Sisters To St. Paul
Day 5

Date: July 29, 2005

Route: St. Mary Visitor Center to Logan Pass - cycling

Swiftcurrent Lake - hiking

Distance: 19 miles - cycling

2.6 miles - hiking

Ride Time: 2 h - cycling

1 h - hiking

Elevation Climbed: 2600’

Weather: 40 – 65 degrees - cycling

85 degrees - hiking

 

Log

Yep, another climb to Logan Pass. “Is she crazy?”, you may wonder. Let me explain: When I am flying down a hill at 35+ mph, I am not watching the scenery. I am looking at the road, the cars, and the people. I wanted to see the east side of the Going-to-the-Sun Road and the best way, of course, is on my bicycle. The eastern ascent isn’t nearly as difficult. It is shorter and the elevation gain is not as great. I also wanted Jon to have the fun of riding down the mountain. Therefore, I rode up to the Visitors’ Center at the pass and he rode down. He was waiting for me at the bottom with a smile on his face.

We drove to the Many Glacier Hotel. It is another of the grand hotels built by the Great Northern Railway to encourage visits to Glacier and business for the train. It is set on the shore of Swiftcurrent Lake surrounded by towering peaks. We hiked the 2.6 mile nature trail around the lake, taking pictures and enjoying the scenery.

The day ended with a visit to the Laundromat and dinner at a wonderful Mexican restaurant. We shared our table with a genial couple that have been spending a month in Glacier for the last 25 years. I wish we had had more time for their stories and observations.

We returned to the hotel to pack and prepare for an early morning departure.