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Published: July 22nd 2008
Entering Glacier National Park
Little did I realize what was before me!Hi everyone,
Just when you think you have seen all there is to see in scenery and wild motorcycle riding, along comes Glacier National Park! It was not disappointing to say the least. As my title suggests, it was breath-taking, spectacular, inspiring, nerve-wracking, and at times I was questioning my reason for taking the Glacier National Park "Going To The Sun" road. I will get to that in a minute, but first the preliminaries.
I spent the night outside of Spokane, Washington and decided to get an early start on the ride to Glacier. First stop was Sandpoint, Idaho.
Nestled at the base of the Selkirk Mountains in North Idaho's Panhandle region, Sandpoint can be found 60 miles south of the Canadian border and 75 miles northeast of Spokane. The 6,000 residents enjoy the uncompromising natural beauty on the northern shore of Lake Pend Oreille (pronounced Pon-da-ray). A spectacular, glaciated body of water 43 miles long, Pend Oreille is the fifth deepest lake (1,158 feet at its greatest depth) in the United States with 111 miles of shoreline. Its pristine waters are a major factor as a premier tourist destination. And ladies, it is the home of Coldwater
Glacier National Park
It was worth the $12.00 cost. Creek (a national clothing and apparel marketer).
I also found out that some notable and past residents from the area are Mark Fuhrman, best known for his controversial testimony at the O. J. Simpson trial, Joe Mather, St. Louis Cardinals outfielder, Sarah Palin, current Governor of Alaska and actor Ben Stein.
After Sandpoint and along Highway 2 I went through Kootenai National Forest on my way to Glacier National Park. It was also a very scenic and relaxing ride.
By this time, I fully expected to have seen just about every type of forest, road, trees, etc on my way home to Bismarck. Boy was I surprised by what was about to come!
The Going-to-the-Sun Road was completed in 1932 and is a spectacular 52 mile, paved two-lane highway that bisects the park east and west. It spans the width of Glacier, crossing the Continental Divide at 6,646-foot-high Logan Pass. It passes through almost every type of terrain in the park, from large glacial lakes and cedar forests in the lower valleys to windswept alpine tundra atop the pass. Scenic viewpoints and pullouts line the road, so motorists can stop for extended views and photo opportunities.
Raw Beauty
The snow melting on the mountains provide plenty of water and year round. The road is well worth traveling in either direction, as the view from one side of the road is much different than from the other. In 1983 Going-To-The-Sun Road was included in the National Register of Historic Places and in 1985 was made a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.
Building this transmountain road, which was literally carved out of the precipitous mountainside for 12 of its 50-mile length, was a challenging and dangerous task. This is the only road that traverses Glacier National Park, and what a road it is! I would say it is one of the most spectacular, awe-inspiring 50 miles in the country.
Under normal conditions, the road is paved, however a late spring storm several years ago damaged portions of the road and this summer a major project was underway to repair...which meant one lane traffic, and the most dangerous part for a motorcycle...gravel.
There is a saying in motorcycle driving..."turn your head in the direction you want to go and your bike will follow you there!" DON'T DO THAT ON THIS ROAD! STOP FIRST AND THEN LOOK. There were sections that if a vehicle goes over the edge, the car would go
"Going To The Sun" Road turns to gravel
At this point, the road became very treacherous. I became worried when I say several tow trucks towing vehicles down the mountain. If you look in the distance you can see the road "hug" the side of the cliffs. down the mountainside for one mile! There were lots of "white knuckle" moments that tested my nerves.
However, for all the caution, this was a 50 mile trip that I will never forget. I thought the Bear Tooth Highway outside of Redlodg , Montana was great. Pale in comparison to this road.
Comical note...I came upon a park ranger that had just stopped and freed a man who had been locked in one of the new restrooms. He was in there for over two hours trying to get someones attention to stop. Poor guy!
Logan Pass is at 6,664 feet. Still lots of snow and vey cool. I came upon a mountain goat and her baby...I was only 10 feet from her when she starteld me. A little nervous, I snapped some great photos.
Enjoy the pictures...they tell a better story than I do.
After coming down the pass on the east side, I made a mad dash for Great Falls expecting to get a hotel room...but alas, no room at the inns...so I did something that I normally would not do. I drove in the dark until 2:00 am and finally got a room
God Had A Plan
I could have stayed and just gazed at the many peaks and valleys that were before me. at Lewistown, MT.
But that's a story for day 23.
Have fun with the photos.
Rob
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gary a lund
non-member comment
Rob, I spent some time in Glacier and would ride the" Slammers" up the Going to the Sun many times and we would always like to stand up in the Slammer with our heads looking out the roof and then look over the side.... great time and great view !! The term Slammers had a lot to do with the grade of the road and the breaks hopefully working when you needed them the most!! ga Gary A. Lund