Day 26 - Waterton & Glacier Parks (or Back Into The USA)

The 'World's Largest Dump Truck at Sparwood. BC

Where were those guys with the arrows when I needed them???

I didn't realize that I had traveled back into Mountain Time until I got up in the morning and saw the discrepancy between my watch and the motel's clock. I'm glad that this is scheduled to be a easy travel day as I'm getting started an hour late!

I left Fernie, BC with tempertures in the low 60s. I expected it to warm up rapidly but it didn't (thankfully) so I stopped and put on my Hokie sweatshirt under my riding jacket. I eventually had to remove the sweatshirt but it never did get uncomfortably warm. I did get a few sprinkles but nothing that called for putting on the rain gear. Skies got dark occassionally but it was a mostly sunny day!

Just before entering Waterton Park in Alberta, I saw a sign pointing to a bison viewing area. I followed the arrow and ended up on a single lane of tar and chip pavement that zigzaged across an undulating field. I rode for about a mile before I spotted the herd occupying the road in front of me. They were surrounding a car full of tourists ahead of me. I got fairly close and took some pictures. I got a pretty good picture of the largest bull. He was the one I was most concerned about. (After all I ws riding a red motorcycle!) I sat for about 5 minutes and they were not moving. (The road I was on was one way and besides it was too narrow to turn around on anyway.) So I started easing into the herd. They reacted by very, very slowly moving out of the way. One young bull decided that he wanted to race me but when I picked up the pace to about 3 miles an hour he withdrew from the competition. I can tell you that I was really sweating as I passed by the biggest bison but he just stared me down and thankfully nothing more.

Waterton Park was kind of neat but not nearly as scenic as anything else I'd seen lately. Their biggest claim to fame seems to be a big lake that is very pretty. They also have the Prince of Wales Hotel sitting on one end of the lake in a georgous setting. I can't imagine what their room rate must be. Waterton Townsite is full of shops and they went to great lenghts to make you feel good about being there. I had and enjoyable lunch on a patio outside one of the restaurants.

Not long after leaving Waterton I arrived at the US Border. After a few questions and even a few pleasantries from this particular agent, I was admitted back into the USA. How neat to reenter the U.S.A. on Independence Day!

Approaching Glacier NP the geography changed and some of the hugh rock formations stated to appear once again. The "Going To The Sun Road" is phenomenal. It climbs some 6,000 feet out of the valley and back down again. You travel on a road that is etched into the side of cliffs and offers up to die for views with no obstructions. Traffic was slow so it was not a thrilling motorcycle road.

I put 253 WONDERFUL miles on the odometer today and settled into Avalanche Campground in Western Glacier NP for the night. I look forward to back tracking tomorrow morning on my way to Great Falls, Montana where a motel room awaits to clean up this scruffy camper!