40 miles on nice roads and no “confusion.”

Our fantastic hosts, Rita and Chuck, started us off with a hot breakfast and coffee this morning (other Warm Showers hosts take notes!). Tom, who also shared in their hospitality, took off early hoping to get 100 miles to the Canadian border on his Great Divide Race today – from the Mexican border with New Mexico all the way to Banff, Alberta, solo, on Park Service roads.

We casually embarked on a very pleasant, short, touring type ride today to Lake McDonald Lodge in Glacier National Park.

We like this message and we guess others do too because litter is a lot less in Montana.

The road was mostly clear with the added benefit that drivers around Whitefish are used to dealing with bikes so the fear factor was lessened quite a bit. We did have an unpleasant 2.5 mile stretch through the forest on a rough gravel road where our speed was minimal but after that we sailed into the Park with smiles on our faces.

Our first views of Lake McDonald.  It doesn’t get better than this!

We planned on taking a rest day tomorrow but now there is uncertainty when Logan Pass over the Continental Divide will be open so at the moment it is unclear when we will leave. There is an alternate route but it’s on the shoulder of Route 2, not something we are excited about. Time, weather, road crews will all tell in then end.

In the meantime, we are happy and very comfortable here in the Lodge.

One of many roadside crosses–there are way too many of these on the roads. Maybe an indication that a 70 mph speed limit on two lane roads is a bit too high.

Our view of Lake McDonald from the Lodge

Our home away from home. Tenting at our “warm showers” hosts in Whitefish