Today was supposed to start out at West Glacier and end at Hinton, AB KOA campground. After the disappointments of yesterday's time wasted in Missoula, the extra heat of the afternoon and high winds, I was hoping for less of the same and more good fortune. However, when I rode to the West Glacier entrance to the park, the rangers informed me that Logan's Pass was closed for at least one day due to extreme winds (up to 80 mph). The option would have been to ride into the park for 32 miles. turn around and exit the same gate, then ride around the outside of the park to St Mary and entering and exiting the park from that end to see the Going to the Sun Road from both ends. This would have meant riding more than twice the mileage, but missing the high point of the ride. What? Thanks, but I'll catch your park on the way home.

Not only did this closure of Logan's deprive me of the best part of the day, it also blocked my short cut route up to Calgary, Banff NP, and Jasper, NP. I now had to go around the park on a route that was more than 100 miles out of the way. I rode Rte 2 and 89 through Blackfoot country east to I-15 north to Canada. The winds that closed Logan's Pass was part of a bigger system blowing through the area. For the whole day, I felt as though I was wrestling an 800 pound grizzly. My bike with a dry weight of 700 pounds, plus over 100 pounds of gear was blasted by side winds of 30 mph with frequent gusts higher than that. The result was literally a wrestling match that had me leaning forward to put more weight on my feet for control, and with a firm grip on the controls.

My agenda was now out the window. I would be getting to Banff and Jasper too late in the day to take any pictures, plus the danger of animal collision increases at dusk. Finally, I would have arrived at Hinton KOA in the wee hours of the morning. Frustrated as hell, tired, and hot, I made the decision to call Hinton to make a reservation for tomorrow night instead. I asked my imaginary girlfriend (the Garmin voice-prompt girl) to guide me to an alternate campsite in Calgary. We (me and Garmin Girl) will have a more leisurely ride of only 300 miles ahead of us tomorrow. Occasional showers and the same high winds are in the forecast, but I'll take whatever we get.

A few random thoughts ran through my head since I wasn't taking any pictures today.

• As I was wrestling with my 800 pound grizzly westbound on Rte 2 through Blackfeet country, I happened to notice a historic site roadside marker. I slowed down enough to read the heading "Camp Disappointment" marking the site of Lewis and Clarke's most frustrating excursions through the Northwest. I chuckled at the irony.
• Hey what's up with the women who do the flag details at roadside construction sites. All day long, with their two-sided sign on a stick, they communicate only two messages to the rest of the world -- STOP, and SLOW. STOP, and SLOW. Nothing else! This has to carry over into the rest of their lives! My advice is - don't date these women. They are way too negative.

Also, because of the frequent changes I had to make to the route today, there were six or seven separate tracks generated. I only uploaded the last on so you can see my latest location on the "Live Link". Maybe I'll ask GarminGirl to show me how to combine these segments. but not too soon. She thinks I'm working her too hard.

Tomorrow will be better. It has to. If the above two observations are all I could smile about all day long....

Dave