Bound for Glacier National Park (stage 2)
The
unseasonable cold, wet weather continued. For a taste of global warming I would
have to go to some other part of the globe.
Only
a short ride from Darby under cloudy skies with the threat of rain, but a nice
tailwind, I made it to Hamilton, where I finally exchanged the rear tire that
got punctured a week ago. Since leaving on this trip, the weather had dictated
the lodging arrangement and the motel bed nights had outnumbered the air
mattress so far.
Onward
from Missoula on route 93 the weather situation remained the same, lots of
clouds, but no rain, which actually made for nice riding conditions, including
a wide shoulder to ride on. Having the extra space makes pedaling a lot more
pleasurable, as not all the concentration has to be directed to traffic but can
be focused on the surroundings. So I really could enjoy the view of Flathead
Lake and its stunning scenery riding down to Polson. Riding up, the east shore
was mainly tree covered, with the occasional lake view. On the way to Columbia
Falls finally the clouds broke loose, dropping buckets of water, which they
seemed to have stored for ages. Still the scenery was outweighing the
inconvenience of being soaked and again made it for an easy decision on the
accommodation that night.
Riding
through Glacier National Park didn’t work out as planned, as the Park had experienced
record snowfalls last winter and with snow still falling in the upper
elevations, Logan Pass on “Going To The Sun Road” to St. Mary was
still closed on June 22nd (global
warming). Actually it is now called Climate Change and it did have an
impact on the park, as around 1900, there were around 150 glaciers. Today only
25 remain and just remnants of them! The only alternative reaching St. Mary was
route 2 over Marias Pass and East Glacier, but I figured I would be riding
through the park on the way back a month later. Riding over Marias Pass ended
up to be the easy part; however, climbing out of East Glacier on Looking Glass
Hill Road started to be a bit more challenging, including a close encounter
with a black bear. It was about as close as I wanted it to be, as he jumped out
of the brush onto the road. I just had time to stop as he glanced down the
road, before disappearing again across the street. I’m still wondering who got
the bigger scare out of this! It crossed my mind that on a bicycle one would be
rather vulnerable, as it wouldn’t be providing much protection, but on the
other hand, hundreds of bikes have passed through here before me. After all,
this turned out to be one of the most scenic detours ever.
Rolling
into St. Mary scanning for accommodation, I found Johnson’s Campground up on a
hill overlooking the town and mountains. It was a great spot with a stunning
view, only since crossing the Continental Divide over Marias Pass, the mosquitos
had become a real nuisance, or more like pests. Chatting with fellow campers
(most of them in luxury RV’s without the buzzzzz problem), I met Mark Matheny
the developer of bear spray (UDAP
Industries). Mark got mauled by a bear in 1992, as the scars in his face
still prove, and he thereafter started to develop the product. He must have
felt sorry for a poor cyclist and gave me a can to carry along, which actually made
me a lot more comfortable as this was now my secret weapon on the handlebar….
Until next time from down the road,
Tony
Bike
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