Boy rides to Logan Pass on seventh birthday

Micah Saugen, of Kalispell, recently rode his bike 15.5 miles and 3,216 feet up from Avalanche Creek to Logan Pass for his seventh birthday.

“We asked him what he wanted to do, and the Hedges School kindergartener said he wanted to bike in Glacier Park,” his mother Christie Saugen later explained.

Powered by a birthday breakfast of bacon, eggs and a pancake “shaped like a puppy dog” on May 31, Micah hopped on his seven-gear Specialized mountain bike — with Sid, a stuffed sloth, prominently displayed on his handlebars — and headed down Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road.

Micah loves waterfalls, and as he headed up the alpine highway’s steep grade, he was determined to get to the next waterfall, and then the next one. He said he wasn’t certain he would make it to Logan Pass until he reached Triple Arches.

“That’s when I knew I was going to get there,” he said.

The weather provided some help — on the way up, at least.

“There was a wind right when I was going up, and I didn’t even have to pedal. It was pushing me along,” he said. “But on the way down, there was a huge rainstorm. My shoes had tons of water, my pants were soaked, and then there was a hailstorm. When I got to the bottom, I was soaked.”

Micah received encouragement from other bikers on the road. After counting 34 waterfalls, he finally reached the pass, where a group of people had gathered, cheering him and offering congratulations.

“When I got to the top, they kept taking pictures and it was awesome,” he said.

He was also cheered on by his father Dave, his mother, older sister Serenity, 8, and little brother Kyler, 4, who all made the trip.

“Micah was quite the little celebrity up there,” adds his mother, beaming proudly. “We wanted him to feel like he succeeded wherever he decided to turn around. We were saying, ‘Hey buddy, this is great, you can turn around anytime you want,’ but he just joyfully pursued and never complained at all.”

Micah — who also enjoys skiing, swimming and gymnastics — has been biking since before he was 3 years old, and it’s his favorite thing to do. But he has other aspirations.

“I want my dad to teach me ice climbing,” he said. “I also want to build a jet someday.”