enossified

My wife and I are both 61, I have many more years of riding under my belt than she does. We have done a few tours here in New England with the Sojourn tour company and will only tour with full support.

We are looking at tours for this summer and I was interested in Glacial National Park. There are a few tour companies offering full-support tours staying at park lodges, mix of hiking and biking. Sounds great on paper.

My wife is always concerned about elevation changes. Even though we live in hilly New England, she gets nervous when there is a lot of up...down is always OK She also hates riding in traffic, preferring quiet roads or bike trails.

Would like to hear from anyone who has done tours (supported or otherwise) of Glacier about what we could expect.

Thx in advance.

indyfabz

Ridden there three times. Going to the Sun Road is going to have a lot of traffic most of the time it's open. Other parts of the park will, too. And indoor lodging books up very early, especially at Many Glacier, if you are thinking of rolling your own ride.

With that said, it offers some beautiful riding. So much so that the traffic is worth bearing. The earlier you can go the better. The problem there is that you never know when Logan Pass will open. When I was last there (in '09) we did a loop from Whitefish, MT into Canada and then back into MT. Got to St, Mary on June 22nd only to learn that the pass would not open the next day. In order to at least ride some of the west side of GTS, we had to do a century via E. Glacier and Marias Pass (U.S. 2). The next morning we rode up as far as we were allowed. There was a ranger there saying the rest of the west side was supposed to open in 1 hr. We hung out, it opened and we made it to the top. As is the case with Yellowstone, riding as early in the morning as possible helps, too.

I think a supported tour with hiking options sounds very nice. I did a 7-day backcountry trip there back in '03. While the views from the road are terrific, there is a lot of beauty and greater wildlife viewing opportunities once you get off road.

prathmann

We did a tour following the Adventure Cycling mapped route from Jasper Park in Canada down to Missoula, MT that went through Glacier Park last summer. We were fortunate to make it over Logan Pass (Going to the Sun Hwy.) just hours before a forest fire broke out that swept across the road and closed it for a couple weeks. Note that there are some time restrictions on that road for when bicyclists are allowed so plan to get an early start. It's a long pretty steady grade up to the pass but never got very steep. Here are the routes and some pictures from our days in Glacier:
Pincher Creek - St. Mary - TripTrack

Glacier National Park - TripTrack

West Glacier - TripTrack

Heavens Peak

Though I've never done a 'tour' in Glacier, I have lots of experience there.

Elevation changes on Going-to-the-Sun Road can be severe. The elevation at Logan Creek, the point where the road begins to climb on the west side is about 3,500 ft - and the elevation at Logan Pass (Highest point on the road) is about 6,600 ft. The distance between the two (on the road) is about 11 miles. So you're looking at about 3,100 ft gain/loss for that section. On the East side of Going-to-the-Sun Road the elevation is a little less dramatic. At Rising Sun the elevation is about 4,500 ft and the distance to Logan Pass is around 11 miles too. So an elevation change of around 2,100 ft for that stretch.

As far as traffic is concerned, yes it's a busy road that's usually only open to vehicles for 3-4 months of the year. Also, there are regulations for bicycles that differ for certain sections of the road and certain months of the year. I think the alpine section on the west side is off limits to bicycles from 11am until 5pm in July and August. These regulations can change from year to year so be sure to check on them.

Lodging in the park for peak season (July & August) is most likely already full for the 2016 summer, but it never hurts to check.

I hope that helps a little.

axolotl

I've biked up Going-to-the-Sun Road west-to-east twice. It's gorgeous. It's the prettiest pass in North America that I've seen, and I've biked up several much higher passes. Here is information from the NPS website:


Going-to-the-Sun Road FAQs - Glacier National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

Can I ride my bicycle on the Going-to-the Sun Road?
Yes, but there are some exceptions. From June 15 through Labor Day, the following sections of the Going-to-the-Sun Road are closed to bicycle use between 11a.m. and 4 p.m.:

From Apgar turnoff (at the south end of Lake McDonald) to Sprague Creek Campground
Eastbound from Logan Creek to Logan Pass.

Due to ongoing road rehabilitation on the Going-to-the-Sun Road, portions of the roadbed may not be paved. Bicyclists should use caution riding on gravel portions of the road.

The road has a constant grade and I found that it was never particularly steep. Since I wanted to get to the top of Logan Pass before the 11am restriction, I got up at dawn and got pedaling quickly. The traffic early in the morning wasn't bad at all, but or course it increased by the time I reached to top. The traffic never bothered me too much. Large RVs are not allowed on parts of the road, so that helps.

Doug64

It is a great area, and Glacier NP is spectacular; but I'm not sure how you would "tour" it, or come up with a good loop route. A lot will depend on how much time you have and your interests.

My wife and I rode a similar route as Prathmann, on our ride across BC and part of Alberta. We went through Pincher Creek on the way to my daughter's place in Montana. There might be a way to do a route encompassing parts of Glacier NP or a route from Glacier NP to Waterton Lakes NP in Canada. It may be possible to utilize the Going-to-the-Sun Road and Highway 2 to make a loop. Neither are "low traffic" roads.

Heading to Logan pass from the east side.


We ran into Backroads Cycle Tours on a couple of our tours, and they seemed to have a good organization, friendly folks, and helpful. They actually returned a motel key, we forgot to return, for us. They also fed us breakfast one morning when were camped next to them, and let me use their workstand to adjust my daughter's bike.
https://www.backroads.com/award-winn...563.1455926545

Tourist in MSN

Any tour company you use will know the rules, but you should be aware of the cycling restrictions anyway.

Bicycling - Glacier National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

From the above link, note that there are two sections with time restrictions for cycling, one of those sections is restricted both ways, the other only one way. The point is that when out there if your goal is to climb to the top from the west end, you should start early enough to get to the top before the 11am restriction starts.

Plan B: When I was there in 2012, most of the shuttle buses had bike racks on the front. I never saw a bike on a rack, but you might want to contact the park and see if that will be the case again this year. If so, if you and/or your wife is concerned about the up hill, you could always take the shuttle up part way. If that kind of backup plan makes you feel better about the trip, great.

Regarding riding the road, the traffic in the park is not driving that fast. As long as you pull over to the side when there are places to do so so that the cars backed up behind you can get past, it is not a problem at all. There are lots of places to pull off the road for photos.

I did self supported with a group from Adventure Cycling, meaning we were loaded down with our camping gear. When we got to the top from the east side, there were a bunch of roadies that had just gotten to the top from the west that looked at us with awe, they were shocked that anyone would climb up the hill with camping gear, and they all had ultra light carbon bikes where we had steel touring bikes.

Now for the good news, entire Going to the Sun Road is a nearly constant grade of a bit less than 6 percent, I think about 5.3 percent. On the uphill, I stopped every 350 to 500 feet of elevation to take a couple minutes of break, but when i got to the top it was pretty clear that I did not need to do that, I was ready to climb more once I was at the top. I suspect back home you have a lot steeper hills than that. But that said, I was glad I went out several times before hand and did some hill training near home.

If any part of your trip is in Canada, make sure your passports have enough time left on them.

When I was there, the visitor center at the top had a water fountain, but other than maybe candy bars, virtually no food. So, you need to carry all your calories that you will need for the entire day up the hill with you. It would be a good idea to bring something that you can carry rain gear, perhaps some warm clothing too. In the photo below you can see I was only wearing shorts and a jersey, but the weather in the mountains can turn bad.

I stayed two nights in Whitefish, one before and one after my trip there. The cheapest motel I could find was the Cheap Sleep Motel, or perhaps it was the Sleep Cheap Motel. Good price and perfectly adequate. I hate to go that far, just do a tour, and rush home. So, I got out there 3 or 4 days before the group trip started and camped at Apgar and rode the Shuttle bus for day trips.

I attached an elevation grade plot for the day I did Going to the Sun Road from East to West. This data is from my GPS. It finished at Apgar Campground, started at a private campground east of the park. If you climb from the west you have to climb higher than from the east. I also attached a photo of one of the most photographed signs (by cyclists) in the Rockies. Note from the elevation plot that the top was only about 6600 feet. So, although you might need to acclimatize to the elevation, it is not like parts of Colorado where you would be at 10 to 12 thousand feet. The third photo, I took that on the downhill where I stopped for about 5 minutes to let my brakes cool down.



Glacier Cyclery in Whitefish has Going to the Sun jerseys, get one to impress your friends after the trip.

Do it, you will have a great trip.

seeker333

Here's a place at GNP no one seems to mention for bike touring. It's gravel/dirt but there's hardly any traffic: the North Fork Road(s). Ride it to Kintla Lake where there's usually an open campsite. Food at the halfway point at Polebridge. Great views. The side trips (hike/ride) to the three other lakes are nice too. When I went to Bowman I had the lake to myself for a couple hours.

hartlean

The most important advice may be to go to GNP soon. The glaciers are melting due to climate change, & will probably be gone by 2020. Enjoy them while you can.

Also, go by bicycle instead of by car, to minimize your CO2 footprint. Thanks in advance for considering. We have only 1 planet.

axolotl

Glacier NP (the one in the US, not the one in Canada, and I'm not talking about Waterton Lakes) got its name from the distinctive landscape carved by glaciers, not because the park had particularly vast glaciers at the time it became a park. The park's website states this information.

hartlean

Yeah, it's on the NPS website too. I guess people won't be able to see the glaciers that did the work.

pdlamb

If OP's wife is really concerned about climbing, she might take one of the shuttles with her bike on the rack (assuming they still have those!). Easy uphill, glorious downhill. Take a lock, lock the bike at the top, and go for a hike waiting for your husband to drag himself up the side of the mountain.

enossified

So far I haven't noticed a reply from anyone who has done a supported tour there?

indyfabz

Supported or unsupported, the terrain and crowds will still be the same.

Here is one for you:

https://www.backroads.com/trips/BGLQ...es-biking-tour

seeker333

So far you haven't acknowledged any of the good advice already given you on this location by multiple users.

Tourist in MSN

A neighbor did a supported trip there last summer, but her group I think was a womens only group.

Concur with Seeker333 comments. I spent a lot of time putting my comments together above. I hate wasting that much time.

indyfabz

OP: Judging from your criteria, Glacier doesn't sound like the place for your wife. Even if she could get rides to the summits (Logan Pass is not the only hill in the park. The climb of U.S. 89 from St. Mary heading towards Two Medicine is some 5 or 6 miles and is a grinder in many places. Chief mountain Road from U.S. 89 to Waterton Village is not an easy day, with nearly 4,100' of climbing in 47 miles.), you are not going to find quiet roads and bike trails.

enossified

seeker,

I was only asking if anyone here had ridden with any of the tour companies and had anything good or bad to say about them.

indyfabz,

I agree it sounds like my wife wouldn't be happy with the elevation changes. If we want to see Glacier I guess it will be on four wheels rather than two.

Thanks for all the replies, it has been most helpful. Sorry that I ruffled feathers.

oaxaca

4100 feet? Is that including a hike up chief mountain? Google maps says 2300 feet gained... Waterton is slightly lower than saint mary. What am i missing here. ...and logan pass IS the only hill in the park, assuming you are on a road. it goes up, then it goes down the other side.

The backroads tour seems like it might be alright for OP depending on how much elevation change is too much... you could even ride lake mcdonald and hop on a shuttle before the bulk of the climb . They will definitely have shuttles with bike racks as they do every year. then you dont miss much biking but you miss all the climbing. I don't see what the issue would be unless the two thousand feet up into canada is a deal breaker. I'd just call the tour companies. I don't know how those work but maybe they offer rides up the steep part into canada? They would surely have a lot of details that nobody here has, since nobody seems to have done a supported tour in glacier...

indyfabz

I have ridden between Waterton and St. Mary in both directions. Google Maps is wrong. Here is south to north:

https://ridewithgps.com/routes/12311337

ACA's map for the Northern Tier wars people not to underestimate the span. Put the cursor on the profile between mile 38 and 40. You will see grades of over -8%. That means you are climbing grades of over 8% going north to south.

I have also ridden from St. Mary to East Glacier, passing by the entrance to the Two Medicine area of the park. Nearly 3,200' of climbing in 26.6 miles to the entrance to Two Medicine Rd. While technically not all in the park, it's the only paved way to Two Medicine. And you get some really nice views from Looking Glass Hill:




This was taken at the top of the big climb on U.S. 89 south from St. Mary. That's the lake in the background. I would say that qualifies as elevation gain:

pdlamb

May I suggest you look for companies that run tours through Glacier, and then ask about them? They're not really likely to change their stripes; and if an outfit runs one tour per year through Glacier with, say, 20 people, there's a rather small chance one of those people will happen across a post here.

Maybe, maybe not. A lot of bike touring companies will haul one or more riders to the top of a big hill and let them coast down. Ask and see what they say.

Tourist in MSN

This is the profile and map from my GPS for Waterton to St Mary. This was a very tough day. The data was from my GPS, I loaded it into Mapsource to get the profile after the fact, did a screen print to save it as a graphic file.



But I do not have much for photos, this was a very windy rainy miserable day. It was too wet for most of the day to take photos, but since then I bought a waterproof camera for later trips.

Above in post number 7 I included the profile for the next day that was St Mary to Apgar going over Going to the Sun Road. The climb to Logan Pass was downright wimpy compared to the previous day ride from Waterton.

indyfabz

With all due respect, that's not really what you asked.

Doug64

+1
That was a tough day for us. My wife and I had just ridden across BC to Calgary before heading south to Montana. The leg from Waterton to St. Mary was one of the more strenuous days of the trip. Being really hot did not help at all.

adventurepdx

I agree with everyone who has said that the riding on the east side of Glacier is tough. When I rode through there in 2011, I found that climbing the Continental Divide at Marias Pass wasn't particularly tough. (Logan Pass/Going To The Sun was still closed.) But riding northward on the east fringe of Glacier to Waterton was much tougher. There's that big hill (Looking Glass) getting out of Two Medicine on MT 49. Then US 89 from the MT 49 junction north to St Marys was going up and over a series of west-east running ridges. It seemed like I was always ascending or descending, very little flat. The stretch of 89 between St Marys and the junction of Chief Mtn Hwy/MT 17 was more flat to rolling, but Chief Mtn Hwy was another bear. It didn't help that when I tackled that road it was pretty hot and there were lots of mosquitoes.