Glacier National Park
Sunday 2nd July 50 miles
Whitefish to Avalanch hiker/biker site
Cycle To West Glacier and entered the park by a cycle path which led to Apgar at the west end of Lake Macdonald. I did not intend to avoid paying the entrance fee, but somehow I did. Between 11 am and 4pm cycles can go no further. The "going to the sun" road is for cars only. The park does, however, provide free shuttles in an attempt to reduce their number. Plus there is a width restriction which means no RV's.
I spent a relaxed afternoon by the lake paddling , admiring the view and eating Huckelberry ice cream. The servers of the ice cream were Polish: one had lived in Glasgow ant the other in Sheffield. They did not tell me to 'have a nice day', but we did have a long chat.
The weekend prior to 4th of July is a bit like going to Windermere in the Lake District on a Bank Holiday weekend. It was busy- the camp sites (other than the 5 dollar ones reserved for walkers and cyclists without motor transport), were full, as where the car parks. The views are spectacular, and families were having picnics, kayaking and standing on boards on the lake. Some children had inflatable lilos.
After 4 pm I cycled up to Avalanche campsite... still a lot of cars on the narrow road. There I was delighted to find Olivia, a lone female cyclist!
BEARS
The Glacial national park is full of grizzly bears.
Notices tell you to:
Keep all food in the bear resistant boxes provided
Do not touch or approach bears
If a bear approaches you use bear spray
Do NOT use your gun to shoot a bear
Olivia had been for a walk that day and about half a mile from our camp site she saw a mama bear with 2 cubs, so she stood and admired them from a distance. Then other walkers arrived. The three men reacted by taking out their pistols from their holsters. Olivia then said something like " don't shoot poor mama bear I have pepper spray". Fortunately mama led her cubs away into the forest.
Last year a cyclist was maimed and later died in hospital when cycling up towards the Logan Pass. Just about the same time in the morning as Olivia plans to leave the next day.
I slept well and did not even dream of bears!
Whitefish to Avalanch hiker/biker site
Cycle To West Glacier and entered the park by a cycle path which led to Apgar at the west end of Lake Macdonald. I did not intend to avoid paying the entrance fee, but somehow I did. Between 11 am and 4pm cycles can go no further. The "going to the sun" road is for cars only. The park does, however, provide free shuttles in an attempt to reduce their number. Plus there is a width restriction which means no RV's.
I spent a relaxed afternoon by the lake paddling , admiring the view and eating Huckelberry ice cream. The servers of the ice cream were Polish: one had lived in Glasgow ant the other in Sheffield. They did not tell me to 'have a nice day', but we did have a long chat.
The weekend prior to 4th of July is a bit like going to Windermere in the Lake District on a Bank Holiday weekend. It was busy- the camp sites (other than the 5 dollar ones reserved for walkers and cyclists without motor transport), were full, as where the car parks. The views are spectacular, and families were having picnics, kayaking and standing on boards on the lake. Some children had inflatable lilos.
After 4 pm I cycled up to Avalanche campsite... still a lot of cars on the narrow road. There I was delighted to find Olivia, a lone female cyclist!
BEARS
The Glacial national park is full of grizzly bears.
Notices tell you to:
Keep all food in the bear resistant boxes provided
Do not touch or approach bears
If a bear approaches you use bear spray
Do NOT use your gun to shoot a bear
Olivia had been for a walk that day and about half a mile from our camp site she saw a mama bear with 2 cubs, so she stood and admired them from a distance. Then other walkers arrived. The three men reacted by taking out their pistols from their holsters. Olivia then said something like " don't shoot poor mama bear I have pepper spray". Fortunately mama led her cubs away into the forest.
Last year a cyclist was maimed and later died in hospital when cycling up towards the Logan Pass. Just about the same time in the morning as Olivia plans to leave the next day.
I slept well and did not even dream of bears!
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