Return to Whitefish

June 4, 2023

I'm glad we have short miles today after yesterday's quest up to Logan Pass. Our bikes are a mess from splashing through the snow melt on the roads on the way down. When I packed up my bike in St Louis I managed to break the fender at the point where it mounts to the frame so I left it at home. We have mesh seats and all that stuff splashed right through up to my helmet. Really missing that fender. Barry has a plastic guard on his rack that catches a lot of the dirt. Maybe we can figure out something like that.

It's a gorgeous day. We're lucking out on the weather so far. Turning back west, we take the south way back to Whitefish on the Northern Tier along US Highway 2. The first 10 miles are very pleasant. There are bike paths and turnoffs on Old Highway 2 all the way to Hungry Horse.

Keep your eyes open in Coram where the bike path switches from the West to the east side of the road

Whose idea was it to park all the motorcycles on the bike path in front of the Packers Roost bar in Coram? Seems aggressive.

When we discovered the yummy Huckleberry pie last night at Lake McDonald Lodge yesterday, our server told us about the Huckleberry Patch in Hungry Horse. It's a good place for lunch and they have a fun shop.

Get your huckleberry picking baskets, onesies, fudge and whatnot at the Huckleberry Patch

Bison burger washed down with Huckleberry lemonade

Great bike path on the bridge over the South Fork

Once we cross the river there's a terrible couple of miles going through Bad Rock Canyon where the shoulder all but disappears. Most drivers give us some room, except for a couple big camping rigs and a guy pulling a boat. They don't move over much at all. It was tense.

From there the shoulder widens out and we can breathe again. We cross the Flathead River going north, make our way into Columbia Falls and pick up the pretty route that we took east from Whitefish two days ago.

Sprawling ranch homes, towering Spruce trees, and empty roads. Love it.

Our WarmShowers hosts, Chuck and Rita, have a cute house not far from downtown and a nice flat yard to pitch the tent. We hang out for a little while on the shady front porch until Rita gets home and patronize the lemonade stand that some neighborhood kids are running in front of their house.

We get acquainted over a delicious spaghetti dinner featuring Chuck's standout homemade pasta sauce. He was the Whitefish City Manager and Rita worked as a writer and editor. Since retiring they've done some big cycle trips. It was fun to hear about their trip last fall down the Atlantic Coast from Bar Harbor Maine to Key West. We hope to do something like that next spring - from Key West going north, but I don't know if we'll go all the way to Maine.

After dinner I tell my sad fender tale and Chuck produces an old fender from his "Giveaway Box" in the garage. It has a screw mount in the front that fits but I can't see how it will work without stays. The guys figure out an easy solution of course. Just drill a couple holes in the middle of the fender and hang it from the rack with zip ties.

In the morning while Chuck is off on his retirement gig driving for Uber, Rita serves up her wonderful homemade granola and we chat about writing, touring, and staying healthy. We meet the loveliest people through WarmShowers. I wish we could hang out longer but we have 60 miles to cover today. Better get going.

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Today's ride: 28 miles (45 km)
Total: 126 miles (203 km)

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Kelly IniguezIf you need to supplement your fender, I've found that a plastic bottle cut in half and zip tied to the frame works adequately. You can use more than one as needed!

You Logan Pass day was amazing - even sitting here on the sofa!
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1 year ago

Janice BranhamTo Kelly IniguezCool tip! This one is doing the job, but you never know when you might need a fender.
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1 year ago