Going to the Sun

7/3 :  The rain came last night to West Glacier.  It kept steadily raining from about 6 PM through 10:30 AM, despite Accuweather and Weather Channel both putting probability of precip. at 35% for 7/2-7/3.  It let up around 11:30, so I made a break for the shuttle to go up to Logan Pass.  Even if it had cleared a few hours earlier, I could not have biked over Logan Pass, since no bikes are allowed from 11 AM to 4 PM.    The good news is that the shuttles are free, and they have bicycle racks.  The ride up is spectacular.

View of Oberlin Mountain... covered in clouds.

Logan Pass at the top of Going to the Sun Road

Since the weather looked good going east... I decided to ride down to Rising Sun. 

Looking across a canyon on the way down.

It's 12 miles, which would normally take me about 1:20, but since it's mostly downhill, I did the first 9 miles in about 1/2 hour.  Then the rain started and the road by that point was fairly flat ... so I put my thumb out at a turnout, and within about 5 minutes I was picked up by an SUV that had 2 Flathead (Native American) and a Crow woman .  They initially drove past...  then came back for me.   They were on their way back from a powwow.  Browning Montana is at the center of a large Flathead reservation just east of Glacier.

7/4:  Rising Sun (St. Marys) to East Glacier
Not a long distance (37 miles) but a challenging elevation profile (3300 ft)

Arrived hungry.  On US 2 there was an Indian Fry Bread stand.  Fry bread is like a pita-shaped donut.  I had an Indian Taco, which is basically chili on fry bread.  Very filling.

7/5:  Departed East Glacier Friday morning.  Arrived in Columbus (near Madison) early Saturday afternoon.  Amtrak now has bicycle hooks in the baggage car... so for some stations, you can check the bike without having to box it up.  Very convenient.