Originally Posted by
seeker333
The 47 miles from St Mary to Waterton with no major elevation change is a short day for most bicyclists.
So when you rode it you found it a piece of cake? I have done it in both directions. To Waterton was with a group of 13. Not one of us found it easy by any stretch of the imagination. Coming from the other direction there is a good 5 mile climb not long after you leave the park. Not only is it steep, it stairs you right in the face so it's psycholicigally intimidating.
OP: There are several restaurants and stores in St. Mary. Pie at the Park Cafe is highly recommended.
GTS west to east is the way to go, IMO. It has the best views and there are pullouts on your right where you can stop and take photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/davez20...57620763740044
(The final 26 photos in that set are from the west side of GTS.)
If you descend the west side you have to cross oncoming traffic to access them. I have climbed the west side 3 times now. Stay at Avalanche or Sprague Creek Campground (I prefer the latter as it's smaller and you can walk to and from Lake McDonald Lodge for beers by the lake and groceries. The downside is that it's close to the road and thus more noisy at time.) and head out at dawn. Be very quiet as you ride along the relatively flat early miles and you might see a bear cross the road. (Seen 'em twice.) If you start early enough and don't dawddle, you should have plenty of time to make it to the summit by the 11 a.m. cut off. Try to take the short hike to the viewing platfor for Hidden Lake, which starts behind the Visitor Center at Logan Pass. Worth the walk. Extra food is a must. There is nothing to eat at the summit and nothing on the east side until Rising Sun.
Waterton Village has a grocery store and several restaurants. You can get a lot of this information on line. It's also part of ACA's Great Parks Route. so you might want to get the relevant map section. Our trip in '09 did the loop from Whitefish through Eureeka, Fernie, Sparwood, Pincher Creek Waterton Village then back into the U.S. at Chief Mountain. Logan Pass was still closed so we went around the park via 89, 43 and 2 so we could at least have time to ride part of GTS. Send me a PM if you have any specific questions.