Today was the vertical test for Logan Pass--our planned path through Glacier National Park. We got as much vertical today as we will then--only it was spread out over about 60 miles. It was also a psychological test as there were many false flats and gradual downhills that were not helpful for gaining speed.
We were thankful for the overcast skies and cold temperatures on this challenging day. It was also our fifth day of riding in a row, so our legs were not fresh even after a good night's sleep. We decided once again to take the road less traveled and do a slightly longer but more scenic (and less trafficked) route up to Eureka. We went along Rt. 37, on a path out of Libby and up the Kootenai River (pronounced koot-ney). We had flat-ish roads for a bit, and stopped at the local Ranger Station to get David's Golden Age Pass in case we could use it at campgrounds during our trip.
If you don't know about the Golden Age Pass, it is a one-time fee of $10 for senior (over 62 years old) and it lasts the rest of your life! It gets you into all national parks and gives you big discounts at many other parks and campgrounds all over the USA. When we checked at the ranger station, the receptionist was so kind and apologetic when she informed David that he must be 62 years old to get that pass. Imagine her surprise when David whipped out his driver's license and proved that he is indeed of the Golden Age! She said "Finally, there's someone here older than me!" and signed him up! Then they showed us campground availability (we picked out a campground near Rexford) and sent us on our way.
We climbed (for a steep 2 miles) to the Libby dam and then spent the rest of the day riding along the Koocanusa Lake. This dam is under treaty between Canada and the USA--thus both countries are represented in the lake's name. We saw bald eagles, golden eagles, osprey, and other birds--but still no bears!
The ride became very irritating at this point. Up, down, up, down, up, down on a road that had been blasted out of the cliffs along the lake. I don't get it! If they were blasting, why didn't they make a flat road along the lake? Anyway, it was difficult to get excited about the gradual downhills because you couldn't go very fast, you knew you were going to cross another #$@%(@ creek, and then go up another LONG #$@$%@( hill! Luckily, I was thinking these ominous thoughts and not voicing them to David--I'm trying to keep my whining to a minimum.
David was the hero of the day (isn't he every day???) when I had a flat. We parked by a cliff and he changed my tire while I fished out the sharp steel that had made it go flat. The good news is that we didn't have to take everything off the bike to change the tire! Once back on the road, we had lots more ups and downs until the one real hill down to a bridge that crossed the lake--only a few miles from our destination.
Well, maybe we didn't check that map out very well at the ranger station, because we missed the campground we had planned on. Maybe all those hills confused us! Anyway, we turned into Rexford and found a primitive campground (no water, pit toilets, no showers). Traci quickly nixed that one, and we rode into town to see if there were better alternatives.
Well, town was an interesting place. My spirits fell as we rode through a tiny place with mostly trailers or modified RVs as the homes. It was very well-kept, but only had one business establishment--a bar. We decided to check in there at the Frontier Bar to get some advice from the locals.
We walked in, and I'm sure we looked like aliens to all the locals there--biking gear, helmets, and very sweaty! We walked up to the bar and asked Kyle, the bartender for some advice. David said we were looking for a place with showers. Kyle said "You can get a shower here!" David said we were looking for a place to do some laundry. Kyle said "You can do laundry here!" David said we needed a place to camp. Kyle said "You can camp out back!" Jackpot! We had just hit the trifecta of bicycle touring by accident! For $7, we camped and showered, and did our laundry in the coin machines--all within reach of good draft beer and the best cheeseburgers in the world! Almost heaven--Rexford, MT!
Kyle was one of the best bartenders in the world--every time you thought you might need something else, he was there asking what that something was. He answered all our questions, and the entire staff was friendly and helpful. This was one detour worth taking, and we thank the kind people of Rexford for putting us up for a night! We slept in our tent--surrounded by RVs--and had a little rain overnight. Next stop--Whitefish!
1 comment:
You guys can kick butt harder than Montana. What an accomplishment! Traci you said Montana would be some of the more difficult riding. You are doing it - we CELEBRATE your success with you! Can't wait to see more pics. Though your writing really helps us make our own.
In case you are interested. Things went great at Pax. Great working with Jen both professionally and personally!! Don't worry about stuff. Everything is going well - though you are missed! Will let you known when last deliverable is complete. Checks rec'd. Thanks.
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