Day 5 - Columbia Falls
to Ferndale

Above Left: It is a bright, clear, but cool day along the Flathead River. Today, while we are looking west in the picture, we will be heading SSE on the GDMBR in general. The route will be 80% paved, which will help us make some distance.

Above Right: The remnant of yesterday's bad weather and snow.

Above Left: The sun is rising in the east.

Above Right: A typical view of our SSE heading.

Above Left: An old homestead stands in a field.

Above Right: Horse Ranch - We will see many horse properties today.

Above Left: Heading east along a horse ranch.

Above Right: NE View.

Above Left: Heading south.

Above Right: Heading east on the GDMBR.

Above Left: Heading south off pavement.

Above Right: Dennis & Terry Struck on the GDMBR near Swan River (Town), Montana.

Above Left: It appears to be a school that was converted to a home and it now includes some add-on rooms.

Above Right: The Glacier Mountain Range is holding back an undesired air mass.

Above Left: Looking southeast.

Above Right: A gaggle of Turkeys.

Above Left: A herd of deer. We spooked them and they started running

Above Right: A view to our east. Last night's snow is starting to melt.

Above Left: Lone Buck. Usually only the males (bucks) will segregate themselves from other deer.

Above Right: An old home slowly deteriorating from vegetation.

Above Left: Looking WSW, probably just south of Kalispell.

Above Right: A Doe and two Fawns cross the road in front of us on Bachelor Grade Road (on the GDMBR).

Above: A small water reservoir on Bachelor Grade Road (on the GDMBR).

Above Left: Larch Meadows.

Above Right: On the hard road that will lead to the town of Swan Lake, Montana.

Above: We are having lunch (bagels, trail mix and turkey jerky).

Above Left: Pastoral Ranch Home (GDMBR, near Swan River, MT).

Above Right: Cycling eastward on the GDMBR, MT.

Above Left: A Buck spies on us.

Above Right: Cycling eastward on the GDMBR, MT.

Above Left: Echo Lake, Montana.

Above Right: Wild flowers on Echo Lake, Montana.

Above Left: The view NE from the Swan River town area.

Above Right: Riding through the suburbs of the town of Swan River.

Above Left: The river of Swan River is 4-5 miles beyond the town of Swan River. We have finally arrived. There is a bike and hike trail (ergo the trail head) that leads to Big Fork (due west, off route, about 4 miles, the closest legal campground or lodging).

Above Right: A downstream view of the Swan River, heading westward here.

Above Left: Ferndale, MT, has no camping or lodging, one must either stealth camp, travel further south on the GDMBR, or go off-route to resort town of Big Fork. The latter was our choice (a 5 mile paved and level road journey).

Above Right: The Ferndale, MT, Fire Department is honoring 9/11. We traveled all day without realizing that today was September 11. We had a brief chat with the fireman; we thanked him for honoring the sad event he thanked us for stopping and remembering.