Montesir’s Travel Blog

Pincher Creek, Alberta to Helena, Montana via Glacier National Park

Stage 1 – Pincher Creek to Lake McDonald in Glacier

Day 3 of my trip started in the wilderness of Alberta in a small town close to the Canada-US border called Pincher Creek where I had spent the previous night at a small motel. Pincher Creek is on the edge of the Rockies so you can see the mountains in the distance, yet you are in the plains.

As you ride south out of Pincher Creek the terrain starts to change becoming more mountainous as you get closer to the US border. I rode through the Waterton Lake National Park with stunning views of the mountains all around. The border crossing is called Chief Mountain, and the border is open 4-5 months in a year and it was scheduled to close a couple of weeks later in mid-September. The border crossing was uneventful and I headed south toward Saint Mary which is the main town on the north eastern flank of Glacier National Park.

The ride through Glacier National Park was busy with many cars taking advantage of the clear weather. In fact it was so busy that it started to annoy me because I was constantly in 1st and 2nd gear on my motorcycle. To make things worse it was very blustery and there was a lot of smog from the forest fires in neighboring Idaho. Overall, while the road is thrilling and the views are splendid, my experience wasn’t too great. The best of the trip was yet to come.

Picture: At the Going to the Sun Road

Watch my video on YouTube as I capture the journey from Pincher Creek to Glacier National Park in Montana.

Stage 2 – Lake McDonald in Glacier to Helena, Montana

Picture: Lake McDonald at Glacier National Park.

From Glacier I headed south towards my final destination for the day, Helena Montana. I rode through varying landscapes including high mountain roads, green forested valleys before heading east and then south to the prairies. As I got closer to Helena I took a detour through the Helena Lewis & Clark National Forest. This place is epic and a must visit area. I went over the Flesher Pass and finally arrived at the city of Helena located in a valley with mountains in the distance. It was a long day with a lot of riding and I was tired and in need to a good meal and much needed sleep.

Picture: On the way to Helena Montana after exiting Glacier National Park and the Rocky Mountains.

Picture: On the way to Helena

You can join me in my journey from Glacier to Helena by visiting my YouTube channel. The link to my video is below.