Tuesday 9/14 (Polson, MT to Great Falls, MT)

There is something about waking up to the sound of sea gulls and looking out to see the beautiful Flathead Lake that is a good start to any day. Temperatures today were cooler than we have been experiencing, but the skies were bright with high cumulus clouds. We headed up Rte 35 along the East side of Flathead Lake. This lake is 300 feet deep and is the largest natural lake in the western US. The drive reminds me of the drive along Lake Tahoe, but with Tahoe being nearly 1,600 feet deep, the blue color is more stunning than Flathead. That does not diminish the beauty we experienced at all today. We entered Glacier National Park and headed up the "Going to the Sun Highway". This road climbs first though a large stand of pine trees until you emerge above the tree line somewhere above 4,000 feet. Logan Pass is at the top with an elevation of about 6,600 feet. The view along the way is simply stunning and is makes one feel small and insignificant. This year marks the 100th anniversary of this national treasure. Some experts predict that by the year 2020 there will be no more glaciers present in the park due to global warming. As we crested the pass we took a picture of the clouds that were approaching from the east literally pouring into the valleys on the west side of the park. This was a spectacular sight as the clouds looked like a wall of water spilling over a spill-way. As we decended on the East side we stopped to take a picture of Lake St. Mary and the peaks that were shrouded in clouds. I have to say that Glacier now ranks at the top of my list for National Parks. If you have not see this, you owe it to yourself to come out and experience the American Alps.

We then headed for Great Falls Montana via Conrad. Conrad is the town that my friend Bill Thrush and I were stranded in last year on the way back from Alaska due to his alternator failing. I simply could not pass this close by without stopping to introduce the Phat Pac to the folks at Olson's Drug store. We all orderd icecream floats and sundaes and the price has not changed from last year. ($1.50) Not only is the soda fountain right out of the 1950's so are the prices and hospitality. I felt like I was being welcomed back to town by my family. I simply love this place out in the middle of the wheat fields of Western Montana. To say the countryside is unclutered is an understatement. Fields of wheat and range land extend as far as the eye can see in all directions. Fortunately, all the bikes are running flawlessly and we did not have any unexpected emergencies. I am having trouble getting a picture of the Drug store on the blog as Sony does not like to cooperate and use a SD chip in their camera.. but we will work it out and get the picture on some how tomorrow. You can't miss the Phat Pac doing what we do best... eating and adding a little local excitement to any establishment we enter. So far no law enforcement officers have had to be called. In Conrad that would mean a call to "Fast Eddy". Yes, that is what the locals call him, but from what I can tell it is used lovingly.