This ride story actually began a few months ago when Dave asked me if I could pick up a Centurian Pro Tour he’d bought on Ebay from Seattle Goodwill. “Of course!” I said, “”It would give me a reason to drive over for some skiing at Whitefish”. Health and family issues kept me from being able to do that so the bike sat in my garage as spring arrived and my sports interests changed from skiing to biking. We’d been in contact as I had hoped to one day ride the Going to the Sun Road before it opened to cars in the spring. Finally this past weekend, conditions aligned and I was in my small car packed with bikes for the monster drive to Kalispell. When I arrived, there was BBQ Steak and Dawn’s awesome Rhubarb pie for dinner and a comfortable bed for the night. Dave and Dawn are tremendous hosts, making me feel right at home.

Awoke by a knock on the door at 6:30AM, a hot breakfast and we are soon on the road for Glacier National Park. “We start early to avoid the crowds” Dave says. I had no idea just how popular this was with the locals. Even this early, there were a lot of cars parked at the Avalanche Campground inside the Park when we got there. This is where the road ends for cars. The road is gated just past the campground and folks are excitedly getting ready for a day of riding or hiking.

Soon, we are on the bikes. It is cold and I am wearing everything I’d brought - a base layer, a wool short sleeve jersey, a wool sweater over that, and a windbreaker…long fingered gloved with glove liners and I was still cold but it was thrilling to be on a closed road heading up to Logan Pass.

Dave and Dawn ride out from Avalanche Campground by NBend, on Flickr

We are hopeful the skies will clear by NBend, on Flickr

Sun and Clouds battle for supremacy by NBend, on Flickr

We soon met up with some of Dave and Dawn’s friends.

We meet up with some their friends by NBend, on Flickr

The gradient on the climb is steady, somewhere around 6% most of the way.

Tunnel just before the Loop by NBend, on Flickr

We pass by many riders and walkers including these ‘corn doggers’ riding up to catch some spring skiing on the corn snow at Logan Pass

Corn Doggers on their way up for the goods by NBend, on Flickr

It was still cold, but the effort warmed us up enough to start taking layers off by the time we got to the “Loop”, a popular stopping point a few miles up the road. I took off the sweater and packed it into the handlebar bag. We push off again as a group

Our group is still together at the Loop by NBend, on Flickr

The girls drop behind as the steady effort takes it’s toll. They don’t mind us going on ahead. The road is still a work on progress for the road crews. There is lot’s of debris and equipment on the road and no guardrails are up yet. We take mental notes on places that will present challenges on the descent

Sam waits for me to take the picture by NBend, on Flickr

But mostly, we ride along, awestruck by the views

Dave is all smiles by NBend, on Flickr

The weeping wall by NBend, on Flickr

One of those rides you dream of by NBend, on Flickr

The views are spectacular by NBend, on Flickr

The summit of Logan Pass is reached

Mt Logan by NBend, on Flickr

Dave Sam and I at the Summit by NBend, on Flickr

My bike resting in the lot on top by NBend, on Flickr

The sun is blocked out by fast moving clouds and the winds pick up, gusting hard and chilling you to the bone. We take shelter behind a rock wall with some others and wait for the girls but we give that up after about 30 minutes then we decide to descend. If the girls want to continue to the summit when we reach them we’ll ride back up and in the process, warm ourselves.

Time to descend from the pass by NBend, on Flickr

We find the girls a few miles down the road. They are ready to descend, not wanting to climb anymore so down we go. It gets VERY cold descending off of Logan Pass, so much so, that I shiver pretty violently and have to stop occasionally. The others do the same. and this affords us to stay together.

We stop on our descent to warm up by NBend, on Flickr

By the time we get to the “Loop” about 1/2 way down, the place is packed with riders resting on the way up. Dave was right for us to get an early start. The temperature gets a little more reasonable down here and the road is in better shape so Dave n I are able to ride faster. I followed his line back to the car at the Campground. What a memorable day! One for the books. Thanks Dave!

Parting shot of Dave. Thanks Dave for the great ride by NBend, on Flickr

What great shot of an awesome ride, very cool they have a bike only day. I have driven that road in a 77 VW bus, biking might have been faster but what a challenge! Thanks for the ride report [MENTION=114373]northbend[/MENTION]. How would you rate Going to the Sun vs Hurricane Ridge and Mt Rainier? by bike.

Wow, thanks for sharing. I try to hit Glacier every summer although I cancelled last year at the last moment due to the fires. The smoke got to me in 2015 also.

I'm going later than normal this year and planning to finally take a bike. I'll be on the East side though, which I prefer so much more.

I'm normally there to hike and do photography but I'm really looking forward to riding there this year.

Rate what? Mountain rides are all different. I appreciate each one for what they have to offer.

Wnderful.

Fair enough

I'm glad I wasn't drinking coffee just now. Ha!

we are pretty blessed for natural beauty out here in PNW and lots of vertical

I rode a motorcycle west to east on the Going to the Sun road on a Saturday, stayed in East Glacier Saturday night and rode east to west on Sunday. Easily one of the best trips I've even been on. Shot 10 rolls of 36 exposure film that weekend and could have done another 5 rolls. Great scenery, and the nice thing about being on a motorcycle was that I could stop just about anywhere to take a photo, rather than being limited to lay-bys. You could get the same photos by driving a car, but you'd do a lot of walking to get the same shots.

The camera was a Rollei 35S, barely larger than a pack of cigarettes, but with superb Zeiss optics.

I really was awestruck by the "hanging valleys". I remembered reading them described by Zane Grey.

Beautiful scenery and sounds like a great time!

What a blast to ride with you again, [MENTION=114373]northbend[/MENTION]! Great ride report - here's my new favorite photo of you:




Northbend at a bend on the Sun Road



Weeping wall.



End of the paved road at the summit

My friends were riding in part to honor a fellow hockey player/referee. He reffed the final two games I played in a tournament two weeks ago, but I had no idea he was such an avid cyclist. Last week he suffered a fatal heart attack while ascending the Going to the Sun Road on his bike at the young age of 58. It was a pleasure to spontaneously join friends to honor his memory and celebrate his life. While not a close friend, he was a pillar in our small hockey community and will be missed.

That looks like an epic ride and you expressed it well with a great travelogue. I've driven the road and have often dreamed about riding it. I had no idea that there was a period where you could bike it with no cars. Sign me up for next time!

Beautiful!
thanks for sharing

If it wasn't "one of those rides you dream of" before you posted this it certainly is now!
Thanks.
Brent

Fantastic pictures. You folks have young mountains out there. Our mountains are much older here in the east.

Looks like there will be a future BF C&V ride...called The Bucket List Ride. And I hope to be on it.

Great pictures!