One of the things I find most heartening about bike touring is (re)discovering how many gorgeous places and good people there are on this planet. Getting out into the unknown on two wheels, whether deep nature or new cultures, seems about the best way I can think of to reignite my curiosity and joy in being alive. In early July, we joined two friends – the adventurous, unflappable and eternally youthful fraternal duo John and Paul Phillips – on a 500 mile backcountry bike touring adventure following the northern portion of the Great Divide Trail (which continues all the way to the Mexico border). Starting in Banff, Alberta we rode single track trails and gravel roads, slogged along slick muddy tracks and even grunted our way up the occasional hiking trail following the Continental Divide to Whitefish, Montana. It was a true adventure complete with 10 nights sleeping under the stars, bathing in rivers and mountain lakes, hard cycling amid gorgeous scenery, encounters with animals I never imagined I’d see in the wild, fickle weather, plenty of challenges and lots of laughs.

Day One – Banff to Spray Lakes: Clear skies, fresh legs, flowing trails and high spirits.

Day Two – Spray Lakes to (the appropriately named) Weary Creak: Into the Canadian Rockies wilderness, a wolf sighting, Elk Pass (our first Rocky Mountain pass of the trip) and rainy skies.

Day Three – Weary Creek to Sparwood: A muddy start followed by a much needed bike cleaning outside a small town liquor store, beautiful single track, the world’s friendliest waitress (who happily lent us her car for a resupply run), a downpour and the acquisition of a blue tarp to help our leaky tent.

Day Four – Sparwood to Pollock Creek: A pilgrimage to Tim Hortons, a little more mud, a road turned to river, beautiful wilderness as we head into “Bear Alley,” Flathead Pass, and the invention of backcountry Wordle over dinner at our campsite.

Day Five – Pollock Creek to Ram-Wigwam: In the groove under clear skies, gorgeous wildflowers, Cabin Pass and a stellar riverfront campsite.

Day Six – Ram-Wigwam to Eureka: Deep backcountry along the aptly named Phillips Road, scaling The Wall*, Galton Pass (the most challenging yet), leaving Canada and camping in a the Eureka, Montana town park.

*Only a few hundred feet in length, but very steep and rocky, the section of trail affectionately called The Wall required that we fully unload the bikes and push hard, shoulder to seat post, to get to the top.

Day Seven – Eureka to Ford Cabin: Sunshine, Whitefish Divide, lunch interrupted by a grizzly*, big views of Glacier, and a relaxing afternoon.

* Despite a sign warning us that the campground was closed due to bear activity, we figured that eating lunch on the periphery of the campground would be fine. It wasn’t.

Day Eight – Ford Cabin to Lake McDonald: Miraculous pastries in Polebridge, riding through Glacier National Park on a gravel backroad closed to cars, arrival in civilization (for better or worse) and camping in Glacier.

Day Nine – Lake McDonald to Quartz Creek: A sunrise ride up the Going to the Sun Road to Logan Pass (sleet at the top!?!), a grizzly bear encounter back at camp, John and Paul take the direct route to Whitefish while Gabe and Allegra head for Red Meadow Pass.

Day Ten – Quartz Creek to Upper Whitefish Lake: A return to Polebridge (for the pastries obviously!), Red Meadow pass (our sixth and final Rocky Mountain pass), a leisurely afternoon by the lake watching birds and a final camp dinner of vermicelli noodles and Tasty Bite (which featured rather heavily on the menu).

Day Eleven – Upper Whitefish Lake to Whitefish: A pretty morning on the lake and easy ride into Whitefish (delighted with our trip but wishing we were continuing on to Mexico), visiting with friends and Whitefish locals Erica, Todd and Mia, celebratory mint chocolate chip ice cream, a shower and dinner not featuring vermicelli.

After returning from a bike tour, we are often asked how the latest adventure compares to previous trips and I suppose it’s not a bad sign that we often answer that it was the best yet. This one was no exception. There is nothing so satisfying as a proper adventure, spending all day outside in nature, overcoming physical and mental challenges and having the time and mental space to really notice and appreciate the little details of the beautiful world around us – especially in the company of good friends.