June 29^th Still in Whitefish.

I didn’t sleep well last night because I kept thinking about all the memories I had stored on that memory chip. The one in the camera at the bottom of the lake. I got up early, grabbed some shorts and a towel and rode back up to the lake. I knew the water would be cold, but I hopped it would be light enough to see the camera through the water. Nope, it was not going to be that easy. After spending a few minutes talking myself into going for it, I did what any self respecting idiot would, and jumped into the lake. It was colder than I expected but after a minute or so to catch my breath and adjust to the temperature of the water, I dropped straight down to see if I could find the bottom. Not far enough, so it had to be more than 8 feet deep. I decided I had come this far, it was time to get in or out. So I took a deep breath, and dove straight down, touched the bottom, folded in half and swam to the bottom. I looked down and sure enough a foot from my hand was a shinny camera. I grabbed it with a grip a little tighter than was required and surfaced. I opened the bottom, removed the batteries and the chip, then dumped the water out of it and got out. I dried off the chip as best I could, shook out all the water from the camera, got dressed and went back to the hotel for a shower. We packed our stuff and loaded up, checked out of the hotel and went to meet with my friend one more time for brunch before heading out on our cross country journey. After saying our goodbyes, we rode to the Glacier National Park and took the long route over the mountain. I don’t think anything I can write here could ever explain what we saw there and of course my camera was not working, so I’ll do the best I can. I did get some pictures with Karen’s camera, but they are the kind that have to be developed, so it will be a while before they arrive here. As we started our tour through the park, we stopped right inside at the local tourist trap to spend too much money for stuff we will never use, but it is just one of those things you have to do. Then we drove a mile or so and turned right, this is where the beauty begins. We followed Lake McDonald for about 10 miles barely able to keep our eyes on the road. The whole route, you just want to get into, or onto that lake. The water is so calm it looks smooth and welcomes you like a serine’s call. Once you finally pass the lake, you travel another 12 miles through a canyon so deep you wonder if there is any way to get to the top. Surly a helicopter can’t eve go that high. The snow caps on these mountains are so close you can actually touch them in some places. The water is roaring down the gorge so fast the rubber rafts have an almost impossible task. The fisherman find it hard to keep their lines in the water, but even harder to not try. When you do get to the end, it does an actual U-turn and heads back, but now it is going up the mountain straight toward those peeks that couldn’t be reached. As we ascend this mountain, we pass over, under, and through the waterfalls that adorn the walls of each new turn we make. The road is so narrow you can’t help but look over the edge at how far down those trees actually are, or are those 50ft trees just blades of grass that you imagined as trees. The road is broken in places and wet in many spots. At one point we pass through a tunnel only to get drenched as we pass through the other end. It is amazing but can only be understood by feeling the excitement of riding the route on a motorcycle. We finally arrive a Logan’s Pass, I think this is probably the highest point and can only gasp at the beauty of what is not only behind us, but also what we see in front. This road is called the “Going to the Sun Road” and you can actually understand it from this location. But coming down the back side is nearly as perfect as we pass through some of the most pristine wilderness you will ever see. I understand this is a place where the Elk and Moose still call home and are protected. On the way down we pass yet another marvel, St Mary Lake and falls. As we exit the park, we stop for reflection of the near perfect nature we have just witnessed. We find a little place right outside the gate to have some lunch before the last 175 miles of today’s ride that puts us in Great Falls, Montana. While unloading our gear, I notice the haze is gone from the lens on my camera, so I remove the case, making sure it is completely dry before inserting new batteries and the memory chip. With great anticipation, I turn on the power. IT WORKS!!! The pictures are all good and the camera works. The only thing that died were the batteries. Truly amazing, and only on a day like this. So if you are reading this story, make sure you check out the pictures of the 28^th, cause they sat under 12 feet of water in a lake in Montana overnight and still you can see them. I hope to be able to get this all on the web tonight so that you can enjoy as we have. Sorry about the pictures of Glacier, but there will be many more to come. I’ll see you on the byways…..