The Bicycle Adventure Club - Come Ride With Us!

Seattle to Glacier National Park

July 7th to July 28th

Ride Director: Warner Griswold
Ride Driver: Will Sbarra
Report by: Carole Laflamme

July 2016 SEATTLE - GLACIER NATIONAL PARK Trip Report

PART 1 : Washington State

On July 7th, sixteen avid cyclists travelled to Seattle - some from England and Canada, some from all over the States - to partake in a 3-week adventure to Glacier National Park. 

On the first day, Warner, our super organized leader, introduced us to Bill (our support wagon driver), enlightened us on trip details, Happy Hour duties, lunch making rules including a thorough hand washing lesson. Nobody will get sick on this trip if Warner has anything to say about it!

The next day, bikes assembled, tires duly inflated, Garmins loaded, we were off to the little town of Gold Bar. The morning started with a train ride, then cycling the Burke Gilman bike trail along beautiful Lake Washington, then spectacular scenery on country roads.

Then came a demanding ride to Leavenworth, over Steven's Pass... in the rain! Iron Goat Trail and Old Cascade Highway offered a welcome respite from busy US 2. Leavenworth is a charming Bavarian town, complete with quaint little shops, singers in colourful costumes performing on the "place" and tons of flowers everywhere! A bit of a tourist trap, but oh so lovely.

Next cycling day: on our way to Chelan, the group stopped to visit the Rocky Reach Dam and Museum, plus the very interesting Fish Ladder nestled next to the mighty Columbia River. Totally awesome activity!

Day 5 was our day off! Some decided to rest, others went into town for ice cream or to get their nails done, and six of us took the boat "Lady of the Lake" - deep into the Cascade Mountain Range - to visit Stehekin: no cell phone, no internet, just the serenity of this unique setting where all you need is a good pair of hiking shoes.

Day 6 saw us back on our bikes for another 60 mile ride to Omak (our first cycling day without a drop of rain - YAY!) Also, Paul and Phil started working on alternate routes to avoid some of the heavier traffic, so people have a choice of routes. Thank you, gentlemen, for putting your expertise to such good use... Truly appreciated.

Allow me to digress here and talk about fruit and thumb tacks. Let's start with the fruit kingdoms/orchards we encountered; thousands of trees heavily laden with apples, pears, peaches, apricots, Bing and Rainier cherries... You name it, they have it! What a treat!!! And now about those thumb tacks. A handful or two were thrown onto the shoulder, resulting in at least a dozen flats in our group! Good thing we had Bob and Dennis, our "nomadic bike shop" experts!

New day... Good news! Not a single flat on our 27 mile climb over Wauconda Pass (4,310 feet) and our exhilarating descent through the Okanogan National Forest, arriving - tired but proud - in Republic, a small logging and mining town with a lot of character... and the best beer and specialty drinks according to a fellow that shall remain nameless (starts and finishes with B).

On Bastille Day (July 14th), with Paul and Sharon in the lead, we followed the Sherman Pass Scenic Byway to the top (5,575 feet!) and were greeted by Bill, our vey efficient and soft spoken Wagon Master, who handed us goodies and beverages... on ice! Then came a totally thrilling descent into Coleville... Picture this: great pavement, minimal traffic, majestic mountains, cascading creeks and the wind in your hair (well... for those who have hair!)

PART 2 : Idaho State

Our second longest day of cycling (72 miles) brought us from Coleville, Wa to Sand Point where we spent a wonderful rest day on the shores of Idaho's largest lake, 43-mile-long Lake Pend Oreille. We all enjoyed a sunny, relaxing day. Just what the doctor ordered!

Then back on the bikes for another five days! But who can complain when you travel through terrain with names such as Peaceful Valley, Funny Frog Forest, Old Preacher River Road and the likes? Also, every single day, we had amazing "Happy Hours"; we all chipped in, but I have to say the prize goes to Marita and Miriam for their help and invaluable guidance (merci beaucoup!). 

A little Idaho anecdote: from Sand Point, we all left together, under beautiful blue skies, down a tranquil bike path. After a few miles, it dawned on me that I had left clothing in a drawer at the hotel. Let me digress to explain that, when Warner saw me putting stuff in a drawer, he mentioned: "I never use hotel drawers because I would forget to check in the morning", to which I quickly replied: "Oh, I NEVER forget!" Well I did! Not a piece or two either, but THREE PILES of neatly folded clothes!!! I was lucky to catch Bill just as he was ready to drive off! He was not impressed but, like a true gentleman, threw my bike (and missing clothes) in the back of the van and drove me to the tail end of our group (who happened to be good-natured Barry). Boy, was I happy to see him! Road construction and then a very long train had contributed to him being separated from the gang. He was quite confused when he spotted me in the passenger seat - with my helmet on - hollering that I would tag along with him for the day. We eventually met up with some of our group for a most delicious huckleberry milkshake... The best in the state, we all agreed.

PART 3 : Montana State

Good bye Bonners Ferry, Idaho. Hello Montana! But not before a gruelling 10 - 12% gradient on a mile long road, adorned with loose, coarse gravel. If that was not enough, three of us jolly companions took a wrong turn (more gravel that resulted in a dead end), but on our way back, we spotted Beverly and Jim who set us straight: the way is up that steep stony hill! "Let's just walk it" suggested Les. "Great plan!" we chorused. When we crested that killer hill, we were greeted by Tigger, a gentle blond horse who fell in love with Marylou who generously fed him her one and only apple... Les asked if they could share...? He was granted ONE bite! The day culminated with a late lunch at the magnificent Kootenai Falls and its Swinging Bridge (I think only our brave Philip ventured across). Oh and let's not forget the ice cream stand where most of us indulged in a decadent huckleberry cone.

Day 14 brought us to McGregor Lake on the most serene back-country road, deep in some lush forest, no traffic at all, just a gentle breeze and warm sun on your skin. A truly glorious day! Then to top it off, McGregor Lodge is like being at the cottage, celebrating nature and exchanging stories with a fine group of friends... Doesn't get any better than that! ..................................

Well I thought it didn't, but let me tell you about our ride from Lake McDonald to St. Mary. On the "Going-to-the-Sun" road (definitely a highlight, with unparalleled scenery), we were rewarded with absolutely breathtaking panoramas, snow-capped peaks, cascading falls, vertiginous cliffs and sun invading the mountains with every passing minute of cycling. Plus, after 30 miles of beauty and 3,300 feet of climbing, we can all brag that we stood on top of the Continental Divide, the proverbial fork in the road for flowing water. After Logan Pass, we experienced the ultimate roller-coaster ride down a magical expanse of nature... WOW pretty much summarizes it! And get this: in spring, it takes Glacier Park employees over three months to snowplough this unique road so we can cycle and hike its trails during the summer months. Mid-October to June, everything shuts down and the forest sleeps for the rest of the year, returning to the way it was hundreds of years ago...

We were extremely fortunate to witness wildlife at its best throughout this fabulous trip. We certainly all saw our fair share: deer, hare, rattle snake, mountain goat, bighorn sheep, otter, hoary marmot, white-tailed eagle, osprey, wild turkey, a ptarminton and her babies. Barry, Warner and I even spotted a moose feeding on the side of a road. How exciting, but not as much as our Brighton friends coming face to face with a moose, on their walk around Two Medicine Lake (with a photo as proof) AND Marylou, Les and yours truly seeing a grizzly bear lumbering across an open meadow!

During our last day of cycling, we sampled biking through "open range" country where cattle and horses roam freely. Around South Fork Milk River, Phil and Verna - on their shiny blue tandem - even had a wild horse jump right in front of them! That should get your heart rate up!!! After an 18 mile detour to Two Medicine, we all arrived safe and sound at East Glacier Park Lodge, situated on the Blackfeet Reservation. High Fives were joyfully exchanged, Margaritas were the celebratory drinks at a local Mexican restaurant, and the next day (with a tad of a delay), an Amtrak train ride brought us back to Seattle for our farewell group dinner.

All in all, an incredibly successful trip and a journey to remember... Again, a big heartfelt Thank You to Warner and Bill!! For me, the Canadian visitor and a first-timer in this part of the world, it was "the experience of a lifetime"! I think I can speak for the group when I say we part with lasting memories and wonderful new friendships...

MERCI !