Day 20 Saturday 7/25/09 Sprague Creek via Logan Pass to St. Mary, MT

Day 20 Saturday 7/25/09 Sprague Creek via Logan Pass to St. Mary, MT 40 Miles762 total miles Rose early and hit the road at 6:15 to make the ascent over Logan Pass via the Going to the Sun Road, 18 miles to the pass and about a 3400 foot climb. Park rules require that all bike traffic past Logan Creek must complete the last 12 mile journey before 11 a.m. Not a problem if you aren't too loaded down, or if you get an early start. Today, though, we had Matthew and Eleanor's 6 month old Olive in tow in the chariot behind Eleanor's bike. Matthew, for his part , has decided to give himself a bit of a workout and carry some of his camping gear, extra food, and some other rocks, bricks and lead bars in his pack, just for the sake of being a mountain man. I, for my part, have deferred to the gracious Manita and her Subaru to carry all but the essential food, water and foul weather gear. The pass ride was beautiful-- we made it with a little time to spare as we stopped frequently for nursing stops, diaper changes and Olive activities! Spent lunchtime at Logan Pass talking with a Dutch couple, Stella and Joris, who are on an extended tour of the US after spending the past 9 months touring Chile, Argentina and Bolivia. If that's not enough, they completed a 14 month trip from Holland to China on those very same bikes-- truly a testament to their perseverance as well as interpersonal compatibility. The ride down from the pass was thrilling with incredible views of the (receding) glaciers , followed by a chilling dip in St. Mary Lake at the bottom. Matthew and I found our way to St. Mary Lodge on a hot afternoon, for a couple of cold beers and relaxation in the leather lounge chairs while we waited for the rest of the gang to join us for a great dinner-- then off to the campsite for some end of day relaxation and a good night's rest before heading south and east out onto the great plains.