June 14, 2024
Road to the Sun (Logan Pass)
An Epic Day
Today’s challenge: Ride Road to the Sun as far as it is open. We have no idea how far that will be, but we are hopeful. Here’s the planned route.
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The morning started chilly and clouded over. Rain had been predicted for the early a.m., but it never materialized, and by the time we were done with breakfast and ready to go, the sun was shining and temps were already warming. Feeling positive, we headed out.
As we began our ride up the road and caught our first glimpse of McDonald Creek, it was tempting to stop every few minutes to take pictures of the falls and incredible views. But we knew we had a schedule to keep and forged on.
I took 155 pictures today and many video segments on my GoPro. Obviously, I can’t share them all, so here are a few that I think encapsulate some of our experience.
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As we approached the loop, I asked a couple of people who were coming down how far up the road was open. They told us it was open to the top. How exciting! We just happened to be here on the first day it has been open to bicycles, and there is a storm coming in on Sunday or Monday that will probably close the road again. We couldn’t have planned this better, and so now we had the opportunity of a lifetime to ride to the top of Logan Pass!
From the loop on, the road narrowed and the climb became a constant 6-7% grade for 7.5 miles. I dropped it into a low gear, knowing that it would just be a slow grind. I think I averaged about 4.8 MPH. A short distance above the loop, Rich decided that it would probably be too much for him, so he turned back. And I’m sure he was right, as it took the remaining 3 of us nearly two hours to ascend to the top of the pass.
Hundreds of other cyclists were on the road with us today—and probably at least 90% were riding e-bikes.
Along the way, the views were spectacular (my word for the day) and we passed many waterfalls. As we rode higher, the temperature began to fall and snow piled up on the sides of the road. There was lots of runoff from melting snow and we had to be careful of the rocks from slides. Not to mention the many oblivious tourists who didn’t know the usual rules of cycling (such as staying to the right or moving out of the way of someone who was trying to pass).
The wind was also picking up, becoming quite gusty and threatening to pull the wheels from our hands.
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3 months ago
3 months ago
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By the time we reached the top, my legs were trashed, and the wind was cold. But we did it! And I have to say that I feel proud of this accomplishment.
On the way down, the wind gusts were so strong that it actually stopped me at one point, and I had to pedal against the wind to continue moving. The ride down was stressful because of the wind, as well as the water runoff on the road. Nevertheless, it took only about 15 minutes to descend back to the loop. There, I waited for Jim and Gen who had been behind me. But then, I began to second guess myself and thought maybe they’d passed me at some point, so I rode further down the road and found a wonderful sunny resting point by the river. After a few minutes, there they were, and we continued on together to the hotel, fighting headwinds for the remaining 8 miles.
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A video montage of today’s ride
For those who are interested, here’s the full descent from the top of the pass.
And for Gen’s take on the day, click here.
Today's ride: 42 miles (68 km)
Total: 82 miles (132 km)
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3 months ago