Glacier National Park

We drove to Glacier National Park on Thursday night for a long anticipated trip to one of the crown jewels in the National Park System.  Rosie spent many summer vacations early in her life in Montana and visited Glacier a few times. I had never been there and was very excited to see its mountains, waterfalls, rivers and glaciers.

When we got there Thursday night we rode our bikes along the shore of Lake McDonald.

This was a warm up for my big ride the next day.

For years I have dreamed of riding the Going to the Sun highway which runs east to west through the heart of this beautiful park. It is considered by many to be the most beautiful road in the entire country.  It is 50 miles with almost 4,000 feet of elevation gain and every inch provides a gorgeous view. The road is only open a few months of the year -- because of snow -- and bicycles can ride only on limited hours until after Labor Day. So our timing was perfect for this adventure.  It was a bright sunny day with temperatures in the seventies and eighties after the morning cold wore off.

It took 12 years to construct the Going to the Sun road and it opened to the public in 1933. It is a narrow two lane road with serious exposure to the side in most places.   

Designing and engineering this road was a major challenge.  Above are arches that were built on the side of the mountain to give enough surface to make it wide enough for a two lane road. Remarkable!

Rosie joined me for much of the first part of the ride that included the glorious views of Lake McDonald, the surrounding mountains and crystal clear rivers and waterfalls. 

Every mile was stunning. It was hard to concentrate on the road.

The "Red Rocket" poses for a portrait on the ascent.

The road was cut in the side of the mountain and is very visible in the middle of this photo.

I only saw one other bike at the summit -- Logan Pass. Compare it to the "Red Rocket".  I have no idea how he even got on that thing, let alone pedaled it to the summit. There is a sign on the bike by his helmet that read, "Tips appreciated".  I wonder what would happen if I did that with the "Rocket".

While it was a bit hazy and the sun was not perfect for a photo, one can appreciate the beauty of St. Mary's Lake from this spot along the way.

We stopped for a picnic lunch and photo at Logan Pass.  Rosie also rode the last few miles of this adventure with me.  She was a perfect support person -- as she is in every aspect of my life.

After our Going to the Sun adventure we drove to Waterton National Park across the Canadian Border. They have built a wonderful bike trail from the park entrance into Waterton (five miles) that is almost like an amusement park ride.  It has the perfect amount of curves, ups and downs to make for a very fun experience and the views along the lakes with the rugged and beautiful mountains are incredible.

Here we are right before sunset outside the Prince of Wales hotel where we spent the evening after a truly unforgettable and wonderful day. We went to sleep that night with an even greater appreciation for God's creative genius.

I never would have guessed that we would go to Glacier and not hike one bit. But our bikes made up for the hiking shortfall.

I wanted to add my take.  This trip for me was the celebration of our 33rd anniversary.  We had a busy month of August with girl's camp and family reunions.  So when Brad talked about wanting to go to Canada on a trip I told him I would love to celebrate our anniversary.  Now one question I asked was if you had to choose between the red rocket and me which one would you take?  I am not sure he answered the question but obviously He got both! The difference between Brad and I here is that I like going on a "bike ride".  He likes living on his bike!   I got to do some things I wanted to do while he was fulfilling his dream and it was a win win!  I recommend every married couple finds a way to have a get away and make each other a priority!  Rosie