1st July
After a good night’s sleep, I’m up early and on the road at 0830. I start off taking the ‘Old Spiral Highway’ north out of Clarkton. Replaced by the US95, this road coils around the hills to the north of Clarkston & Lewiston – it’s a great ride…
It’s a warm and humid day - 72º already – but the breeze at the top of the hill is cool and pleasant. I turn right onto the 95, then follow it east to US12 – a scenic byway, commemorating the Perce-Nez Indian trail, the Lewis & Clarke expedition and the North West Passage. It obviously used to be very busy…
The road follows the Clearwater River which as its name suggests, is crystal clear…
The road is well surfaced and reasonably busy. There is a 55mph speed limit in force for most of its length – and I see a lot of Police cars out, so I keep reasonably close to it…
Deciding to ignore the services I see offered in Kamiah…
…I eventually reach the section of US12 I rode a couple of weeks ago, towards Lo Lo Pass. Last time I was here, it was raining steadily…
…whilst today, it’s as dry as a bone.
After 50 miles or so, I take a break – having this much fun can be quite exhausting…
As I’m riding down the Montana side of the Lo Lo Pass, I notice an animal in the undergrowth to the right of the road. I stop the bike and realise I’m looking at a Moose. Unfortunately, my arrival startles it, and it takes off into the woods, with surprising agility, before I can get a picture. Hopefully, I’ll be seeing some of his relatives in Glacier and Canada in the next few days.
I eventually get to Missoula, where I have lunch and refuel. I see that Montana has taken a step towards discouraging ‘drive-offs’ at filling stations…
I head up towards Flathead Lake on US93, past a survivalist’s one-stop shop…
I stop to take a picture of Flathead Lake from a scenic overlook – the phone company has really starred here – I mean, people are meant to take pictures from here – what were they thinking?
I get into Kalispell in the middle of a violent rainstorm. Declining the Hampton Inn’s comedy offer of a room for $128, I settle for a little Mom & Pop for $55 instead. Actually, I think it’s a Mom & Cat.
After a good night’s sleep, I’m up early and on the road at 0830. I start off taking the ‘Old Spiral Highway’ north out of Clarkton. Replaced by the US95, this road coils around the hills to the north of Clarkston & Lewiston – it’s a great ride…
It’s a warm and humid day - 72º already – but the breeze at the top of the hill is cool and pleasant. I turn right onto the 95, then follow it east to US12 – a scenic byway, commemorating the Perce-Nez Indian trail, the Lewis & Clarke expedition and the North West Passage. It obviously used to be very busy…
The road follows the Clearwater River which as its name suggests, is crystal clear…
The road is well surfaced and reasonably busy. There is a 55mph speed limit in force for most of its length – and I see a lot of Police cars out, so I keep reasonably close to it…
Deciding to ignore the services I see offered in Kamiah…
…I eventually reach the section of US12 I rode a couple of weeks ago, towards Lo Lo Pass. Last time I was here, it was raining steadily…
…whilst today, it’s as dry as a bone.
After 50 miles or so, I take a break – having this much fun can be quite exhausting…
As I’m riding down the Montana side of the Lo Lo Pass, I notice an animal in the undergrowth to the right of the road. I stop the bike and realise I’m looking at a Moose. Unfortunately, my arrival startles it, and it takes off into the woods, with surprising agility, before I can get a picture. Hopefully, I’ll be seeing some of his relatives in Glacier and Canada in the next few days.
I eventually get to Missoula, where I have lunch and refuel. I see that Montana has taken a step towards discouraging ‘drive-offs’ at filling stations…
I head up towards Flathead Lake on US93, past a survivalist’s one-stop shop…
I stop to take a picture of Flathead Lake from a scenic overlook – the phone company has really starred here – I mean, people are meant to take pictures from here – what were they thinking?
I get into Kalispell in the middle of a violent rainstorm. Declining the Hampton Inn’s comedy offer of a room for $128, I settle for a little Mom & Pop for $55 instead. Actually, I think it’s a Mom & Cat.
