Saturday - July 9, 2011
Drive from Seattle to Kalispell, about 8 hours with lunch outside Spokane and a lost hour in time change, so leaving at 7:15am and arrive around 5:00pm. Couple folks already in the hotel, lobby full of bike boxes that had been shipped in. Tom and I were joined by Tom’s friend Marko who will drive the car back, apparently he thinks driving is fun so came along for the return drive…
Drive from Seattle to Kalispell, about 8 hours with lunch outside Spokane and a lost hour in time change, so leaving at 7:15am and arrive around 5:00pm. Couple folks already in the hotel, lobby full of bike boxes that had been shipped in. Tom and I were joined by Tom’s friend Marko who will drive the car back, apparently he thinks driving is fun so came along for the return drive…
Sunday
Up at 6:30 and quick breakfast, Marko took us up to Whitefish where the Amtrak from Seattle was coming in at 7:30am. Don (Don and another rider Reg are friends from Seattle and on the tour, Reg flew instead, they have done PacTour training camp but never a tour). Anyway, Don got off the train, put together his bike and we warmed up in the sunshine outside a Starbucks, chilly morning. From there mostly due east to Glacier National park, through Columbia Falls and Hungry Horse, left turn into park and then along Lake McDonald on the Going to the Sun Highway. The GTS is not open yet, too much snow at Logan Pass, they hope to have open on Thursday, so most road traffic went around the park and we had the road to ourselves mostly on great new asphalt. Then the road was closed to cars at Avalanche Creek so we REALLY had the road to ourselves, just bikes and shuttle buses. Then at the Loop, the one hairpin, the shuttle buses had to stop so it was bikers and hikers (ferried up on shuttle buses) until almost the Pass itself, about two miles short (that’s the picture). Beautiful sunny day with blue skies, white snow, green mountains, grey rock, just spectacular day, we were so lucky with the road closure as it was really quiet. Then back down, had to shuttle to Apgar (road closed to bikes from 11 to 4 along the lake, go figure), had lunch, and back into a headwind west and then east. Nasty narrow road through Hungry Horse and Rt 2 south had a wide shoulder but covered in gravel and debris.
Up at 6:30 and quick breakfast, Marko took us up to Whitefish where the Amtrak from Seattle was coming in at 7:30am. Don (Don and another rider Reg are friends from Seattle and on the tour, Reg flew instead, they have done PacTour training camp but never a tour). Anyway, Don got off the train, put together his bike and we warmed up in the sunshine outside a Starbucks, chilly morning. From there mostly due east to Glacier National park, through Columbia Falls and Hungry Horse, left turn into park and then along Lake McDonald on the Going to the Sun Highway. The GTS is not open yet, too much snow at Logan Pass, they hope to have open on Thursday, so most road traffic went around the park and we had the road to ourselves mostly on great new asphalt. Then the road was closed to cars at Avalanche Creek so we REALLY had the road to ourselves, just bikes and shuttle buses. Then at the Loop, the one hairpin, the shuttle buses had to stop so it was bikers and hikers (ferried up on shuttle buses) until almost the Pass itself, about two miles short (that’s the picture). Beautiful sunny day with blue skies, white snow, green mountains, grey rock, just spectacular day, we were so lucky with the road closure as it was really quiet. Then back down, had to shuttle to Apgar (road closed to bikes from 11 to 4 along the lake, go figure), had lunch, and back into a headwind west and then east. Nasty narrow road through Hungry Horse and Rt 2 south had a wide shoulder but covered in gravel and debris.
And we only had to ride around the block one extra time to get to exactly 100 miles.Dinner both nights was in the same place, North Bay Grill, without a car you can ride or walk but it needs to be close. A sense of déjà vu, cheap hotel rooms, gear, bikes, lotions. Seems odd though, the trip is just over half as long as last year’s (1800 vs 3400m), has the same climbing (100k vertical feet) in 2/3s of the days (18 days vs 30). But then in the Pyranees 5 years back Tom and I covered 100K vertical in just 12 riding days so not exactly epic. But, most usual, here we are again, Tom and Mike, Tom with camera (too many pictures) and Mike with computer (too many words); yesterday when Don had turned around instead of going up to Logan Pass, us again climbing up and taking in the amazing views from the seat of a bicycle.
Monday
Right outside the hotel room now is chaos, two vans and trailers take up most of the side parking lot: people getting their PacTour shirts, leaving for test rides with newly assembled bikes, enjoying the sunshine, milling about. 7 new people out of 36 total riders, all others are veterans, don’t know them all yet. From last year Walt, Boston Jerry (72 years old folks, who lives in Arizona but has the accent), Pat (the driver of the tandem that did half the trip), and Brian (smaller, white Cervello) are all repeat riders. More European riders, a couple of Brits, Aussie, etc. Some of the crew, like John Lake, are back too. Lon has his usual smile…
So here we go, best to all –
Never too many pictures OR too many words. I love the reports and look forward to hearing about familiar folks such as Boston Jerry, Walt and Lon!
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