davester

Yippee! I just snagged another victim...er ah, sucker...I mean enthusiastic rider. My very longtime (since 1976) cycling buddy Thor (aka The Mighty Thor) has agreed to a road trip and will be riding his mighty Olmo. A number of you folks have ridden with him at that other vintage ride. There may be another victim sucker rider also, my not quite so longtime cycling buddy Dana. We will be staying at Alamedas since we are slightly less cool and skanky than the Symes in-crowd.

A question regarding Going to the Sun Road in Glacier. We are thinking of riding this on Monday after Cino. Given what mountaindave said about the crowds of cars, road access reservations and the need for advance shuttle reservations, is this even feasible? We'd be happy to get up at the crack of dawn and ride it but would need the shuttle back (unless we stopped and turned around at the summit). Any local knowledge?

gugie 

Hey, that's pretty heroic! At least you were still pedalling. That makes me either older, fatter, or slower than you, probably all three.

It's no shame getting passed by Matt.

northbend 

Dave is better qualified to answer this than me. I'd get an early start (no later than 7am) and start from "The Loop" trailhead parking area and go no farther than Logan Pass. That would give you time to stop, take pictures along the way n such. You'd be back at the car by 11am...


Looks like tickets for entry are available for that Monday https://www.recreation.gov/timed-entry/10087086

gugie 

Just bought one, $2. After Matt drove me up to Logan's Pass in 2019, and seeing @iab's epic pix, I knew I had to ride this someday. I won't have a car, but I could probably talk someone with one to go up with me...

mountaindave 

Cars just got access to the road this past weekend. Not sure what it looks like now in the park (I generally avoid it once cars can drive the Sun Road). I’ll have more intel as things settle. Right now I can’t tel you if the early hours are any less crowded than normal hours when they start taking tickets.

One way to do the sun road would be to drive to Logan Creek (the last rest stop before heading up hill) and ride the 12 miles to the top. It’s quite fun riding back down! The only problem is being slowed by cars! Also, you just have to be off the road by 11:00 am.

davester

OK, I just laid out the big bucks for a ticket too. If you desire, I'm sure we could jam you and the bike in the car on Monday to drive over to the bottom of the hill.

iab

I don't recall the exact time I rode up to Logan's pass, but we left Kalispell in the dark. Stopped at Montana Coffee Traders in Columbia Falls for a quick breakfast. Parked at the loop and headed up. Not a lot of traffic, but not empty either. It was foggy at the start, that may have cut down on the cars. Definitely many more cars going up when we descended. Never paid $2 to anyone.

Also, if you have been to my Flickr album, you will see that my picture at the triple arches was made even more epic by the use of photoshop. There is a "before" pic where I had yet to remove the cars in the picture.

mountaindave 

I need to investigate how the 0-dark-thirty thing is going this year. With the ticketing process starting at 6:00 AM, it has pushed a lot of people into the park very early in the morning. Before the Sun Road opened to cars, the starting point, Avalanche (capacity of 200-ish cars), was full by 6:30 AM on weekends - it used to take until 10:00 AM. We will see how this ticketing system plays out. Right now locals are not amused to be essentially shut out of the the interior of the park.

jamesdak 

Yeah, I used to do a trip every summer there but it's such a zoo now. I'm not even trying this year... I don't think.

Funny side note, I got kicked of the Glaciers Facebook page last month by honestly bringing up that the page had devolved into more about preaching and less about the beauty of the park. Mods trying to force their own viewpoint on things vs the actual park rules. I do miss the days I could go there, hike the backcountry without hardly seeing anyone, daily dips in whatever creek I had lunch by, shooting the wildlife, etc. I'm afraid those days are gone for me. I have thousands upon thousands of images from my trips there though. From negatives, to slides, to digital. It'll take me a lifetime to sort through all of them.

mountaindave 

Gorgeous photos! Many Glacier is one of my favorite spots. At least there are restrictions there… yet.

squirtdad

Friday is drive from Chinook MT to Kalispell (about 4 hours to get to west glacier)

I am hoping to get up early and do an afternoon hike in Glacier. An suggestions for a good hike? and am guessing I am going to have to get bear spray

Choke 

Here you go.....though you may not want to see it.

bikingshearer 

I hate all of you. There is no way I can make this work this year, and probably no way next year, and I am insanely jealous.

Of course, this is probably a good thing for ya'll because, with my amazingly slow climbing, you guys might have had to send a search party after me when you realize supper is over and I still haven't dragged my sorry backside in.

bikingshearer 

Hey, if you can make it up Mt. Diablo, you can make it up that. Probably.

Just adapt my mantra: I may be slow, but I make up for it by stopping a lot.

bikemig 

I'm in the same boat. I'd love to do this but work will get in the way. This is a cool event though for sure.

gugie 

Ridewithgps routes
Day 1
Day 2

It's called 9 Mile Hill on the map. Reminds me of Ask Dr. Science.

Choke 

Rich, you really do need to make it up there, it is an awesome time. And don't worry, if you're real slow one of the sags will pick you up.

Choke 

Here's the Day 1 data that I have. I'm a terrible climber and there's only one short hill that I have to walk.

Drillium Dude 

For any of you wanting a check-ride, myself and some local Cino riders will be riding up to the Hyak Tunnel via Iron Horse Trail on Monday the 5th. Meet at the Rattlesnake Lake parking lot at 10; should be heading off by 1030. The variable gravel surfaces are perfect for evaluating your choice of bike - but come for the fun and comradery

DD

bikingshearer 

You're preaching to the choir, Brother Scott. I'll get there some day. Definitely not this year, probably not next year. I'm targeting 2023.

northbend 

I'll charge up some extra lights and bring them for anyone who needs some extra lumens in the Tunnel. It would be a shame to stop AT the tunnel because of a lack of lights when you know there's beer on the other side at the DRUBRU taproom on Snoqualmie Pass.

Drillium Dude 

Thank you for bringing extra lighting - I'd need something better than what I've got, for sure. The red blinky works fine, but it's white counterpart does little to cut the darkness in there. If Bob can make it we've got seven riders on six bikes since Roger and Thomas are bringing the tandem

I really hope the Davidson survives the pummeling to come; if not, I'll do Cino on the Casati.

DD

Roger M

Thomas is probably going to be on his own bike(which puts me on a single as well).

gugie 

I'm sure that Thomas has grown a lot since I last saw him at @scozim's Palouse ride! It'll be great to see you two again.

mechanicmatt

Iceberg lake in the Many Glaciers area. Phenomenal. It is very steep the first .5 mile or so and then quite easy after. Amazing payoff.