Beautiful day for riding. Today we are going to Glacier Park hoping to ride some of the “Road to the Sun”. We already know it is not yet open but maybe we can ride some of it. What ambitious plans we had. First we stop at Kootenai Falls. You must hike to the falls and I am the only one interested in doing it. These are not high falls but a series of 10-15 foot drop-offs that the river goes over. It was worth the hike. Later my GPS says to go straight through a town but Clint turns left. He has planned an indirect route that goes along Highway 37 and Libby Dam. He has spent a lot of time planning this trip so that we are usually on back roads with nice scenery. Excellent job. After Libby Dam I notice Clint and Charleen’s brake lights come on as a large bird swoops in front of them. Bad move for the bird as the Honda scores a direct hit. The bird cartwheels through the air and onto the side of the road. C & C go back to check on it but I assumed it was dead. It was only stunned so they left it alone especially as it was snapping at them with it’s beak. It was a buzzard. We continue on, and on and on without seeing a service station. Low fuel lights are glowing an angry red. It’s a good thing Linda is not here as those red lights increase her anxiety level. My trustworthy? GPS says fuel in 10 miles and for once it is right. We each had .4 gallons left, good for about 15 miles. On we go towards Glacier Park. The road has grooves worn in it and I assume that the grooves are moving the trailer left and right which is what is making my bike wander a little. Then I smell very hot rubber when a car goes by. But the smell gets stronger even after the car is gone. Red lights go off in my mind and I find a place to pull over just as my rear tire goes completely flat. It has probably 2 dozen very small cracks in the tread that are leaking air. We do a couple of attempts to get it to hold air but it is a lost cause. We remove the rear wheel and head for Kalispell, Montana about 35 miles away. I pay the big price for a Montana tire and another Montana price to have it mounted. Back to my bike, install the wheel and head to Whitefish and a motel rather than finding a campground at 6 PM. We will surely see Glacier Park tomorrow. 177 miles today but Clint went an extra 70 to and from the bike shop.
Kootenai Falls
And yet another roadside tire repair
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