It is just getting to noon and I am on the road again. Stayed an extra day in Trout Creek as a cousin was returning home this morning and I wanted to see him. It was a good time and they just live a mile down the road and he has been fighting some cancer so it was great to see him. There is the typical light rain, I guess I should have picked "Rain Maker" for my name instead of Traveler. The last two day have been beautiful, Toured down town Trout Creek and went to Thomson Falls and had Huckleberry ice cream. My cell phone had given up, it worked on that for several days but finally managed to quit completely. A couple of hours with Tec support and when they gave up a new phone was sent to the Verizon dealer in Couer d Alene. Picked that up yesterday and spent another hour and a half with tec support and it still isn't working. When I get to civilization I am suppose to try and activate it again.. I am headed for Glacier National Park and hope to do the ride to the sun. The road that goes through the middle of the park is one of the best motorcycle rides in the west. I go south out of Trout Creek and the turn north again to Kalispell, Columbia Falls and into the park. The ride is a potpourri of scenery, leaving mountains and lots of trees, riding along a river and rail road tracks. Lumber is a big player here and as I pass a saw mill with the fresh rain it smelled so very good. the canyon narrows and the river crowds the railroad closer to the road and as I pass a passenger train (going my direction) with an engine and three cars it is only 20 feet away and the windows are just below the road level. If it wasn't for being busy riding I could have looked into the train cars and waved to the people. At Plains the area is open, the canyon widens out and most of the trees are gone. as I turn north the area is range land with some rolling hills, not as green but again the rain brings the smell of fresh sage out and it is a great ride. The road is curvy and up and down hills, I would classify it as cattle country. As I come to the top of a hill I slow a little as the curve signs and arrows get my attention. Over the top of the hill and I see Flathead lake. It is huge. I am impressed. As we go father north we have the trees again and the rain is a bit more serious as I turn to enter the park. Out with my senior pass I purchased in Teton and I am in. Except the lady tells me the road is closed in 12 miles. the middle 30 miles of the road still has too much snow to open. I turn around and head south through the park that way, a beautiful ride with the river and a little snow along the road and when we get into a little open area I can see lots of the smaller glaciers. The trip to the park has put me farther north than if I had headed towards Wyoming but even with the ride to the sun road closed it was a beautiful ride and I am glad I came that way. The rain had stopped for the last hour. I ride through Browning and as I get close to Shelby, a fuel stop, it is raining again and I decide to head on down to Great Falls to find a hotel. Twenty miles out of Shelby the rain stops and I have an enjoyable ride into Great Falls. 403 miles for today, not bad for a noon start.
Traveler
No comments:
Post a Comment