Morning Devotions

Tim Riter September 2, 2019

On a late June morning we fired up the bikes and rode out of Kalispell, Montana, expecting great things at Glacier National Park. Early indications didn’t encourage us. The chill cut deep and we endured 30 miles of mostly urban traffic. So far, the shivers from cold and the frustrations from traffic seemed typical. Nothing awesome, just unpleasant conditions. Then we entered Glacier. The first ten miles or so were straight and slow and serene as we skirted Lake McDonald. Evergreens provided a covered archway and limited the visibility, and I relaxed in the slowness. The frustrations of the earlier morning ride seeped away and I sensed God’s presence again invading my soul. Serenity soon ended as…

glacier-national-park-from youramazingplaces.com.jpg

Addictions

Tim Riter July 8, 2019

My first and almost forced ride on a Honda Trail 90, interested me, watching Easy Rider in 1970 entranced me, but riding a Honda 350 Scrambler to Canada hooked me. Since then I’ve ridden about a quarter of a million miles in 46 states and three countries. Call me addicted, and I won’t argue. But to more than…

Designed--Magnificently!

Tim Riter May 6, 2019

On August 30, 2017, intense lightning sparked the Kenow Fire near Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, Canada, and soon moved into the park. Orders to evacuate the Waterton townsite arrived September 8, but control didn’t come until September 21, and the threat continued until the shorter days of October brought snow and colder temps.

By then, 38% of Waterton NP had burned, and when including fires in nearby Glacier NP, 65,000 acres were blackened, impacting 80% of the trails. This last April a good friend and delightful author, Murray Pura, who lives close to Waterton, posted this pic of a tree scorched in the fire. An interesting juxtaposition of death and life-giving snow with the Canadian Rockies in the background. Likely, the tree won’t recover, but …

Adapt, Don't Quit

Tim Riter March 18, 2019

Somewhere on the Going to the Sun Road in Glacier National Park lies an otherwise nondescript turnout, much like above. No monument marks it, tourists don’t drive by to gawk at a historical site, and honestly, few would care to see it even after this story. But asphalt can teach a lesson. I’ve known Jerry since high school daze; he’s one of my best friends and we regularly take long rides on the bikes each year. But his very short legs have led to…

Morning Devotions

Tim Riter March 7, 2016

On a late June morning we fired up the bikes and rode out of Kalispell, Montana, expecting great things at Glacier National Park. Early indications didn’t encourage us. The chill cut deep, even through our leathers and layers of clothing, and we had to endure 30 miles of mostly urban traffic before approaching the park. So far, the shivers from cold and the frustrations from traffic seemed like a typical day. Nothing awesome, just unpleasant conditions. Then we entered Glacier...

More Jewel Than Tool-foto by Rich Klinsky

Adapting

Tim Riter August 26, 2013

Two stories, seemingly unrelated, except that they both deal with bikes and Glacier National Park. Oh yeah, somewhere there’s a point that should connect them.

Story #1: Somewhere on the Road to the Sun in Glacier lies an otherwise nondescript patch of dirt. No monument marks it, tourists don’t drive by to gawk at a historical site, and honestly, few would care to see it even after this story. But dirt can teach a lesson.

Addictions

Tim Riter August 19, 2013

Once

under two minutes

I ate an entire berry pie

Thereby

proving my gluttony

winning the blue ribbon

losing my love for berries for years

But today...

A 6 Foot Perspective

Tim Riter August 3, 2013

I don’t know how many others suffer from this malady, but I seem to see the world through a six foot perspective. That’s the average height of most men, although I came up just a little short on that one. Now, the years have dropped me further from that exalted status of two yards. Even so, in a standing crowd I often judge if I’m taller than most, or shorter. I often come out ahead (pardon that bad pun).

Unconventional

Old Faith, New Following