Cycling the GDMBR

GDMBR: smoky Montana and Glacier National Park

by Bicycle Junkies
6.6k views

‘The track between Butte and Helena towards Park Lake is the most challenging part of the whole Great Divide Mountain Bike Route’, I read on the Adventure Cycling map. So, we give ourselves a day off in the mining town of Butte to prepare for this challenge. Stuffed with even more burgers (what else is there to eat in the US??) we hit the road to Basin on a paved climb to another continental divide crossing.

Right after Basin the fun starts with a steep offroad climb, still doable. But, as soon as we turn onto Lava Mountain Trail we have no choice but to jump off our bikes and we start to push our heavy loaded bikes up the hill, one by one. It’s steep, it’s rocky, it’s just not ridable… I guess this is what the ACA meant with ‘the most challenging part’… The downhill is just as bad and to avoid eating dust and rocks we walk down the worst parts. After more than 80 tough kilometers we pitch our tent at Park Lake Campground where we get to see the milky way as a reward for our hard labour.

Cycling the GDMBR

Lava Mountain Trail

Forest fires
When we pass Lincoln we get to see a forest fire up close and personal; it’s the beginning of a smoky ride through Montana. It’s been such a dry summer that Montana is just on fire and the air is filled with smoke. Near Seeley Lake the single track of the GDMBR is even closed due to a fire and we have to detour on the highway to be able to reach Holland Lake. We share a campsite with friendly Dutch couple Joos and Sanne and the next couple of days we ride together. Even with the smoke, Holland Lake is beautiful and while Joos and Sanne hit the water in a kayak, Elmar and I sit in the sun and enjoy the view.

Cycling the GDMBR

Holland Lake

Going to the Smoke.. uhh Sun Road
Almost a year ago in Cusco, Peru we said goodbye to Paul and Jan and today we cycle into Whitefish to meet them at the Montana Coffee Company. We are reunited and will be cycling together for the next two weeks. We have great memories of our cycling adventures together in Bolivia and Peru and it’s great to be on the road together again! Their very friendly friends Cathy and Walt let us camp in their yard next to their beautiful log cabin in the woods. Walt takes us on a tour on Whitefish Lake on their boat and we all share a beer and Paul cooks us a great steak on the BBQ; good food to ride into the smoke towards Glacier National Park. The GDMBR actually bypasses the park, but apart from the heavy fires near Eureka we’d prefer to visit the park and ride up to Logan Pass, an additional continental divide crossing.

Glacier National Park is very busy and cyclists are not allowed to ride up to Logan Pass between 11AM and 4PM. We plan it well as we enter the park at 3:50PM which is no problem for the ranger on duty. We pitch our tent at Lake McDonald while the smoke is getting thicker and thicker…

Cycling the GDMBR

Lots of smoke at Lake McDonald – Glacier NP

Cycling the GDMBR

Logan Pass in smoke

We have to ride about 38 kilometers and climb more than a 1000 vertical meters to Logan Pass, all before 11AM. Our alarm clocks are set at 5:30 to be on the road by 7 AM. The first 20 kilometers are a rollercoaster ride and we don’t gain a lot of altitude. Then the climb starts, it’s a gentle one and we aim te reach the top before 11 or else a park bus will scoop you off the road and that’s not gonna happen to us! In the thick stinky smoke we breath and pump our way up to the pass, which we reach just before 11! And as we go up, the temperature drops dramatically and we need a few extra layers to ride down into the freezing wind to St. Mary Lake and campground. On the way down we pass the recent forest fires, it’s a sad sight…

Cycling the GDMBR

Glacier Park gone up in flames…

As we set up camp it starts to rain which changes to hail and snow not long after. We cook our delicious pesto pasta meal under the tarp while we are deeply tucked away into our down jackets. The good news is, that it clears the sky from smoke! Well, at least for half a day! And we get to see the fresh white peaks at St. Mary Lake and the rugged mountains near Many Glacier Campground, before the smoke takes over again as we leave the United States with one day left on our 90-day visa. The smoke doesn’t need borders and follows us into Canada… our last country in the Americas! New adventures await!

Cycling the GDMBR

Glacier National Park

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10 comments

Pa August 31, 2015 - 13:18

Mooie, maar ook gezellige foto’s met al dat bier. Ik lust geen bier maar krijg er wel dorst van.
Wat is de wereld mooi en wat maken we er een klerezooi van. Zonde.
Geniet er van nu het nog kan.

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Pa en Ma August 31, 2015 - 14:16

Hoi kinders
Wat maken jullie toch een hoop mee.
en wat een mooie foto,s weer echt genieten
Jullie zullen nog veel meer moois gaan zien in Canada geniet er van dan genieten wij weer van verhalen en foto,s.
Veel fietsplezier met de canadezen.:D

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jos groot August 31, 2015 - 17:05

HET IS WEDEROM WEER ECHT GENIETEN VAN DE FOTO,S EN JULLIE REISVERSLAG ,IN EEN WOORD GEZEGD HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERLIJK EN FIJN OM ZO MEE TE GENIETEN VAN JULLIE FIETSTOCHT MAAR WAT JAMMER DAT ER ZOVEEL NATUUR VERLOREN GAAT DOOR DIE BRANDEN ALHOEWEL DIT VOLGENS MIJ TOCH VRIJ SNEL HERSTELT

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Peter de Visser September 1, 2015 - 07:38

Toen we afgelopen mei de Logan pakten, waren er ook al hele stukken bos zwart geblakerd aan de overkant van de Road to the sun. Wij hadden verder geluk. De weg was net het eerste weekend open en alleen fietsers mochten omhoog voorbij het tunneltje. [b]:-)[/b]
Toch een lang stukkie trappen, vond ik. Helaas geen beren op de weg.
Goede reis verder Canada in!

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Bicycle Junkies September 1, 2015 - 17:13

Genieten doen we zeker!

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Bicycle Junkies September 1, 2015 - 17:14

Thanks! Nu hopen dat het weer wat opklaart!

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Bicycle Junkies September 1, 2015 - 17:16

Dankjewel Jos voor de complimenten! Het is inderdaad jammer dat er zoveel bosbranden zijn en veel natuur verloren gaat. 🙁

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Bicycle Junkies September 1, 2015 - 17:19

Ha Peter, we hebben nu 4 beren gezien haha! 😉 Een zelfs voor ons op de weg. Het is inderdaad een aardige klim, maar gelukkig niet heel steil.
Dankjewel!

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Roadrunner September 1, 2015 - 18:33

Congratulations Ellen and Elmar! One more country down! Glad you made it through the fires and smoke without harm. And how nice that you always have friends joining you for some time. Wishing you more happy time in Canada… Roadrunner & Cisco

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Pritesh September 29, 2016 - 04:46

Fascinating pictures. Love you guys

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