Thanks very much to Nevada72 for the write up and pics. So many are absolutely stunning. I sort of skimmed many of the posts you'd written so I want to go back and reread the whole thing. A true adventure of a life time, something Kelly and I are planning for the months after I retire. Its stories like this that keep me coming back to the forums.
Thanks also to whoever resurrected this five/six year old thread. I'd have never found it otherwise.
We started to see traffic coming in from the other direction. A group of riders presumably heading back from Sturgis
Once you are past the lake it gets very mountainous and twisty. In other words - fantastic riding. Fortunately, we had no one in front of us still. I guess most people were entering the park, not leaving it like we were. The ride was absolutely beautiful and a song kept playing over and over in my head. "From the land of ski blue waters.....waters".... The scenery reminded me of the old Hamm's commercials.
I'm sure they had Yellowstone in mind when they made them. Mountains, rivers, streams, forests....everything but the Hamm's bear was present. And thank God for that. It was at this point that I felt we may escape being torn limb from limb by some murderous bear hiding in wait by one of the slower sections. Those dirty bastards are smart. They know things.
I digress. The ride was great. It reminded me a bit of the Million Dollar Highway because of the sharp drop offs. The only difference was a flimsy effort at keeping one from being ejected into the abyss, otherwise known as a guard rail.
Or guard stone wall anyway. Really...does anyone think that would even slow us down from being pitched over the edge? I guess it might wake up the errant soccer mom caught unawares while texting.
I remember briefly thinking - "Great - one of the few places that can exploit my two phobias simultaneously. I pictured us, again inexplicably, veering towards the rock wall. I get launched over the edge, me and the bike in a bouncing, cartwheeling race towards the bottom. I would certainly survive the fall only to be eaten alive by a Grizzly, who heard the dinner bell clang of the Ultra hitting the wall. I would watch in agony as he threw my intestines around like silly string. Cheryl, no doubt, would land on the right side of the wall unscathed. Ever the consummate photographer, she would video the spectacle for all to see on Faces of Death part XX.
But that was a very brief thought. For some reason the pathetic barrier provided some sense of security and I focused on the great ride down the mountain.
Here's a video of that portion. It's pretty short, but you get the idea. It also gives you an idea as to how quiet the bike is. You can hear wind, us, and maybe the bike - in that order.
After about three hours of great riding and sight seeing we arrived at the east gate. I'll bet during busier times there is a line a mile long wait to get in.
cont.........
When you think of yourself driving off the cliff, just try and think of Saturday Night Live "Toonces, look out!!"
The National Park Rangers are advising hikers in Glacier National Park and other Rocky Mountain parks to be alert for bears and take extra precautions to avoid an encounter. They advise park visitors to wear little bells on their clothes so they make noise when hiking. The bell noise allows bears to hear them coming from a distance and not be startled by a hiker accidentally sneaking up on them. This might cause a bear to charge. Visitors should also carry a pepper spray can just in case a bear is encountered. Spraying the pepper into the air will irritate the bear's sensitive nose and it will run away. It is also a good idea to keep an eye out for fresh bear scat so you have an idea if bears are in the area. People should be able to recognize the difference between black bear and grizzly bear scat. Black bear droppings are smaller and often contain berries, leaves, and possibly bits of fur. Grizzly bear droppings tend to contain small bells and smell of pepper.
07-16-2017, 10:18 AM
