Glacier National Park

Well, its Saturday 29th June and after being out of contact for a few days I finally found an Internet access point. In all places it is in a very small shop in the Glacier Park, Montana. Believe me its the last place on this earth I would have looked. I just wish I could now get phone reception but that is still a few days away.

I have blasted my way across the great plains and they are now behind me. The plains lasted a full 1200 miles, miles of absolute flatness, and three states!

Yesterday I started from Glasgow and rode to Chester - not that far then - in fact about 220 miles, not much different from England I would not have thought. We started the day at a local museum which was pretty good, even if I was the only visitor for 3 days. Jed made a further push for world domination when he put in a bid for a ex USAF jet fighter - well he had his photo taken with it! He also had his photo taken with John Wayne, he says he was one of his hero's whilst he was growing up - I think he makes these things up just to impress. I will post the photo when I can link my camera to a computer, probably tomorrow when I get to a hotel.

Weather wise yesterday was blue sky horizon to horizon but very blowy with a strong crosswind from the North which kept things interesting. I camped last night on a grassed play area on the edge of Chester - warning sign up to the effect that automatic watering commenced at 9am, so made sure I was off by then.

Today rode to Glacier National Park - one of the highlights of this trip for me. I stopped in a small town just before the park and was chatting to a bloke who asked what I was doing. I told him I wanted to ride the Road to the Sun within the park which climbs up over the Rockies, only for him to say that the road was still closed after heavy spring snowfall!! Bummer. They were hoping to get 29 of the 54 miles open by lunch today so will have to manage with the lower roads. HOWEVER, whilst on one of those lower roads within the park I SAW A MOOSE.

I saw a tour bus in lay by and a man looking up onto a small hill about 200ft away, I looked up and saw a moose's head dropping behind some trees in a hollow. Stop the bike, jump of and make my way back a little to see if I could see more of the hollow. After a 5 mins wait, out she comes into full view..........trailing behind her 2 small calfs.......wow!!!!! That alone has made the trip worthwhile. After watching her for a few minutes she wondered off behind a bank of trees, so onward.

Drive about 3 miles and crest a brow and there is mommy bears backside disappearing into the trees on the side of the road, but............2 cubs still on the road, again brake to a stop, but by the time I had grabbed the camera they had all gone into the woods.

I will be camping in the park tonight on the western side and will tomorrow try to do the part of the Road to the Sun that I am allowed, although there is apparently a 3 mile stretch of gravel!! I will see how I get on, I don't want to drop my bike otherwise I can't get home.

Will be stopping in a hotel tomorrow night so I hope I can get one with an Internet point so that I can add more.

Thanks to you all for reading, and the comments that you are posting, I enjoy reading them, and for your information, I think by backside would have fitted perfectly in the turtle shell!

I think the way I am going and the fact I will be taking tomorrow off the road as such I will be Seattle later this week, certainly by 4th July.