Memories... Old and New - Lolo Pass and Entering Montana

Lolo Pass Outside Missoula, MT ... 2013 and 2026

The past 3 days I have been riding the same route that Beth, Nicholas and I did in 2013.  If you would like to take a look at the original blog from 2013 here is a link to it.  This is a beautiful and very remote area of Idaho.  The road follows the Lochsa River most of the way to Lolo Pass, more than 80 miles.  There are Lewis and Clark points of interest all along the way since this was their route to the Columbia river.  It was beautiful in 2013 and still beautiful now.  I have great memories of this area during our trip in 2013.

One of the aspects of riding with a group of experienced cycling tourists is that we all have stories of our rides that we share.  Of course, almost all of my riding trips were with Beth and we had some great adventures like riding a dirt road in Chile over the Andes to the Argentine border; riding in Africa and losing the front axle to the bike; or just great days like we just had riding up the road next to the Lochsa River.  The group has been great letting me tell some of the stories of our adventures and very understanding of the loss of my wife, best friend and traveling companion. I'm learning how lucky I was that Beth and I both enjoyed riding the bike.  Most of the group are married or have significant others that will join for a day or two at most, but not share this entire experience together.  

Lots of white water rafters and kayakers.  The rapids can stretch for miles.

The road follows the river just like this for about 80 miles

One of our campsites along the way was a wilderness hunting camp.  It was a collection of several cabins with various bathroom configurations from none to a full shower and toilet.  The beds were just mattresses on a frame and bring you own sleeping bag.  I have been sleeping really well in my tent with a very low cot and thin air mattress, so I just opted to pitch my tent.  What it did have was a full kitchen that Hank, our cook took full advantage of.  Hank is a great cook and he has pulled off some amazing meals with the equipment he has.  We are all starving after we ride all day which probably helps with our meal reviews.  I'll have to do a blog just about Hank at some point.

Cabins at the Wilderness hunting camp

Sleeping arrangements in one of the cabins... yeah... I don't think so.  I like my tent better

"The 3 Amigos"  or "The Rabbits"  depending who you ask. L to R John (66), Chuck (76) and me (69)

The 3 Amigos, to balance out the 3 Amigas, are John and Chuck, both from the Chicago area and me. We are the fastest of the group.  And of the 3 of us, John is the strongest rider.  He can leave Chuck and I in the dust if he wants.  Chuck and I are pretty closely matched and depends on the day, who goes just a hair quicker.  But, Chuck and I are not in much of a hurry and can ride together for hours at a good pace.  To be honest, Chuck at 76 is in amazing shape and this is his 3rd time riding across the country.  His second time was when he turned 70 and he is already thinking about an attempt at 80.  Me... I'm just trying to finish this one!

It was raining as we rode to Missoula, but snowing in the higher elevations where we were yesterday.

We have a rest day here in Missoula. It was a chilly ride from our campsite in Lolo Hot Springs.  It was in the low 30's last night, so most of us opted for a hotel room across the street from the campground.  Chuck and I shared a room and it was nice not to have to deal with a wet tent this morning when it was raining.  It rained on us most of the way into Missoula.  Going downhill in the chilly rain wasn't all that fun, but we got here and are enjoying the hotel for a couple of nights.

Current stats after 16 days on the road:  Currently in Missoula, MT for a rest day after riding 765 miles and 35,700' of climbing... a good start on our 4000+ mile ride.