In My Tent Again

July 27th, 2010 Glacier National Park I'm in my tent again! In Glacier National Park at a campground by Avalanche lake.It's real nice here.I was just riding thru and saw this campground so I pulled in.Wasn't going to stay in the park 'cause I thought it would be bad news on a weekend but it isn't and I've decided to stay awhile.Went out on my bike all unloaded and rode today.Damn this place is nice!Every turn in the road is a sight to behold.Huge mountains with snow and this incredible blue sky.It was a warm sunny day today and I'm hoping tomorrow will be the same.Tomorrow I'm just going hiking up the river to Avalanche Lake.Just got back from a walk to a secluded spot where I could get naked and soak in that ice cold water.Whew! it felt good and brought me right back to life after a long day.So,it's time to go backwards and tell of all that has happened this week since I came to this state called Montana.After riding across North Dakota and spending the night in this motel on the border just inside Montana I headed out on a long ride across the Great Northern Plains.I dodged thunderstorms all day long and only got caught by one then holed up in another cheap motel in this place called Fort Benton.It was an ok place and I met this really cool old man .He owned the place and ran it with his daughter and grand children.He must have been in his late 80's.Well,when I was leaving he comes up and starts asking me all about painting work.He wanted to know why latex paint he was using wouldn't stick.So I gave him some professional advice and then as I was sitting on my bike warming it up he walks by so I ask ,"hey,how'd you know I am a painter,I've been painting for close to 50 years" He says,I just had a premonition ! There was no way he could have known that.There wasn't a spot of paint on me or my cloths . And there started my day as I rode about 250 miles to go see "Cosmic Bob". I arrived at the gas station where Bob told me to go to meet him and saw my old friend there waiting as I pulled in.It was good to see Bob after 15 or so years.He told me we had to drive up the back side of that mountain over there as he pointed to this huge mountain about 10 miles away.It's a long dirt road about 9 miles in he says as we leave. Well,it was this very rough narrow road cut into the side of this mountain that had ruts that were almost impossible to negotiate and a cliff with no kind of guard rail or fence.It was beautiful but dangerous for me .Loaded my bike weighs about 900 lbs or so and there is no regaining control if I loose it so it was a tense 9 mile ride up the mountain to paradise! When we got to his house we stopped and checked it out.He's building this really nice place on a cliff overlooking this valley.It's not finished so he's living up his road in his garage.He has 80 acres in this incredible wilderness with no neighbors and a view to kill for.

We get there and after I set up my tent he cooks up some Alaskan sockeye he caught the week before while up in Alaska fishing.Oh man, what a good dinner ,sockeye cooked on the open fire out in the woods .While it was cooking we walked back into the woods some to his plot where he grows the pot! There were 5 gallon pails,maybe 50 or more in this one place with these very healthy marijuana plants growing like crazy! He's a fucking pot farmer! The dinner was excellent and we sat up way into the night talking about all this cosmic crap that got him his name "Cosmic Bob" and politics and about what we were going to do the next day under a sky that had so many stars in it that you cast a shadow from the starlight.Slept like a baby that night and one of his three dogs kept me company outside the door of my tent as if he was guarding me from the bears! After a good breakfast of toast and coffee we hit the road and got a real breakfast at a diner on our way to the road we decided to ride down that day.Bob was riding his 650cc dual sport and I was on my unloaded Moto Guzzi as we headed out down RT 12 towards Idaho. What a great road.We rode over the Lolo pass and stopped in this place for lunch. Kept on going way into Idaho then when we got jammed up in construction we turned around and headed back.About 25 miles away from Lolo where he lives he got a flat tire.I had my tool bag along and he limped 5 miles on the flat to a phone at this bar so he could call his friend to bring him a new tube.Meanwhile,I took his wheel off and dis mounted the tire getting it ready and when his friend arrived we put that thing back together real fast and down the road we went.Spent that evening bullshitting about all the people we used to hang with up in the Adirondacks and decided to take his truck up to Flathead lake for the day and spend some time just seeing the sights.That would turn out to be a three hundred mile treck with many side trips down dirt roads into the back country where we saw all sorts of cool shit like elk, mountains,lakes,an eagle,and a good swim in this swimming hole with the 3 dogs. The evening was nice.I took Bob out to dinner at a real nice Italian place in Missoula as a thank you for taking me to all his secret places where he fishes and hikes.We talked into the night and hit the sack late under another incredible sky. Breakfast was at 5:30.The birds woke both of us up and it was time for me to move on so Bob made elk steak and eggs with toast and this really good coffee. Another mind blowing meal ! and down the road I went towards Glacier National Park. Spent last night in Columbia Falls Mt at a motel.Bob had no bathroom .You know, you shit in the woods and there is no shower just a swim to get clean so I needed a shower and some electricity to charge my batteries and a bed for the night.I set out this morning late so the sun wouldn't be in my eyes as I rode eastward into the park.So,here we are all up to date as of Saturday evening.It's getting dark now and cooling down rapidly.No showers here either but I did manage to find a nice secluded spot and jump in. Time to get into the sleeping bag and get ready for another day of adventure out here in paradise as I hike and make my plans to head north into Canada . This woman at the laundromat told me she had just come down from there and it is mind blowing so I'm psyched.

Woke up this morning to an exceptional day.It's beautiful out ! Going for a hike and then an afternoon ride someplace nice.While having my coffee I met this guy traveling on his bike too.He's from DC heading home.Seems like a nice guy. Now it's a hike up to this lake and take some pictures to tease you all with! It's Sunday morning in the park and I'm a happy camper. What a great hike I had.Walked in to Avalanche Lake on this really nice trail.there were people but not crowds so it was nice.The walk was about 5 miles or so round trip and uphill almost all the way in.It's a glacial runoff lake and the water is pure and very cold.Took loads of photos along the trail and at the lake as well.On the way down I went off trail to a secluded spot on the river and got naked and went in.Whew! it was refreshing and cold but very welcome seeing as there are no showers at the campsites here.Jumped in last night as well in another secluded spot near the campsite.Gotta stay clean when there are no showers and this is the way to do it.When I went to Alaska this is what I did for three full months!

So,tomorrow I hit the road and travel on to the east side of the park before turning north towards Canada.Once I get into Canada I'll probably slow down some and enjoy the ride across the mountains towards Vancouver . Gettin dark and cooling off now. I love the weather here,very cool nights and warm days.Evening is like being in air conditioning .Good sleeping listing to the rapids warm in my sleeping bag.Good night from the great out doors of Northern Montana!

So now I'm in Canada and heading north into more of these incredible mountains before turning west and making tracks for Vancouver.I'm sure I'll have more tent time to work on my next post.Only took this motel to shower and charge up the batteries. Tomorrow it's more back roads thru this incredible landscape.Tired now,rode hard all day long over high mountain passes and now I'm going to do my emails and rest.I'd much rather be in my tent than this motel room but,there were no showers at the park and I need one bad.Crossing the border was a breeze.I LOVE CANADA!