07 - Birthday In Banff

7/3/19

Today, Steve got to celebrate his birthday with a spectacular ride from Glacier to Banff. As much as I hoped to be able to keep up daily posts, staying on the east side of Glacier meant no cell service and no internet either. Now that we are in Canada, I won’t be able to use cellular data so I am limited to finding free WiFi - thank you Banff Starbucks!

So, let’s catch up a bit. Steve and I left Lewiston, Montana with a 270 mile route ahead to get to St. Mary campground. Our day started out dry for a change but as the day progressed, we battled high winds and dropping temps. Luckily, we got our camp set up before a cold front blew through that would drop temps into the low 40’s and cover the entire area in thick clouds and fog.

On Tuesday, we woke to fog and mist as we headed out on Going-to-the-Sun road. We reached Logan pass still socked in by clouds and were treated to some beautiful landscapes as the sun rose and burned off the moisture. After our tour of the road in both directions, we returned to the campground as the temps once again began to drop and clouds and fog rolled in. We decided to try a restaurant near Babb, about 8 miles from the campground and ended up needing heated gear for the ride back. Once back to our site, it started to rain and would continue all night.

This morning, the rain stopped around 5:30 so we were able to pack up without getting soaked. Of course our tents were another story - we have become accustomed to laying everything out like a yard sale when we get to our campsite each afternoon. The temperature today never got above 65 and for most of the day it was significantly lower. Steve had a heated gear malfunction that made the day especially challenging but he was able to get the issue sorted out this afternoon. Which is good since the forecast high tomorrow is 51...

Arrival at Glacier.