Sula to Jackson

Prepared for the toughest day so far- Chief Joseph Pass with 2800 feet climbing, and 58 miles altogether. Left Sula (pop 50), the next town being Wisdom (pop 114) to reach Jackson (pop 38). We heard the mosquitos are cruel in Wisdom, don't even think of staying there-  push on to Jackson.

Our pace up the pass was steady, 3 hours steep grade. The road tops out at the Continental Divide, 7241 elevation, another milestone today.  Made fast progress down, with more beautiful scenery, meadows, streams, elk and hawks. Rode past the site of the tragic Nez Pierce Indian Battle, and into what's known as Montana's Big Hole, a great expanse of marshy prairie ringed by snowcovered mt ranges. more on that with next post.

 

Corvalis to Sula

Morning started with an odd sprinkle from a clear blue sky. Rich said did you feel that? and I said, what is that, bird spit? 

We knew a day like this was coming eventually- this thunderstorm came up on us fast, with lightning. We found cover under a business's porch just in time- the owner laughing knew we were sprinting for his place.  One of the hardest drenching, cannot describe the volume of water and horizontal wind. Got our raingear on and when it slowed to a drenching rain about 20 minutes later, with passable headwinds, we set off.  It was about 2 hours of rain, then it cleared.  We are so glad we have Seattle tested gear and waterproof panniers and covers.

More picturesque montana scenery but was still too drizzly for this phone to take pictures.

Missoula to Corvalis

day started out well. More postcard scenery of the Bitterroot Mountain Range.  Wildlife was mostly Columbian Ground Squirtels, which scampered and across trail like tribbles.  Passed a team of calf ropers practicing.

The bike path alongside the highway is supposed to run all the way to Hamilton, but major construction really complicated the last third of the ride.

Many thanks to another warmshowers host family, for the last minute stay, dinner and thoroughly enjoyable conversation, (I hope we didn't keep up too late!)

Missoula

An oasis for bike paths throughout the city. A picture of Ethel and her dog Ellie, who loves to ride along.

Alberton to Missoula- surfing in Montana

Scenery is changing valley is opening up.

Missoula is our planned rest day to pick up things at the post office,  visit Adventure Cycling office, restock food.  We are staying with Ethel from Warmshowers dot org, who welcomed us with just homemade apple crisp. Many interesting stories of her travels as she has biked solo self-supported Seattle to San Francisco, Paris to Amsterdam, and other european countries, in her mid 70's.

Missoula is so bike friendly with lanes and bike rack art. This bike bridge over the rr tracks winds around several times, crosses, then winds back down.

There was a riverfront festival with good music,  kayaking and surfing. Yes, surfing in Montana.

Montana scenery

another turn around we had was right at the start of the day. our map showed a side road but we discovered after a few miles it changed to dirt and too steep grade for me to make much progress. rivers and streams are definitely high water stage. 

St. Regis to Alberton Montana- 45 miles

several false starts and turn-arounds. day started briskly chilly, but as we broke camp it felt way cold. we wimped and decided to eat at the restaurant down the street, even the couple miles ride felt really cold. Warming up in the cafe we discovered it was 35 degrees.

Road construction closed the entire half of the freeway for us, until the bridge out made it impassable. had to portage over a barbed wire fence to get back to a side road. 

The scenery is on a large scale, mountains and sky.

Wallace to St. Regs

45 miles but started with the tough climb over Lookout Pass (Lolo Pass) Tail winds again.

We were looking for moose all day yesterday in that prime marshy wilderness but didn't spot any. This morning we rode by one 10 feet away and startled the heck out of me. She seemed so tame on the bike path I thought it was ok to take a picture.

Montana State Border!

Day 9- Harrison to Wallace Idaho- 50 miles

50 miles of pure bliss- rode the bike trail to the end with 10-15mph tail winds the whole way, mid 60's.  Awesome postcard beautiful landscape the whole day, so it was hard not to take pictures all the time.

Wild roses lined miles of the trail. Saw osprey, great herons, red headed woodpeckers, least chipmonks, a beaver dam. This was moose country but no luck seeing one.  Day started with ominous thundestorms, but they disappated. Land changed from marshes and chained lakes to ponderosa meadows.

Day 8- 10 mile spin to Harrison for a rest day.

Trail of the Coeur D'Alene's is 75 miles long from Plummer to Wallace- developed by the railroad after they took out the tracks. Beautiful scenery and this amazing bridge across the lake just for bikes.

We planned a rest day every week so we leisurely packed up camp and pedaled 10 miles to Harrison- a cozy little town with an ice cream shop that serves the Biggest Scoops in Idaho.  Lakeview Lodge is a nice place to stay, pretty view from our own deck.

misc day 7

Stopped at Valleyford and learned about Helga Estby's Forgotten Walk across the country in the victorian era.  Several interesting books: Bold Spirit is one.

Rich traded in his bike for this new rig.

The bike trail was such a relief.... beautiful scenery there too. Also our campsite on the lake.

Day 7- 55 miles from Spokane, crossed into Idaho, to Coeur D'Alene Bike Trail, to Heybury State Park

Started the morning winding through Palouse Hwy... (thanks for the directions Norm!)  then it gradually changed from rolling wheat into pines and farmland.  Started to see snow covered mountains in the far distance- our not too distant future.

Crossed into Idaho but the hwy instantly turned treacherous with 6" shoulder and semis passing. Finally made it to the Coeur D'Alene bike trail. 7 miles of downhill trail all to ourselves- heaven after all that traffic.  Setting up camp late next to the lake.

Rich said there's something about a 57 Chevy... lunch at the Red Rooster in Reardon

Day 5- Electric City to Davenport.

First few miles were steep rolling hills, then started climbing a totally unexpected 5% grade that went on and on with turns and false summit after false summit. Rode through desert changing to pinrs, topped out after 4.5 miles an hour later into Eastern Washington farmland.

Rest of the day was gentle tailwinds and partly cloudy skies. 55miles total, kinda long for me after the tough start.

Don't miss Nell's in Bridgeport

Thank you so much for letting us camp last minute in the yard,  the conversation, and big breakfast before we set off again. 

Day 3- Alta Lake to Bridgeport

an easier day (fewer miles but with 10mph headwinds)  Very friendly and gracious people at Nells Cafe let us camp in their yard.  Also met Lightening Bill

Day 2

Sweet 20mph tail winds

Liberty Bell, Washington Pass

a bit nippy

Rich rode all 77 miles today- Marblemount to Mazama

I set out in hard rain with snow flurries on a 7% grade up.... could only get better, lol