Sludge Biking!!!

These thingies funneled logs into the sawmill

54 miles. Woke up on the tired side (kept waking up thinking it was morning and/or feeling like there were bugs - which sometimes there were). Rode across the river into Idaho, turned left to return to Washington, and covered some rough road beside the highly reflective (and pretty) Pend Oreille River (pronounced ponderay). Though we were across the river from most of the towns, we did cross over once for some juice. We traveled part of the day on the Kalispell Reservation, which is the first reservation I've ever seen that didn't have a ton of casinos. Refreshing, really. And then there was construction. 7 miles of it. Dirt roads that had been turned mud in the name of dust control (I think I'm ok with that). There were sections that hadn't been packed and that means sludge biking. Gravelly mud has a tendency of sucking in skinny tires, making it darn near impossible to move the bike or to maintain stability. Luckily, we got done with that while it was still mostly cool. Hit some more rough (basically cobblestone) roads, but got in town around noon anyhoo. Pictures are all compliments of teh dadzorz today; I was chillin most of the day and not paying attention to taking pictures.

Idaho, at least for a little while

Yesterday was a 73 mile day through more rolling hills. I could definitely get used to shady, well-maintained roads that wind through mountains paralleling rivers and lakes, and that's exactly what we were on (aside from a short part near the end). There were tons of eagles and osprey, and though I was still recovering from the day before, the ride was quite enjoyable. Within the last 10 miles we decided to take an alternate listed on the map (never a good idea). We ended up on some rough (though pretty) road that turned into a closed dirt road (which we took through a construction zone anyway). At the edge of the construction was a line spray painted on the road indicating the state line. We're finally out of Montana!!!! I think it was about 150 miles longer than Virginia, making it the longest state on our route. We got into the hotel in time for a giant storm to sweep in. (That should help with all of the fires that are supposedly around.) We've seen plenty of forest service fire dudes, though all the moving hot shot crews we passed were back in Wyoming when we weren't hearing about fires.





Today we took 67 miles out of Idaho (our shortest state) and into Washington. It was a little flatter, a little more hot, and less scenic (though we did still have some rolling hills and rivers) today. Tomorrow looks ok, for the next two days will be in preparation for the passes through the Cascades.

Koocanusa

70 miles over to Libby today. About 7 miles in, we hit Rexford and the beginning of the Koocanusa Lake. We followed the lake for something like 46 miles before we hit the dam and spent the rest of the day following the river. The road surface was great, and we were carving all over the ridge next to the lake (more tiring but also more fun). Tomorrow will be another long one, but it will get us pretty close to Idaho. Something a little under 600 miles left I think.

Quite Nice

Today reminded me of the east. Rolling hills, poorly-paved/unlined/narrow roads, rounded mountains, steeper riding on ridge sides, etc. We had a little rain and a little wind (the latter was pretty annoying) and little traffic. Area was lush, and this morning we passed some loons singing out on a lake. More tired than usual after 57 miles, but I've had a ton of food, so things should be good.. Beautiful country anyhoo, seems pacific-northwesty now. Oh, also, stopped for the night in Eureka. I could probably spit to Canada (assuming I can spit 7 miles).

Glacier

Glacier is definitely among the most beautiful places I have ever seen. We woke up in the rain, grabbed some lunas, and headed over to catch the shuttle headed to Logan Pass (along the continental divide in the park). On the bike/walking path over, we saw a coyote attempt to take down a deer less than 50 yards off. The road goes along the side of the cliff, and between the construction, rain, and steep drop off, it was a bit frightening of a drive. The mist shrouded most of the view on the way up, but there were occasional waterfalls and ginormous peaks that broke through. We hiked over to Hidden Lake (gentle 3 miles over snow, ice, through cold streams, etc). The terrain looked like a mixture of something I would expect from Scottland and New Zealand. The spots of snow were melting into crystal rivulets that crossed through bright green grasses and combined to form streams that then cascaded off the carved, rocky sides of the mountains. We got out to the lake and there were tons of awesome views. I had read in the park paper that there were carpets of wildflowers and figured it was hyperbole, but at the top of the pass, you couldn't step off trail without stepping on indian paintbrush, glacier lilies, etc. After the hike, things were starting to clear off, so I took the bus down the east side (also kick ass, even if I couldn't get the pictures I wanted). Came back up with a few stops to wander, and by the time I was headed back to Apgar from Logan Pass, the sun was out and the views that had been concealed were amazing. Probably the best I have ever seen. I would move to the heart of Glacier in a minute. Anyhoo, I got down with new and improved views of the Garden Wall, Weeping Wall, Bird Woman Falls - 500 feet, U-shaped valleys (signature of a glacier), sun filtering through trees, and Avalanche creek (milky turqoise and filled with logs) and got some lunch. Throughout the day, I also caught glimpses of more deer and coyotes, a flock of bighorn sheep, a mountain goat, and a bald eagle. Ended the day watching the sun set over the lake. Awesome. I'm going back some day.

Today we took a 30 miler or so into Whitefish. More distance would have been great, but alack. Day was nice, though. Tomorrow we'll get some miles.