For anyone bored with their average vacation package and looking for something different without having to resort to the extremes of white water rafting or bungee jumping from the highest bridge in the world (currently the Millau Viaduct in France), a bicycle tour could well be the answer. Lizard Head Cycling can offer a great range of cycle tours, with the Glacier National Park tour taking bookings right now. This 6 day tour takes in: Whitefish MT; Logan Pass; the Garden Wall Trail (hike); Lake McDonald; Upper and Lower St Mary Lakes and the Many Glacier valley; on to Waterton National Park; Belly River; Looking Glass Pass; Two Medicine Road; Lower and Upper Two Medicine Lakes; and Bird Woman Falls (hike). The tour then ends here with a shuttle back to Whitefish. This tour, it has to be said, is an unmissable opportunity to experience some of the most magnificent wilderness in the country.
The Garden Wall Trail is part of the Highline Loop Hike, so called because of its abundance of alpine flowers, is an amazing hike and one that is included in the tour itinerary. The trail follows the Continental Divide, with amazing views of The Salamander and Grinnell Glacier on the other side of the pass.
The Many Glacier Valley is a fantastic area for wildlife. Keep an eye out for bald eagles, mountain goats and bighorn sheep. You may be lucky enough to hear loons and elks or even to see a coyote or a bear off in the distance in one of the aspen groves. You may get to see elk as well, which are quite common here.
With the fantastically light and brilliantly engineered carbon bikes available these days, cycling is not the laborious dead weight of years gone by. What better way to really connect with nature than to cycle through it with the expert guidance and support of professionals. With time to actually see the scenery you are passing through, you get a chance to truly appreciate the awe inspiring views – how many times have you reached a viewing point by car, only to pass by without stopping to really enjoy the landscape? Although you need to be reasonably fit to cycle over long distances, you don’t have to be a trained athlete or a dedicated keep fit fanatic. Obviously a healthy lifestyle helps you to cover the miles more pleasurably and a little bit of preparation up front won’t go amiss, especially if you usually spend most of your days in an office or other less active occupations. So modifying your diet to reduce some of the takeouts you might normally have, reducing or cutting out unhealthy habits, even for a matter of a few weeks before the tour, will make a difference to how you feel physically and will add to your enjoyment out on the road.
Cycle touring is a real group activity; a chance to meet new friends and join up with old ones, building friendships and expanding horizons. There is an easy, comfortable sense of unity between people who have come together out of a common interest and love of natural beauty – time for serious conversation and light hearted banter, as well as exchanges of ideas and contact details for new-made friends.
As well as giving you an entirely new outlook on life, a cycle tour will leave you feeling on top of the world, especially when you are on the highest point for miles around. Newcomers to cycling don’t need to feel apprehensive about signing up because the routes are specifically designed to suit both experienced and inexperienced riders; with extensions to the basic route for those who want to go the “extra mile”. You can also take advantage of a “bump” from time to time en route, hitching a lift for yourself and your bicycle on one of the organizer’s vehicles for any stretches you might feel you would rather not have to do under your own steam. With all the fantastic preparation and planning, the encouragement of the tour guides and the camaraderie of your fellow cyclists, not to mention the great accommodation and food waiting for you at the end of each day’s leg, you are bound to have a vacation full of great memories to take home with you.
-Written by Lisa Gilbert