Waterton-Glacier Tour
Day 2 Dickey Lake, Montana to Fernie, British Columbia

Road Kill

I left Dickey Lake around 9 a.m.  From here, Route 93 had shoulders the rest of the way to the border.  Still, the road-killed deer on the right  and the ever-present crosses along the road were sobering reminders the dangers on this road. 

I reached Eureka at 11 a.m. where I stopped for coffee and a snack.

Welcome to B.C.

Leaving Eureka,  I noticed a  lot of dark clouds and rain to the North and West.  I reached the  U.S.A.-Canada border just before noon.  As  usual the crossing was uneventful  except the Canadian customs inspector asked me about pepper spray and what "what are you carrying for bear protection."  I told him "nothing" and he sent me on my way.  

About a mile past the border, I got  caught in a sudden thunderstorm that swept in over the hills to my west.  There was no  shelter in sight.  I put on my Gore-Tex raingear and continued riding in the rain.  This storm didn't  last long.  Soon, I stopped to stow my rain gear.

Wigwam River

After a while, I descended a big hill to the Wigwam River.  I  stopped on the bridge to take the picture at right.  I had a long steep climb up the  other side.

As was riding a  long straight stretch of Highway 93, I began to wonder why I  was not  going faster.  I had a slight tailwind and appeared to be descending a 1 to 2% grade.  Yet, I was pedaling hard and only going 11 to 12 miles per hour.

I began suspecting a mechanical problem with my bike.  I stopped to check if something was rubbing my wheels.  When I looked at the  road behind me, I figured it out.  I  was not descending a 1-2% grade.  I was climbing a 3-4% grade!  The mountains in front of me altered my perception of the horizon creating an optical illusion .  

Shelter from the Storm

As I neared the town of Elko, I saw another thunder storm moving in from the Northwest.  The clouds were very dark and appeared to be quite  turbulent.  I definitely  did not want to get caught in this storm.  I could see buildings in the distance at the intersection of Routes 93 and 3.  The race was  on.  I rode very hard and got to a small ice cream stand about 10 minutes before the storm hit. This place had a patio with a roof and picnic tables.  It was the perfect place to wait out a storm.

I  ate a big greasy hamburger and fries a while the storm raged.  

I was talking  with a  couple form a nearby town when the hail started.  The hail lasted 15 to 20  minutes.  

Hail

After an hour and a half, the storm cleared.  I continued East on Route 3.  I rode through short tunnel on my way to Fernie.  I got a campsite at Mount Fernie Provincial Park.  

I desperately wanted to build a fire to warm up and dry out my gear.  However, the storm thoroughly drenched the area.  I tried every trick I could think of including using gasoline from my stove (kids, don't try this at home) to get that fire going.  My efforts were proved futile.  I talked with several people in the campground.  Nobody could get a fire going.

I asked the campground attendant about bears.  He said he hadn't seen any lately.  Just to be safe, I put all my food and toiletries in a pannier and suspended it from a tree.  Rain forced me into my tent early with 68.7 miles for the day.

Continue to Day 3

Introduction
Day 1 Kalispell, Montana to Dickey Lake, Montana
Day 2 Dickey Lake, Montana to Fernie, British Columbia
Day 3 Fernie, British Columbia to Pincher Creek, Alberta
Day 4 Pincher Creek, Alberta to Waterton Lakes National Park
Day 5 Waterton Lakes National Park to Glacier National Park
Day 6 Going to the Sun Highway Glacier National Park
Day 7 Glacier National Park to Kalispell, Montana