Day 16: Over Marias Pass to East Glacier

Marias Pass was easy and crossing the continental divide should never be easy. On the road by 7 with plans to get breakfast in 7 miles. The breakfast place didn’t open till 9 though so we went on to Essex and the Isaac Walton Inn for breakfast which had been our destination the day before. We got there to find several other c2c cyclist there eating breakfast. A couple of guys from Louisiana riding new carbon bikes pulling 2 wheel burley trailers and a husband and wife riding a collapsible bike Friday tandem. The Louisiana guys have a blog called http://patanddavesbiketrip.blogspot.com/ they’re heading cross country but didn’t seem to be in too big a rush since they had spent the last 3 days at the Isaac Walton. The other couple also blog at http://cyclingsanta.crazyguyonabike.com/ . Santa and Mrs. Claus were spinning along on the climb when Rick and I visited with them. They’re lovable but are heading back north into Glacier for a couple days at twin medicine lakes I think it is.
The climb was gradual along side a railroad and on top of the pass was a statue where Teddy Roosevelt had dedicated Glacier I believe but it was cold and windy and Rick and I left with Kevin when he arrived and motored into East Glacier. The town seemed dismal to begin with the campsite was supposed to be south of the highway and there was a sign but only shabby homes and trailers. So Kevin and I headed up the other way and found a campsite at Sears Motel right across from a nice hostel/grocery/bakery. Us guys enjoyed some beer in front of the hostel, admired the collection of dogs wandering about then happened in to a neat shop next door that makes wooden spoons and even wizard wands. The owner gave us the grand tour and answered all our queries. Evidently it is quite an affair to acquire one of his wizarding wands. You pretty much have to come in person and handle the wand to make the choice. “The wand chooses the wizard.” Then you get a course on how to take care of your wand and you sign you name in the ledger he keeps for each of the wands. Each wand has an id number that the ledger records. It also tells the type of wood, any graining characteristic, whether it has any special features. He had well over 50 wands made of varying woods and with differing twist and spirals in the handle but the sweetest was the dozen or so Harry Potter Wands. Made of flawless clear Holly each had a Phoenix feather included in the handle. The ledger listed over 7000 wands; is he the real Olivander? I’ll keep you posted.