From Battlefields to Glaciers

From battlefields to Glaciers, our next destination was St Mary, Montana which is the eastern entrance to Glacier National Park. Ahead of the crowds soon to descend upon this treasure we found St. Mary to be basically still closed. The season up this

way doesn't really get started until the second week of June. Fortunately the NPS campground was open and here we would spend the next three days. On day two the sun made a short appearance  which was enough encouragement to get Sophie and I to saddle up and attempt the ride up Logan Pass, eighteen miles and several thousand feet of climbing away. Rapidly the sun fled for warmer climes leaving us to battle sporadic heavy rain as we slowly slogged our way up, and up, and up some more. We have ridden Logan Pass from this side before, and then too it had rained, but then they had been the warmer rains of summer. Today's rain came with a vengeance but still we kept at it not knowing  if we would see any weather improvement in the days to come. The road is officially closed to vehicle traffic at about the 13 mile mark but the Park Rangers had said we could proceed by bike for several more miles. The road was snow free though the rain streamed down in rivulets that meandered back and forth across the tarmac. Reaching  Siyeh Bend there was a final road closure sign indicating people proceeding further would be prosecuted. I hate to turn around short of any summit but between the sign and the snowfields I could see in the distance I decided that prudence was the better measure at least for today. Logan Pass would need to wait for another day.

Sophie and I had ridden up at our own pace and on her way up the hill she had been caught up by another cyclist going at almost the same pace and struck up a conversation with Mark who had just come to Glacier from Georgia to work for the summer as an accountant for the St. Mary Lodge which would be officially opening June 9th. Until then he had nothing better to do except come out and suffer with the two other idiot cyclists enduring the pounding rain and loving every minute of it. Mark and his wife Rebecca (Rebecca also works in the park for the National Park Service at the east entrance station) had quit their corporate jobs and decided to work the summer in one of the National Parks. They both found positions in Glacier so here they were.  Mark stopped by our campsite later for hot cider and regaled us with tales of their decision to chuck corporate life for the wild adventure of Glacier.  The season in Glacier lasts through September 30th. I don't know if Mark and Rebecca will head back to Georgia come Fall, but I can easily see the allure of the western lifestyle enticing them to stay and put down roots. It was great meeting and talking with Mark and whatever direction they head we wish them all the best.