just outside Glacier NP, twenty miles to St. Mary on US 89
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- just outside Glacier NP, twenty miles to St. Mary on US 89
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- just outside Glacier NP, twenty miles to St. Mary on US 89
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- Osprey nesting on a pole outside the visitor center
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- Glacier National Park – at the east entry visitor center
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- Glacier National Park – at the east entry visitor center
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- Glacier National Park – at the east entry visitor center
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- Glacier National Park
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- Glacier National Park
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- Glacier National Park
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- Glacier National Park
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- Glacier National Park – right before Logan pass
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- Glacier National Park – right before Logan pass
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- Glacier National Park – right before Logan pass
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- Glacier National Park – right before Logan pass
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- Glacier National Park – right before Logan pass
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- Glacier National Park – done with the bad stuff, just cruising along the lake now, ending in West Gacier
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- Glacier National Park – done with the bad stuff, just cruising along the lake now, ending in West Gacier
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- Glacier National Park – done with the bad stuff, just cruising along the lake now, ending in West Gacier
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- Glacier National Park – done with the bad stuff, just cruising along the lake now, ending in West Gacier
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- Glacier National Park – done with the bad stuff, just cruising along the lake now, ending in West Gacier
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- Glacier National Park – done with the bad stuff, just cruising along the lake now, ending in West Gacier
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- Glacier National Park – done with the bad stuff, just cruising along the lake now, ending in West Gacier
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- Glacier National Park – done with the bad stuff, just cruising along the lake now, ending in West Gacier
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- Glacier National Park – done with the bad stuff, just cruising along the lake now, ending in West Gacier
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- Glacier National Park – done with the bad stuff, just cruising along the lake now, ending in West Gacier
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- – done with the bad stuff, just cruising along the lake now, ending in West Gacier
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- – done with the bad stuff, just cruising along the lake now, ending in West Gacier
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- – done with the bad stuff, just cruising along the lake now, ending in West Gacier
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- Whitefish, MT – Great Norther Brewing Company
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- Whitefish, MT – Great Norther Brewing Company
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- Whitefish, MT – Great Norther Brewing Company
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- Whitefish, MT – Great Norther Brewing Company
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- Whitefish, MT – Great Norther Brewing Company
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- Whitefish, MT – Great Norther Brewing Company
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- Whitefish, MT
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- Whitefish, MT – Great Northern Brewing Company
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- Whitefish, MT
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- Whitefish, MT – Great Northern Brewing Company
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- Whitefish, MT – Great Northern Brewing Company
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- Whitefish, MT – walking back to hotel after dinner
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- Whitefish, MT – walking back to hotel after dinner
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- Whitefish, MT – walking back to hotel after dinner
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- Whitefish, MT – walking back to hotel after dinner
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- Whitefish, MT – walking back to hotel after dinner
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- Whitefish, MT – walking back to hotel after dinner
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- Whitefish, MT – walking back to hotel after dinner
Wahoo! Way to go Diane! Diane you mentioned going to Alaska on your bikes. You guys headed up there on this trip?
Cheers!
Rich
Hi Rich,
Alaska would be next years trip ;-). We just dipped our toe into the ‘Canada and further north’ water. So much more to explore than what we have time for. Will you be ready by then to join us? 🙂
Heck yea!