Jerry's Motorcycle Trip to Montana
and the Canadian Rockies - July, 2003

This was my 3rd attempt to ride Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park. In 2001 I was in Deadwood, South Dakota on September 11th, on my way to GNP. The next day I was on my way home. Last year Adam & I had a great ride across the country. However, In early June when we reached Montana Going to the Sun Road had still not opened because of the winter snows. This year I was again going it alone.

I had received some excellent suggestions for roads from several people on various internet forums and my original plans called for me going north into Canada then west across to Sault Ste Marie and down to the UP of Michigan. From there it was going to be west across MN, ND & into Montana. As Glacier National Park was my #1 destination I planned on heading a zig-zag pattern through Montana & Wyoming after. The length of touring was going to be pretty much dependent on the weather I encountered out west but there were 16 days allotted for this trip.

Sometimes things don't work out as planned!

My route:
July 18 - Left Waterbury, Connecticut about 2:30 PM. Rode 84 west to 17 north to Elmira, NY
July 19 - Rt17 north to rt 63 to NYS Throughway west (rt 90) to Peace Bridge & crossed into Canada. Picked up QEW to 427N to 401E to 400 north around Toronto. Picked up 17 west and ended up staying in Espanola for the night.
July 20 - Rode west to Sault Ste Marie. Met Ron Henderson (one goofy Canadian on a 98 Wing) & we rode together to Marathon along Lake Superior. I continued on to Thunder Bay.
July 21 - Rode around Thunder Bay, Kekabeka Falls, Old Fort William & Mt Mckay.
July 22 - Rt 61 south to Duluth, MN to rt 2 west to 71s to 113w (thanks Bemidji Honda!). Stayed in Mayville, ND
July 23 - Rt 2 west, alter route & head north to visit Peace Garden, then back to rt 2 west. Stay in Williston, ND
July 24 - Rt2 west to East Glacier - GNP closed - stay in Columbia Falls, MT
July 25 - Rt93 north to Golden, BC into the Canadian Rockies then east to Lake Louise, south on 1A to Banff, stay in Canmore
July 26 - north past Banff & Lake Louise up Icefield Parkway to Jasper, ALB then head east. Stay in Vegreville
July 27 - Trans-Canadian east to Portage la Prairie
July 28 - Rt1 east to Kenore, ONT & then onto Thunder Bay
July 29 - Rode east around north shore of Lake Superior - stay in Sudbury
July 30 - Rode east around Lake Ontario then south through Watertown, NY, picked up Rt17 to Rt84

In total I covered 6500 miles in 13 days. The Canadian Rockies are awesome! Next year may be the year I finally get to Glacier National Park!