Day 66: I'm A Rolling Stone... Of Sorts.

I am INSISTING that you click on all the panoramic shots to get the full effect. Trust me... they'll look much cooler at their full size. Thanks.


This morning Matt moved on to West Glacier and i headed out to sightsee. I got a good chance to talk with the hiker who stayed in the hostel last night, and he's a really neat guy. Definitely glad I stuck around this morning to hang out with him. But around 10am I headed up Hwy 49 to Two Medicine. The skies were overcast and the wind was growing stronger as the day went on, but the riding was excellent. Getting there was a decent split of uphill and downhill; combined with the fact that i didn't have any panniers attached to the bike, it made for the best day of riding on this whole trip. I cannot even describe how beautiful it is here.

Before even entering the Official Park Boundaries, I saw a black bear in the woods on the side of the road, which made me completely paranoid for the rest of the day. Rationally, I knew I had very little to fear, but still I couldn't stop my heart from racing every time I turned a corner. Still not completely sure of what to do in case of a bear encounter, but I doubt it will be an issue, so I'm not too worried.

Shortly after seeing the bear, I saw 3 large dark animals way off in the distance... I quickly stopped the bike and stayed completely still while examining my options. I was a ways away, but didn't want to take any chances. Well... Long story short... It was a bunch of cows. But from afar they very much looked like they could have been bears. Check it out...

OK... I'm gonna go through this quickly, and just let the pictures speak for themselves. Two Medicine was beautiful beyond belief, though very windy and very cold; wind unlike anything Ive experienced on this trip. The Rangers Stations and stores were boarded up for the winter, and it added to the effect of the cold windy day. I felt like I was witnessing the last gasp of the 2007 season. Like being introduced to somebody the day before you graduate college and move away to a new city. On the way back, I walked my bike down a dirt path to Lower Two Medicine Lake, which was also empty, and vast and impressive. I'm not sure why everything feels so lugubrious today, but it certainly adds to the poetry. I spend a couple of hours exploring the area before heading back to East Glacier. On the rid eback, I have a tailwind and go flying both uphill and downhill; great riding. I can't wait to see more of the park. If it wasn't about to get so much colder, I would be tempted to abandon the cross country thing, and just spend a few weeks here. But I'm a rolling stone... of sorts.

Later that night, a hiker from Austin Texas comes to stay in the hostel. He's on his way to Chicago via train. Super nice guy. He tells me I HAVE to see Many Glacier, but unfortunately i don't know if I'll get the chance.