Glacier Trip
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Tourer
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After reading these posts and talking to the wife It was discussed that we either cut out Yellowstone and do that next year and stick to the glacier area and try to go up to jasper national park in Canada. My other question is how far can I ride into Canada before hitting gravel roads?
The other options was just spend the two weeks in Yellowstone/Grand Tetons, and do glacier another year. I have been to both glacier and yellowstone but my wife has not and last time I was there I was riding in the truck pulling a 5th wheel.
I love glacier and is probably my favorite national park and I have been to 49 of the 50 states, (Hawaii is all I have left), so i am leaning to towards glacier, but am wondering do I have to worry about the snow on going to the sun road if we plan on being there for opening day of the going to the sun road?
Sorry my writing can be hard to read sometimes especially since I am sitting in a law school class. I will reread after class and try to clarify if need be.
And thank you all for the advice, I am so looking forward to this trip.
Ben
The other options was just spend the two weeks in Yellowstone/Grand Tetons, and do glacier another year. I have been to both glacier and yellowstone but my wife has not and last time I was there I was riding in the truck pulling a 5th wheel.
I love glacier and is probably my favorite national park and I have been to 49 of the 50 states, (Hawaii is all I have left), so i am leaning to towards glacier, but am wondering do I have to worry about the snow on going to the sun road if we plan on being there for opening day of the going to the sun road?
Sorry my writing can be hard to read sometimes especially since I am sitting in a law school class. I will reread after class and try to clarify if need be.
And thank you all for the advice, I am so looking forward to this trip.
Ben
Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2009
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From: Snohomish WA
You could go to Glacier then at Whitefish MT head north on HWY 95 to Raduium Hot Springs. Then go north east on HWY 93 through Kootenay NP we stayed in some rustic cabins in Kootenay NP .. Lots of wildlife elk ,mosse ,mt goats ,bear,big Horn sheep even saw a pack of wolves.
From there we went to Banff and Lake Louise.When heading from Banff to Lake Louise take the old HWY 1A its a better ride then HWY 1. The highways are all paved to Jasper and they even have flush toilets.If you like Glacier you will love the Canadain Rockies.
From there we went to Banff and Lake Louise.When heading from Banff to Lake Louise take the old HWY 1A its a better ride then HWY 1. The highways are all paved to Jasper and they even have flush toilets.If you like Glacier you will love the Canadain Rockies.
Last edited by skydrifter; Mar 2, 2010 at 05:02 PM.
The BB has got it right. Road Jasper to Banff last August. Spectacular! Heated vest is a good idea that time of year. High elevations can gett pretty chilly that time of year, and, of course, raingear!
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Joined: Sep 2007
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From: Nomad
These guys have some great suggestions. Banff is amazing and Jasper is jaw-dropping. (And, yeah, the roads are paved 
).
On a Waterton-Banff-Jasper trip, you should treat your wife to a night or two at a place like the Prince of Wales or the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. The Canadian national park experience is a little different. Make the most of it!
I forget your dates, but if you could catch the Calgary Stampede (mid-July), you won't regret it. It's the BIGGEST rodeo in the world, and a helluva party. But I am a sucker for good rodeo. You won't find any better except the NFR in Vegas, and, honestly, the Stampede is WAY more fun. I get up to the Stampede every other year. Calgary is a great town. Lots of other great mountain towns in AB and BC.
You could come back down from Jasper and then catch the road in Banff to Yoho NP and over to Glacier NP (the Canadian one). Then ride over to Revelstoke, and down towards Valhalla and then work back east to Nelson, Cranbrook, and back to Waterton. I like to hit Fernie cuz it is just so much fun.
If you go with a Yellowstone trip.......I wouldn't spend two weeks in YNP or GTNP, unless you plan on getting off the bike and hiking in for a few days (if you want to do that, in YNP, GTNP, or GNP, let me know. I can put you on to some great trails near good backcountry fishing and camping.)
But, there is so much great riding around southern Montana, southern Idaho, and western Wyoming, stuff away from the tourist hordes with scenery that you can't describe. If you're interested, let me know. Easy to make YNP and GTNP part of a great exploration of the two-lane west.
Either way, you can't lose.
).On a Waterton-Banff-Jasper trip, you should treat your wife to a night or two at a place like the Prince of Wales or the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise. The Canadian national park experience is a little different. Make the most of it!
I forget your dates, but if you could catch the Calgary Stampede (mid-July), you won't regret it. It's the BIGGEST rodeo in the world, and a helluva party. But I am a sucker for good rodeo. You won't find any better except the NFR in Vegas, and, honestly, the Stampede is WAY more fun. I get up to the Stampede every other year. Calgary is a great town. Lots of other great mountain towns in AB and BC.
You could come back down from Jasper and then catch the road in Banff to Yoho NP and over to Glacier NP (the Canadian one). Then ride over to Revelstoke, and down towards Valhalla and then work back east to Nelson, Cranbrook, and back to Waterton. I like to hit Fernie cuz it is just so much fun.
If you go with a Yellowstone trip.......I wouldn't spend two weeks in YNP or GTNP, unless you plan on getting off the bike and hiking in for a few days (if you want to do that, in YNP, GTNP, or GNP, let me know. I can put you on to some great trails near good backcountry fishing and camping.)
But, there is so much great riding around southern Montana, southern Idaho, and western Wyoming, stuff away from the tourist hordes with scenery that you can't describe. If you're interested, let me know. Easy to make YNP and GTNP part of a great exploration of the two-lane west.
Either way, you can't lose.
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Tourer
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Based off of the inputs of all of you. I have updated the trip plan. We will be going the glacier route, and go up into canada.
WHile I have a few stops that will be firm on the ride out and ride back to get around 500 mile days.
We would enjoy doing some hikes in the area so when we are there we will be flexible with where we stay. Trying to be as flexible as possible.
What is the best way to condition ourselves for 500 mile days, obviously taking long rides. And I guess another question is how much ability to ride for longer distances do you lose over the winter. This was my first winter, and the bike has been put away since the tuesday before thanksgiving.
Oh here is the updated route.
http://rideplanner.harley-davidson.c...r/share/292150
Thanks all.
WHile I have a few stops that will be firm on the ride out and ride back to get around 500 mile days.
We would enjoy doing some hikes in the area so when we are there we will be flexible with where we stay. Trying to be as flexible as possible.
What is the best way to condition ourselves for 500 mile days, obviously taking long rides. And I guess another question is how much ability to ride for longer distances do you lose over the winter. This was my first winter, and the bike has been put away since the tuesday before thanksgiving.
Oh here is the updated route.
http://rideplanner.harley-davidson.c...r/share/292150
Thanks all.
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Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 8,831
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From: Nomad
You must love the plains.
Just curious: why do all that prairie/plains riding in Canada? You could see pretty similar stuff in MN, ND, and MT, where gas is a lot cheaper.
If you don't want to take I-90 into Montana, that's fine. Take US 2 to I-15, then up to Lethbridge and to Calgary--you'll get your Canadian plains riding there just fine. (Interstates out west are not like they are in the east--practically no traffic and sometimes 30 miles between exits.)
But, unless you have a burning desire to eat at more than 20 Tim Hortons or find a Canadian Tire without a Ukranian........consider why you want to do all that riding in the Canadian flatlands. The exchange rate right now is in favor of the Canadian dollar, and don't forget GST/PST. Speed limits there are lower, and the enforcement is higher.
That said, I go up there a lot and love it. I have a lot of friends up there I know through my real job and through my 'fun job' (ski instructor). Beautiful mountains, great riding, and the Canadian west this a kind of hospitality that makes vacationers feel welcome.
But, I gotta say, ND and MT is a little more scenic than SK and eastern AB. The mountains of AB, though.......AMAZING!
And while it is more of an eastern Canada thing, you gotta try some poutine. And, in AB, treat yourself to a good steak. Most Americvans are surprised to find that AB is cowboy country, as if that stops at the border.
Just curious: why do all that prairie/plains riding in Canada? You could see pretty similar stuff in MN, ND, and MT, where gas is a lot cheaper.
If you don't want to take I-90 into Montana, that's fine. Take US 2 to I-15, then up to Lethbridge and to Calgary--you'll get your Canadian plains riding there just fine. (Interstates out west are not like they are in the east--practically no traffic and sometimes 30 miles between exits.)
But, unless you have a burning desire to eat at more than 20 Tim Hortons or find a Canadian Tire without a Ukranian........consider why you want to do all that riding in the Canadian flatlands. The exchange rate right now is in favor of the Canadian dollar, and don't forget GST/PST. Speed limits there are lower, and the enforcement is higher.
That said, I go up there a lot and love it. I have a lot of friends up there I know through my real job and through my 'fun job' (ski instructor). Beautiful mountains, great riding, and the Canadian west this a kind of hospitality that makes vacationers feel welcome.
But, I gotta say, ND and MT is a little more scenic than SK and eastern AB. The mountains of AB, though.......AMAZING!
And while it is more of an eastern Canada thing, you gotta try some poutine. And, in AB, treat yourself to a good steak. Most Americvans are surprised to find that AB is cowboy country, as if that stops at the border.
Last edited by faber; Mar 3, 2010 at 09:24 PM.
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Tourer
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There is no particular reason I was driving up in the canadians plains, just was looking for something different but, with the gas savings and the higher speed limits it makes sense to ride in the states.
Though riding through farm country doesnt scare me either way I am just as content looking at crops riding through iowa as I am trying to make my way west of denver.
Fabor: PM sent.
Though riding through farm country doesnt scare me either way I am just as content looking at crops riding through iowa as I am trying to make my way west of denver.
Fabor: PM sent.
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From: Nomad
There is no particular reason I was driving up in the canadians plains, just was looking for something different but, with the gas savings and the higher speed limits it makes sense to ride in the states.
Though riding through farm country doesnt scare me either way I am just as content looking at crops riding through iowa as I am trying to make my way west of denver.
Fabor: PM sent.
Though riding through farm country doesnt scare me either way I am just as content looking at crops riding through iowa as I am trying to make my way west of denver.
Fabor: PM sent.
The high plains is not like Iowa. It's wide open ranch country. Some find it desolate, some find it liberating.
SK is farm country. A lot of wheat and barley, also alfalfa. But it also opens up to ranch country, like you'll see in AB.