Racing the Scenic Route Through Montana

Jim & Mel seeing me and my bike off from Missoula

My day off in Missoula was just what I needed. A really bike friendly city in the middle of Montana - the state with the most aggressive drivers so far, I lost count of the number of times i was overtaken too close with cars coming the other way or on blind bends and even found cars overtaking into me! Jim & Mel treated me like family and it was great to share some time with them.


I'd been racing since RAGBRAI to make sure I'd be in Vancouver for the 31st August, but now, my kind friend Ed decided to fly out to Vancouver on the 25th, 6 days early. The direct route would be about 680 miles, but the scenic one would be 860, in 9 days to arrive on the 26th I'd get to find out if I really could do 100 miles a day. So again after promising myself that i wouldn't race, off I was racing to Vancouver...

Montana is absolutely full of lakes and my scenic route took me past loads of them. Each had a few jetties and stunning houses baked in sunlight, it's hard to imagine these same lakes being frozen over and covered in snow in winter.

Day 1 out of Missoula I followed old Indian trails up clearwater creek to Swan Lake - Home of the best breakfast sandwich in Montana - accompanied by the friendly chatter of Joe and Jocelyn at the Trading Post that doubled as a campground with showers (a real luxury). Although this is bear country, I was told not to worry as they're all up in the mountains picking ripe berries, whether this was true or just a ruse to get me to buy huckleberries rather than pick my own, but it worked and they were worth it.

The ride up to swan lake

The next day would take me back north and west, finishing very close to Canada, in fact I could have swum there up the lake. The roads are narrow with little or no shoulder and aggressive Montana drivers make it difficult to focus on anything other than the road - they seem fine with cyclists on the road so long as the cyclist doesn't get in their way or make them slow down - in this way vehicles will overtake face on into you, overtake round blind bends and then complain that there's no room when a car's coming the other way.

Whitefish lake even had a beach, and the water was not too cold - better than Hampstead Heath Lido

A quick dip in Whitefish lake before heading up to Eureka and lucking out with a $5 camp spot in the town park paid for at the town hall / fire / police / ambulance station

Home Sweet Home in Eureka Riverside Park

Riding 45 miles alongside Kaicanusa lake

Lake country has been created by a number of dams - the biggest created Lake Koocanusa over 100 miles long spanning the USA and Canada. I got to wind my way alongside it for 45 miles of up and downs clinging to the valley's side before dropping down into Libby for lunch. The lake was only created 40 years ago and flooded several old towns and an old railway that had been used to transport gold and other minerals in the gold rush era when all these towns had been bustling outposts, now they remain solely as the names of coves or creeks along the lake.

The River Wild, or at least the filmset for it

I looked a little out of place at the classic Car Rally in Libby, though I think had I put myself forward I'd have easily won the prize for the furthest distance travelled to get there. Heading on west along the Kootenai river, I hit "The River Wild", or at least the film location for it - a stretch of rapids that I could have thrown myself into from the open bank. My final excusion of the day took me to an ancient grove of Cedar trees, some over 500 years old, in the twilight it felt like an enchanted forest and I veryy nearly got lost a couple of times when drawn off the path by some cool looking trees - you could imagine tree elves were to blame. Distracted by the trees, I finished the day stuck 20 miles from the nearest town, so had to cook on my little trangia stove for the first time - it was a success, though boiling up super noodles is not exactly one of my culinary high points.

The Enchanting Grove of 500+ year old Cedar Trees

My final day in Montana was a rush to the border, into Idaho, alog Lake Pend d'Oreille and into Washington - Breakfast in Montana, Lunch in Idaho and Dinner in Washington - if the whole trip was like this I'd have been done in about a week. Compared to Montana, Idaho appeared very developed - Lake Pend D'Oreille was a fisherman's and twitchers dream with waterfowl and birds of prey everywhere. Being mid-August locals were already out collecting wood for winter, apparently with the aim of sitting next to a warm fire with a crate of beer funded by selling excess wood to those without the forsight to collect it so early.

Another brief visit to Idaho, at least this time I stopped for lunch

After 4 days and 450miles, I was more than on track to make it to Vancouver - in fact my legs still felt pretty good but I had some pretty big moutain passes to come in Washington as the roads seemed to cross every mountain range possible on the way to the Pacific. I was however spending a long time on the bike - 7-9 hours riding a day - which was really testing other pieces of kit such as my shorts, gloves, sandles and beginning to put strain on random parts of my body such as my shoulders and neck from the hunched riding position.

Thanks to all those who have already sponsored me and contributed to the North Staffs Adventure Playground - I'm hoping to hit 1000 pounds so please donate using the following link:
http://www.justgiving.com/BigRedOnABike