Ride Director: Warner Griswold
Ride Driver: Garry Clifton
Report by: Joel Spencer
Overview: The bike trip is a loop ride starting in Kalispell, MT that starts the loop by
heading northwest around Glacier National Park before crossing the Canadian border
into British Columbia. Overnight stops along the way include Eureka, MT, Fernie,BC,
Pincher Creek, Alberta, CA, Waterton National Park, CA, Many Glacier(Glacier
National Park), St. Mary, Lake McDonald (Glacier National Park), and then returning to
Kalispell.
The ride is filled with spectacular mountain scenery and includes the iconic Going to the
Sun Road with the eastern slope being a required day of riding and an optional
opportunity to climb the western slope of the Going to the Sun Road.
The ride started with a check-in and Covid testing. All participants were fully vaccinated
and boosted prior to the ride and all tested negative at check-in. Unfortunately, several
days into the ride two participants reported that they had Covid symptoms and tested
positive. The ride continued and everyone did their best to social distance. By the end
of the ride nine of the twenty-three participants tested positive for Covid. This put a
damper on the ride and limited social interaction. Two participants decided to abandon
the ride and the leader transported them to Kalispell.
Note about Equipment: Tires wider than the standard 25mm road tires would be
appropriate for this ride as there were several lengthy sections of gravel roads as well
as some rough roads and wider tires would have been appropriate. I had 25mm tires
and muddled through, but wished I had 28s or 32s. Also, the descent of the Going to
the Sun Road can be quite chilly so it would be wise to pack some warm clothing for this
descent.
The Ride:
Kalispell to Eureka. The first 25 miles or so was on a pleasant, low traffic route. This
start eventually joined a busy road for the remainder of the trip to Eureka. As with almost all point-to-point rides it is not always possible to avoid such roads. The hotel in Eureka was adequate and as such was the “best hotel in town”.
Eureka to Fernie and border crossing. Ride to the border was on scenic, low traffic
roads. Border crossing into British Columbia, CA was easy without incident. After
about 30 miles traffic on the road increased, but there was very nice scenery along this route.
Fernie is a beautiful town with many restaurants, several bike shops, and is home to a
ski area. The hotel was very nice. The ride took a day off here and some of the riders
enjoyed hiking in the mountains at the edge of town.
Fernie to Pincher Creek. This was our longest day at 71 miles and took us over Crows
Nest Pass and into Alberta, CA. Although it was a long day, there was some great
scenery along the way.
Pincher Creek to Waterton. This was a beautiful day of riding across rolling plains with
the Rocky Mountain forming a backdrop. The turn into Waterton took us into a beautiful
mountain setting. Our hotel was along a lake and we had a great location for our
evening happy hour. Unlike most US national parks, Waterton Park has a small town
with some shops and restaurants. A day off in Waterton provided an opportunity for
rest, a hike, or optional out and back rides.
Waterton to Many Glacier. This leg of the loop brought a new challenge to our ride
leader as it was discovered that the border crossing on our route to Many Glacier was
closed. Warner was able to hire a school bus for the riders and luggage. Everyone
pitched-in to pack and load the bikes into the truck which normally carried luggage
and supplies The bus took us and luggage to the border crossing near Cardston where
bikes were unloaded from the truck and luggage loaded into the truck. From the border
crossing it was only 20 miles to Many Glacier.
Many Glacier. Rooms were at the fabled Many Glacier Lodge. The lodge is beautifully situated on a lake with a backdrop of spectacular mountains. Our luck with the weather ended as the day after our arrival was rainy. The next day was clear and many of the riders hiked while others did an out and back to the closed Chief Mountain border crossing.
Many Glacier to St. Mary. This is a short ride of about 20 miles. A number of riders
packed on a few more miles (and vertical feet) by riding the eastern portion of the Going
to the Sun Road with spectacular scenery and about 2800’ of climbing.
St. Mary to Lake McDonald. This day of riding was absolutely spectacular. It started with a 2800’ ascent to Logan Pass via the Going to the Sun Road followed by a screaming descent of 4,000’ to Lake McDonald. The descent on the western slope was in the shade and quite chilly. Bring a jacket.
On our day off in Lake McDonald, a number of riders took the shuttle up to Logan Pass for some hiking and playing in the snow. Six riders chose to ride up the western slope of the Going to the Sun Road to Logan Pass. The ride is about a 4,000’ climb and park rules specify that all bike traffic must be off the uphill portion of the Going to the Sun Road by 11am which dictates an early start..
Lake McDonald to Kalispell. This was an anti-climactic day after being surrounded by
such spectacular scenery in the previous days. It was a fairly easy ride on our way
back to the Holiday Inn Express.
Bicycle Adventure Club
PO BOX 23998 San Diego, CA 92193
Telephone (858) 715-9510 office@bicycleadventureclub.org