Hoping for a Tail Wind

If you haven’t been to Glacier National Park, I highly suggest it. As far as spots in the USA, this one is near the top of the list. And the Glaciers are receding quickly, so don’t wait much longer. Only one road goes through the heart of the park, and that road is called Going To The Sun, for obvious reasons, as the high point of the road is 6,600+ feet at Logan’s Pass. It’s an amazing sight for sure.

Being a frequent visitor, I’ve driven it a dozen times in my life, and a few years ago bicycled some of it with an unloaded bike. This time around, I’ll be going all the way, and with a full cross country load. The route is a constant incline, with sharp, winding turns, a few tunnels, and even some construction to throw in. In fact cyclists are only permitted to bike major parts of it before 11am and after 4pm, apparently because people in cars are more important…Needless to say, I’ve been psyching myself up for this task for quite a while now. I’m foregoing the “alternate route” that Adventure Cycling has created. Why anyone would pass up a chance to “go to the sun”, is beyond me.

There a countless interesting facts about this road and Park, but true to my film addict roots, this post wouldn’t be complete without me pointing out some of the appearances Going To The Sun Road has made in cinema over the years:

It was shown in the opening credits of Kubrick’s The Shining, as Jack Torrance’s Volkswagen glides through up into Glacier, complete with chillingly creepy music (see the clip below). It was also seen briefly in “Forrest Gump” during his famous run. As he crosses a bridge with a mountain backdrop; the shots in the background are Going To The Sun Road and St. Mary Lake. I also heard some scenes in Beethoven 2 were of Going To The Sun, but I’d never admit to seeing that movie.