As I was swapping out batteries this morning some Canadian gentlemen and fellow riders were giving me tips for the route to Glacier. Good tips they were. Not too long on the highway and I find the exit for NF-9, otherwise known as the Couer d’Alene River Road. The river was visible for many miles and although it wasn’t very large and seemed pretty shallow, it also looked crisp and pristine. The only other cars around were fly fisherman’s parked on the side of the road. Most of the way I was engulfed by mountains and pine tree forest.

Around the town of Elmo my route started along Flathead lake, a big blue lake that reminded me a lot of my old friend back home, Lake Michigan. The water again looked stunningly fresh, and unlike back home, the whole thing was surrounded by mountains.

Eventually I hit Kalispell, one of the last larger towns before Glacier National Park, and surprise! Flat tire. I must have hit something in the road, whatever it was I have no idea but it was gnarly (great word) enough to puncture my back tire in 3 different places. I pulled out what looked like half a finish nail from one of the holes, could have been anything I guess. I limped into a gas station parking lot and started patching her up when a friendly old guy stopped by to see how I was coming along. He kindly pointed me toward the air machine and offered up some advice for local tire joints and an extra tire reamer since the one I had kinda sucked. He was a few teeth shy of a full smile and spoke some kind of mountain man Montana version of English, but a very nice and helpful dude. Thanks gas station man.

Oh man choices. I was so close the park. If I kept going I’d have plenty of time to hit my road and make it out the other side of the park. Going to the Sun Road is infamous and one of 3 roads on this trip I needed to ride on. (FM170 in Texas was another, Highway 1 on the West Coast was the 3rd). If it were only 1 puncture I would have gone but 3 made me weary, and two of them were really close together.

A nearby autosports shop had my tire in stock and was willing to swap it out today, so off I went. I had both replaced since the front was ravaged by dry rot and I’d rather sleep easy knowing they’re both fresh and ready to go. At least the list of problems that I could possibly be affected by is getting smaller right?

The changeout took longer than I’d hoped, and making it through the park on my road before it got completely dark was unlikely. The timelords also stole an hour from me as I crossed into Montana. Jerks. Admitting defeat I looked for the closest motel, dropped off my shit and walked in the direction of dinner and beer.

Tomorrow is a new day! And I get to take my time on Going to the Sun Road and with Glacier National Park in general.

Here’s today’s route: