Ride the Red Rock

Next Saturday is your opportunity to "Ride the Red Rock" in Waterton Lakes National Park.

On Saturday, October 5th, Waterton Lakes National Park will close the Red Rock Parkway to all motor vehicle traffic during the morning. You can ride as far as your interest takes you - just a short distance, or all the way to Red Rock Canyon and back (19 miles / 30 km round-trip). There will be refreshments and cyclist support along the way.

After the ride, participants can return to Pass Creek to relax and refuel with a BBQ kindly provided by Wieners of Waterton.

Helmets are mandatory for anyone under 18, and highly recommended for everyone else. Children should come with a legal guardian.

Need a bike? You can call Pat’s at 1-403-859-2266 to rent one!

If interested, participants should meet at Pass Creek at 9 a.m.


Jeff
Hiking in Glacier.com

Grand Tetons Announces Decisions for Pathway System Expansion & Safety Improvements

Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott announced earlier in the week that the National Park Service (NPS) has made final decisions regarding the next two phases of the Grand Teton National Park pathway system. These phases will extend the current network by 2.2 miles and improve safety for users of the existing segments.

In January 2013, Grand Teton worked with professional planners and industry experts to complete a separate Value Analysis (VA) for each of the next two phases; a VA involves a deliberative value-based, decision-making process. The two VAs were done to identify and select recommended approaches to expand Grand Teton's pathway system and improve safety for all pathway users accessing the Phase 2, or Highway 89, segment. Conclusions and final decisions on these next pathway phases were determined after a thorough review of options by a team that included Federal Highway Administration professionals, Wyoming Department of Transportation and Teton County engineers, as well as NPS staff with requisite knowledge and expertise.

Design is already underway for the next pathway segment that will extend the system along Highway 89 an additional 1.2 miles north from the tunnel at Moose Junction to Antelope Flats Road. The park has adopted the team's recommendation that this new pathway will cross the Ditch Creek ravine via a widening of the existing roadway fill. A short retaining wall will surround the Ditch Creek culvert and thus reduce impacts to the creek and surrounding riparian area. Improvements will also be made to the culvert to facilitate passage upstream for native fish. The VA identified this earthen fill crossing as the option with the most overall advantages, and the least cost of all alternatives considered. Construction of this segment is expected to begin the fall of 2014 and be completed by the fall of 2015, with an opening in late spring 2016.

A separate one-mile extension to the Grand Teton pathway system will parallel Sagebrush Drive west of the Gros Ventre Junction and link to a Teton County pathway along Spring Gulch Road. The connection between this new segment and the existing Highway 89 pathway will be made via two pathway crossings—one on Highway 89 and the other on the Gros Ventre Road—that will be integrated into a modern roundabout. The roundabout solution adopts the recommendation of the VA team that evaluated the best alternatives for safety improvements to the pathway system at Gros Ventre Junction.

The comprehensive VA process evaluated three alternatives that were identified by a September 2012 Bike Road Safety Audit (BRSA) of the Gros Ventre Junction area. The BRSA suggested three potential long-term strategies that would improve safety for pathway users at Gros Ventre Junction. The roundabout option was determined to be the most cost effective alternative, and the one that caused the least impact to wildlife and other natural resources. An extensive body of literature confirms that modern roundabouts are significantly safer than traffic lights or stop signs at busy intersections, and they improve pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular safety while also facilitating traffic flow and reducing vehicle speeds through such intersections. Other options reviewed, but rejected, included alternatives for possibly two tunnels: one under Highway 89 and a second under the Gros Ventre Road.

Interim safety improvements, including signs and striping, were completed at the Gros Ventre Junction this spring. Design of the Sagebrush Drive phase will begin this summer with construction likely in 2015, subject to availability of funds.

For a review of the BRSA, please click here.


Jeff
Hiking in Glacier National Park

‘Bicycle-Only’ Season Opens For Riders On Yellowstone’s West Side

Bicyclists willing to brave the often unpredictable elements of spring in Yellowstone National Park will be able to travel 49 miles of park roads from the West Entrance at West Yellowstone, Mont., to Mammoth Hot Springs beginning at 8:00 a.m. today.

A 14-mile section of road between the West Entrance and Madison Junction is already open for the cycling-only shoulder season as plowing crews clear snow and ice in preparation for opening the route to automobile traffic on April 26.

There is no spring bicycle-only access toward Old Faithful or Canyon during this time.

A bicycle trip into Yellowstone this time of year is not to be undertaken lightly. The quickly changing weather can be challenging, and snow and ice may still cover sections of road. Bears, bison, elk, wolves and other wildlife could be encountered at any time. No services are available along these sections of road, and cyclists should expect to encounter and yield to snowplows or other vehicles operated by park employees or construction workers traveling in conjunction with park operations.

Bicyclists are required to ride single file and follow all other rules of the road. They are strongly encouraged to carry bear spray, should be prepared to turn around and backtrack when encountering wildlife on the road, and must stay out of closed areas.

Riders need to have a plan for self rescue or repair and be prepared to be out in severe winter conditions for an extended period of time in the event they experience a mechanical breakdown, injury or other emergency. Cell phone coverage throughout the park is sparse and unreliable for communicating emergencies.

The road from the North Entrance at Gardiner, Mont., to Cooke City, Mont., at the park's Northeast Entrance is open all year to cyclists and automobiles, weather permitting.

Cyclists are urged to call 307-344-2107 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays for updated road access information, or call 307-344-2113 for 24-hour weather information before committing to any park ride. Additional planning information is also available online.

Updated Yellowstone National Park road information is available 24 hours a day by calling 307-344-2117.


Jeff
Hiking in Glacier National Park

The Active Times names the Going-to-the-Sun Road as one of the World's Top 10 Bike Rides

Cycling expert Ron Van Dijk, Director of European Operations for Montana-based Austin-Lehman Adventures, and a bike guide for trips in Germany, Austria, Italy and the Netherlands, has published a list of the World's Top 10 Bike Rides. The first seven rides on his list, which appears in The Active Times, are all out of Europe. The last three spots, however, are all based in the United States.

Coming in at number 8 is the 110-mile Mickelson Trail in South Dakota, while the San Juan Islands in Washington was ranked as 9th. Rounding out the top 10 is the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park. Here's what Ron had to say about this epic ride:

The Going-to-the-Sun Road (50 miles), Glacier National Park, Montana, USA: Biking the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park is perhaps the most exhilarating and challenging way to see one of the United States’ most precious gems. Winding around curves and pumping your legs as you crawl up the Continental Divide at Logan Pass will give you a new found appreciation of the only road that runs through the heart of Glacier. When you reach “the turning point”, stare for miles around at the jaw-dropping views in all directions, take pride in knowing you conquered the pass, and smile when you know an epic downhill is waiting for you on the other side!

To see the entire list of his top 10 rides, please click here. For more information on cycling the Going-to-the-Sun Road and other roads in Glacier, please click here.



Jeff
Hiking in Glacier National Park

Revised Bicycle Plan Allows Greater Access to National Parks

Cyclists rejoice! The National Park Service announced today that it will expand bicycle access in parks nationwide, while preserving the Service’s responsibility to prohibit bikes in wilderness and other areas where they would have significant impact on the environment or visitor safety.

The new rule, available online here, gives park superintendents the authority to allow bicycles on roads that are closed to the motoring public – like fire roads and roads used by park maintenance vehicles. Bikes are already allowed on park roads that are open to vehicles.

This rule moves National Park Service decision making about where bike-use is appropriate from a regulatory to a planning process, while retaining rigorous environmental compliance requirements and mandatory public comment on proposals to open existing or new trails to bikes.

New trails outside of developed areas will continue to require a park-specific special regulation approved by the director of the National Park Service.

The National Park Service will continue to prohibit bicycle use in eligible, study, proposed, recommended, and designated wilderness areas.

The final rule, 36 CFR § 4.30, will be published in the Federal Register on July 6 and will go into effect 30 days later.


Jeff
Hiking in Glacier.com

Cycling the Going-to-the-Sun Road

With the arrival of spring, much of America is finally starting to feel a little warmer. Of course in Glacier winter tends to hang-on much longer, especially in the higher elevations. It will likely be another two more months or so before the Going-to-the-Sun Road is open to the public. In the meantime, as you clean your bike off and begin your spring training, now's the time to consider your plans for cycling in Glacier, and maybe even the ultimate challenge of climbing to the top of Logan Pass.

Although opportunities for cycling in Glacier National Park are somewhat limited, there are still a few places to enjoy Glacier’s spectacular scenery while on a bike. Although bicycles aren’t allowed on any of the hiking trails in the park, they are allowed on all roads, and the only paved trail in the park; the McDonald Creek Bike Path which runs from West Glacier to the Apgar Visitors Center.

One of the most popular routes for road cyclists is the Going-to-the-Sun Road. This epic ride climbs almost 3300 feet over the course of its 32-mile route from the Apgar Visitor Center to Logan Pass. Much of the climbing, however, occurs over the last 10 miles where the road tops out at the pass, at an elevation of 6646 feet. The average gradient for this section of the ride is roughly 5.7%. To put those numbers in perspective, L’Alpe d’Huez, one of the most famous and notoriously difficult climbs in the Tour de France, climbs roughly 3770 feet in 9.4 miles, has an average gradient of 7.6%, and tops out at an elevation of 6068 feet. It’s likely the Going-to-the-Sun Road climb would rank among the top 20 toughest climbs in the Tour de France, and would likely be a category 1 climb.

Cyclists should use extreme caution while riding this road: it’s narrow near the top, and is nothing more than a shelf carved out of the side of the mountain. Also be aware that the Going-to-the-Sun Road has little or no shoulder on the side, and is winding with many blind curves. You’ll need to watch for oncoming vehicles, and make sure your bike is in complete working order, especially your brakes.

Some cyclists prefer tackling the road going from east to west. From the town of St. Mary to Logan Pass, the road climbs roughly 2100 feet over the 18-mile route. However, as you might expect, most of that climbing occurs over the last 6.5 miles, and has an average gradient of roughly 5.6%.

For more information on road cycling and mountain biking opportunities in and around Glacier National Park, please visit our Glacier cycling page on HikinginGlacier.com.

Our Going-to-the-Sun Road page provides additional details on services and what to expect along the road.





Jeff
Hiking in Glacier.com

Senate Bill could force Cyclists off Roads in some National Parks

Cyclists may want to make note of legislation in the U.S. Senate that could force cyclists off roads in some national parks.

The draft of the Senate's transportation authorization bill, S. 1813 Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, includes language that would introduce a mandatory sidepath law on roads in our National Parks and other Federal lands.

Section § 203 (d) (p. 226), states:

(d) BICYCLE SAFETY.—The Secretary of the appropriate Federal land management agency shall prohibit the use of bicycles on each federally owned road that has a speed limit of 30 miles per hour or greater and an adjacent paved path for use by bicycles within 100 yards of the road.

Based on the surface of this language, it doesn't sound like the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier would be impacted by this law, simply because there aren't any bike paths that exist next to the road. However, according to Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists:

What precedent does this set? Two pretty awful ones come quickly to mind: why stop at Federal land highways; and if roads with higher than 30 mph speed limits are so unsafe for bicyclists to share with motorists, bicyclists shouldn’t be using them, period.

You can read his full analysis on this piece of legislation here. The League of American Bicyclists is also organizing a petition to strip this language out of the bill.

Thanks to the National Parks Traveler for alerting me on this one.


Jeff
Hiking in Glacier.com