49 miles
I rode around the outside edge of the Glacier National Park. It was mostly downhill. I stopped almost every 500 ft. I was taking pictures and taking it all in. I felt bad for the motorists driving by. They only stopped at the pull offs. They missed so much beauty rushing by at 55 mph. Sometimes my 15 mph felt too fast. How could anyone not want to see this by bicycle?! Sure, by foot one would be even more capable of taking the scenery in, but bicycle seems the best way to take it slow, but not too slow.
I can say that for the first time on this trip, my camera was less than what I had hoped for. I left my good camera at home to save weight. I was wishing I had just taken on the extra. But even if I had had the my good camera, the clouds were low and the haze from the nearby fires made the hills dark. Still, I got some beautiful pictures. See....
I got another headache about 3. I was holding my head at the side of the road for almost an hour. I was sitting in the hot sun. I would have moved to the shade, but my head hurt so bad that I just had to sit still until it passed.
I rolled into Whitefish around 4. I enjoyed a cold drink and rode around the town. My brother had a friend in town. I was hoping to find a place to sleep for the night. Julie got a hold of me a short while later. I told her I was just looking for a place to pitch my tent. She gave me directions to her mom's house. It took me awhile to realize this though. She was in town for a bit of a family reunion. Julie and all her siblings were in town and at her mom's house. Despite this, they all welcomed me. They let me take a shower and even offered to wash my clothes. I let them. They also fed me some delicious dinner and talked with me about my trip.
After dinner, Julie decided she would take me up Big Mountain.She borrowed her brother Seth's car. We headed up the mountain. The gas gauge read low but we risked it. She pointed things out as we rolled up the mountain road. There was some antique car gathering going on. Hundreds of Model T Fords were in the area. I had seen them earlier throughout the day and night before as well. The Model T's chugged up the mountain slowly. Soon we were rolling to a stop and the antique cars were passing by us on the curvy road. We were out of gas. This was only the third time on this trip that I had been in a car. I found the adventure amusing. Julie called her brother and brought some gasoline up. After that we were on our way back up the mountain. It was just before sunset. It was beautiful. I was told that without the haze the Glaciers on the mountains to the east could be seen. It was still beautiful. We rolled down the mountain and drove around town. I got to see more of the town. It was a really cute town, even if it was a bit touristy. We drove to the lake. It was shaped like a fish. It was a really pretty lake. The whole area was beautiful.
Julie and I headed back to her mom's house. I sent up my tent on the back deck. They gave me the cushions from the lawn chaise.
Before heading to bed I went inside and hung out with the whole family. I felt like I was intruding. But they still made me feel welcome. What a great bunch! Julie, Michele, Kristin, Lisa, Seth, and especially Janice, thank you so much for all the hospitality!
I went to bed warm and cozy.
Day 52
No real miles
I slept so so well. It was amazing. Upon waking up I was offered breakfast. I enjoyed some yummy Shredded Wheat with honey. I packed up and thanked everyone. Julie hugged me and wished me well.
I texted Lily and Matt early. I didn't really know when to expect to hear from them. I headed toward town and explored some more. I hung out at the library for a bit. I found a State Park. It said the camping was full. I would wait to see if it was still full later. I didn't know if I would be seeing the gang this day or the next one. I really enjoyed my day in the town relaxing, even napping in a local park. I did feel a bit like a bum, but at least I had clean clothes.
I heard from Lily around 5. The Flaming Wheels High-Line Bicycle Gang would be riding into town the next day. I headed out to the Whitefish Lake State Park. It still said that the camp was full. As I'd been lucky many other times, I headed down the road to the park. When I arrived, I was assured the regular camping was full. However, they had a hike/bike site. Sweet! It was only $7. I headed down to my site. I was next to a family of adults. They were kind. I set up on my tent on the gravel covered site. I headed down to the lake. The water was cold and I opted out of swimming. But I did enjoy the views. The cheapest camp sites always seem to have the best views.
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