Glacier

My navigator and I pushed it today and parked our bus just outside Glacier National Park.  I couldn't resist riding the bike part of the way down Going-To-The-Sun Road.

Here's the teaser, one of my first peeks at this unbelievable place:

And from a motorcyclist's perspective, just look at that flawless, freshly paved road!  

I have been here before (as chronicled in this very blog) and encountered a grizzly on a solo hike.  I remember that moment like it was yesterday, and the emotions it stirs up no doubt add to the mystique of this wild place.  

One more shot from early on:

This park feels wilder and more foreboding that Yellowstone.  Humans are most definitely guests in both places, but there's something about the height of the mountains, the density of the forests, and the harsh weather that really reminds you how weak, small, and finite we are in the grand scheme of things.  It's a special, humbling feeling that's worth dwelling on once in a while.