ACA Maps & 2-lane Highways - how often?

[BikeliciousBabe]

If it's busy, much of U.S. 93 between Eureka and Whitefish on the Northern Tier will put the fear of death in you. This is coming from someone who routinely rides in the 5th most populous city in the U.S.

[Pat Lamb]

I've read that a number of times, but I was ready to get off the backroads shortly after leaving Whitefish headed to Eureka.  May have just been Sunday morning (there's that time of day/day of week thing), but I had no problems on the main road through there.

[David W Pratt]

Just a guess, but I would expect the ACA routes would have more bicycles and, thus, more drivers used to cyclists

[BikeliciousBabe]

I've read that a number of times, but I was ready to get off the backroads shortly after leaving Whitefish headed to Eureka.  May have just been Sunday morning (there's that time of day/day of week thing), but I had no problems on the main road through there.

I think there are a couple of things going on. Having ridden the stretch north to south in both 2017 and 2019, there seemed to be more traffic headed south. When I rode north on a Friday in 2009, there was not much traffic, but we were still feeling the effects of a recession. I would not be surprised if there is also a "Glacier Effect." In 2017, Going to the Sun Road was still closed beyond Avalanche the day I rode to Whitefish. There was definitely less traffic that year. (My 2017 and 2019 rides were both mid-week.) In 2019, it opened fully to cars on June 23rd, which was three days before my ride. When I left W. Glacier for Whitefish in 2009, the day after the road opened fully, there was a backup of vehicles on U.S. waiting to make that left towards the park entrance.