Day 10: Whitefish, Montana

A day of 2 halves. Both of us were grumpy this morning which was not helped by the fact that we only had decaff coffee and no breakfast. We then rode off down the East side of the Rockies aiming for the US entry port of Roosville. There was actually some stunning rural/agricultural scenery but we weren't into it due to cold temperatures and rain. The huge shelf of the Rockies accompanied us pretty much to the border and with shafts of light coming through the rain it was at times very beautiful. Being drenched in spray from large trucks that were difficult to overtake didn't help us cheer up though.
Once we crossed the border we immediately hooked into the Great Divide Ride and things perked up nicely. We rode into the Whitefish mountains and enjoyed an afternoon of lovely dual sport riding. It had rained and the forest was fresh and cool and the trail was just technical enough to be fun. It is labour weekend here and so the campsites are full of campers with the smell if woodsmoke in the air.
We met a lovely lady who is supporting her husband in riding the trail on a bicycle. Good chat.
The road was closed due to a washed out bridge so we had to ride over some sleepers to get to the other side. I'm glad we made the effort.
Not that many photos today as camera was stashed deep in rain gear.
A lovely afternoon was had.
Tomorrow we will ride the Going to the sun road in glacier national park. Sadly it will be busy with the weekend crowds but that's the way it goes.
Yesterday I spoke of why I ride a bike, I reminded myself of that in the freezing rain this morning. Living in the moment.
I remember our friend Tom telling us to get rid of the GPS last year, seeing it as a stifling tool that inhibits the spirit of exploration. For someone like me it acts almost as the exact opposite. Yes we define our path rather than follow any road but it allows me to enjoy the ride with the reassurance that I am not lost and even when exploring I know that little pink line will take me home (so long as the bridge hasn't washed away, or tree fallen across the road!). That lets me enjoy the ride more and that has to be a good thing. Tom, I do carry maps and a compass for when the batteries go flat though.