JUNE 7th - DAY 7 - Gates of The Mountain

Still in Helena.

Great day today. It rained a little but not bad. This morning I rode 10 miles north to the Gate of The Mountain. It's a narrow pass that the Missouri River runs through with sheer limestone cliffs on both sides. Of notable interest, in addition to the beauty of this pass, was Lewis and Clark's expedition traveling through this spot. They were just like me, traveling on a small desiel tourist boat, with 10 other passengers. This was a great deal - a two hour guided tour with a fabulous guide for $14.

To give some perspective - just to the right of center, at the top of the rock, if you look close you can see an arched opening. The bridge over this arch is 50 feet long.

One of the best parts about this trip is the people I'm meeting along the way. It's great to see old friends but it's equally fun to meet new people and learn a little about their lives. On this boat trip I sat next to Alanna and Rick. They were making a major move from Virginia to a new home in Oregon. Rick has accepted a new job as VP of Research for Oregon State in Corvallis. Alanna is originally from Oregon and for her - she's going home. It's not just a cross country trip from Virginia to Oregon. It's a trek, following as close as possible, the route of Lewis and Clark. They have so far crossed the Missouri River 23 time. I have new friends in Corvallis to visit.

Later in the afternoon I did more exploring around Helena - great small city with a rich history. The town's population is only around 30,000 but they have a cathedral and Carroll College, but built with the funds of wealthy Irish Catholics.













Surprise - the sister of my first girl friend when I was in the 7th grade - lives in Helena and works at Carroll College. The last time I saw Cathi - I think she was 5 or 6 years old, playing with my sister. Cathi has lived in Helena for many years now. She likes the people and this is where her kids are but she does miss her sister and the California coast. It was a great visit.

By the way - Cathi's not afraid of clowns - she was one...

Tomorrow - I'm on the road again. If every thing goes as planned, I will be camping out in Glacier National Park - on the east side. I may not be able to update this if I can't find internet access. Shouldn't all parks have internet access??? What kind of camping is this?