Day 83, August 11^th, Beaver Lodge Resort to Kettle Falls, WA.  Today was a planned easier day so I could hit Sherman Pass in the morning when it is cool.  I slept a little late but when camping as soon as it gets light, I am awake and ready to go.  I broke camp, packed the bike, and went to the lodge for breakfast.  Unfortunately or fortunately, the lodge did not open until 8am.  I sat in the sun at the lake front for about 40 minutes.  I saw a hummingbird and several ducks as well as the mist on the lake rising in the morning sun.  It was a very calming time.  We all should spend more time just taking in God’s creation.  It is so amazing how it all works together and is just stupendous (for Lauren and AG!).  While at breakfast, a couple I saw yesterday in Ione, WA came in for a meal.  Tom and Paula are also headed for Anacortes following their own route, but are on the Northern Tier for the last section.   Tom has ridden to Alaska but this is Paula’s first long tour.  I took off by myself toward Kettle Falls, WA along Washington Route 2.  It was a beautiful ride in the forest for the first part and Wilma and I stopped at a Crystal Falls along the way.  It was mostly downhill but the west wind made me pedal going down.  My first stop was Colville, WA, for something cold to drink.  I met another cyclist, Rick, who has done several long tours.  He gave me some encouragement for the climbs to come.  I headed on to Kettle Falls.  The area got much dryer with dry grass on the hills.  I also saw maybe the last Drive-In-Movie operating in the USA.  I stopped for lunch in Kettle Falls and when I left the restaurant, it had gotten plenty hot.  I had thoughts of going on ahead to a camping site but found a motel room at the same motel that Tom and Paula had mentioned.  I met them coming in about 2pm and we agreed to meet at 6am to ride together up Sherman Pass.  Mileage for the day was 38.11.    

  Day 82, August 10^th, Skookum Creek Campground to Beaver Lodge Resort and Campground (on the road to Colville, WA.  I dallied in the campground this morning.  It was cool and sleeping bag was toasty.  At 6:30, I finally started moving and I was on the road by 8.  The tent was very wet with dew and condensation underneath the rain fly.  I laid everything out in the sun and got it partially dry.  The route continued along the Pend Oreille River and was scenic as all the rides seem to be in this section.  The good part about the ride was that it was mainly flat and cool.  I rode the 4 miles to Usk, WA for breakfast but the only café was closed on Fridays.  I had some coffee and met 2 brothers vacationing in the area.  Duffy and Rick and I had a great conversation about Minnesota, truck driving, and real estate.  I headed toward Ione, WA about 35 miles away.  I had a pop tart and a granola bar to keep me going.  It was smooth to Ione but none of the restaurants were open on Friday.  I had a burger at the supermarket/hardware/clothes store.  After lunch, it got hot and I had the tough part of the ride in front of me.  The road from Ione to Colville starts with a 6-7 mile climb and there was very little shade.  I had many second thoughts during the climb about the rest of the ride, but the top finally arrived and it was downhill all the way to the campground.  Note to self: PLAN THE CLIMBS FOR THE MORNING WHEN IT IS COOL!  The Beaver Lodge Resort has was started in 1948 when the road was not even paved out of Colville.  It has survived for many years and many owners.  The view from the dining is wonderful and tonight there is a Blue Grass Trio playing.  This is for Lew Goodman.  I had a smoked Prime Rib wrapped in bacon for dinner.  They used burgundy wine and some secret ingredients for 12 hours of smoking.  This overnight stay was quite a find.  Tomorrow looks easy and then on to Sherman Pass.  Mileage for the day was 55.70.

Day 81, August 9^th, Sandpoint, ID to almost Usk, WA.  I moved into the Pacific  Time Zone and so I was awake early.  I delayed as long as I could and got up and put on my new front tire.  I watched the Today Show for a little while, at breakfast in the hotel restaurant, and packed everything.  I finally decided to get on the road about 9:30.  The route took me through downtown Sandpoint, a very nice town with lots of shops and restaurants.  There is plenty to do on the lake and a ski resort not far away.  There route took a 8 mile bike path south along U.S. Route 95 and then turned west up through a canyon to link with the Pend Oreille River.  I followed the river for most of the day.  There are many vacation homes on both sides as well as permanent residents.  It’s hard to tell  because many are around for the summer.  I don’t know how many stay all year.  I took it slow after yesterday’s push to get to Sandpoint to fix my tire problem.  My first stop was in Oldtown, ID which borders Newport, WA for lunch.  I decided to use my camping gear tonight and went about 15 miles further along the river to a Washington Dept of Natural Resources camping area, Skookum Creek.  It is primitive but has water.  Skookum Creek flows right passed my camp site.  Two Great Blue Herons flew in to feed, some Cedar Wax Wings have flown in for some berries, and a small brown squirrel with a white belly has been climbing some very tall pine trees to get pine cones. Mileage for the day was 51.32.  

Day 80, August 8^th, Libby, MT to Sand Point, ID.  It seems unreal that I have been at this quest for 80 days!  I was awake and ready to go today.  My plan was to make it to Clark Fork, ID to be close to Sand Point to make a stop at a bicycle shop.  The rubber on my front tire has begun to separate from the tire.  I think all the rocks and gravel have taken a toll on the tire.  Still, I believe I have gotten 5000 to 6000 miles on the tire.  I got on the road, U.S. Route 2 going north from Libby following the Kootenai River and the BNSF railroad.  It was cool and the ride was just spectacular.  I saw a freight and the AMTRAK Empire Builder heading east.   The ride was mostly downhill and the Kootenai River goes through a gorge and over a falls.   I made great time to the first turn at 15 miles.  Route 56 starts with an uphill but then drops through a valley following the Bull River.  It was almost 40 miles of mostly downhill through the Cabinet Mountains, one of the last habitats of the Grizzly Bear.  Unfortunately, there are only about 15 Grizzly Bears left in the Cabinet Mountains Wildlife Area.  I saw many deer but no bear.  I made 51 miles by noon!  After lunch, I headed for Clark Fork where the problems began. First, I crossed into Idaho and gained an hour, so I started thinking I should keep going.  Then I couldn’t find a campground or motel in Clark Fork.  I moved on to New Hope, ID, but missed a turn and went passed all the campgrounds.  At this point I decided to make a run for Sandpoint some 20 miles away.  Lucky for me the wind was out of the south and I had a tail wind.  The route followed the shore of Lake Pend Oreille, a large lake but just the remnant of a huge lake formed by glaciers.   I rolled into Sandpoint following the Adventure Cycling Route which took me passed my motel and I had to back track.  Along the way, I found a bike shop and purchased a new tire.  I am ahead of schedule so I plan to sleep in, change my tire and do a short day tomorrow.  Mileage was way more than planned at 99.42.      

Kootenai River Valley

Day 79, August 7^th, Eureka, MT to Libby, MT.  I was up and ready to go this morning hoping to beat the heat.  The forecast was for temps well over 90.  The local station just confirmed the temps were over 100.  The motel/gas station/convenience store/Subway didn’t open until 6:30.  I got a free coffee, ate a pop tart and headed out.  The morning was cool but I shed my vest very quickly.  The route followed the Koocanusa Lake, a manmade lake stretching from the Libby Dam into Canada.  I hit the lake road at the 5 mile mark and got to the dam at mile 52.  I checked the web and the official length of the lake is 90 miles.  The dam was built in 1972.  It was a scenic ride.  The lake is bordered by mountains that go straight up to 5-6 feet on both sides.  The road was fairly flat but there were enough plenty of hills that wore me out.  Three deer and a Big Horned Sheep ran across the road no more than 30 yards in front of me.  On both occasions I was unable to get my camera out fast enough for a shot.  I stopped at the Koocanusa Campground and Marina for lunch.  It is a beautiful spot on one of the side inlets from the lake.  Just below the dam, the route switched to an old haul road for lumber and for the dam.  It was parallel to the railroad, but no trains.  Coming into Libby was a typical scene of a small Montana Valley in this area.  I opted for another motel (surprise) due to the heat (camping is no fun at 95-100 degrees).  Tomorrow I will get to Idaho.  Mileage for the day was 70.72.   

Bridge across the reservoir about 30 miles from the dam

Wilma liked the ride today!

Coming into Libby.

Day 78, August 6^th, Whitefish, MT to Eureka, MT.  It was a slow start to the day.  I had to pick up my bike from Glacier Cyclery and the store didn’t open until 9am.  After getting my bike, I spent a while repacking all the gear into the panniers.  I decided to ship a couple of things home when I found the Glacier National Park Hiking Guide, so a quick stop at the Post Office was in order.  I got on the road about 10am.  It was finally good to get back on the road knowing this is the last leg of the journey.  Route 93, North was fairly flat and except for the first mile out of Whitefish had a good shoulder and not much traffic.  The scenery was beautiful and the route followed a valley through the mountains.  The mountains are not as high as Glacier and mostly forested.  I passed through some horse ranch areas as well as Dickey Lake area, which appeared to be a resort area.  There were a couple of showers in the afternoon to the east with some lightening, but I only got a spit of rain.  Rolled into Eureka about 4:30 and found the Ksanka Motel, an older motel but very nice.  The restaurant across the road was surprisingly good.  I plan a early start tomorrow to Libby, MT.  Mileage for the day was 63.93.

Day 77, August 5^th, Extended break at Glacier National Park.  Cindy, Dave, and Diane left early this morning after dropping me at the Downtowner Motel in Whitefish.  I used the day to rest my feet and get ready for tomorrow’s resumption of the ride to Seattle.  I bought some snacks and supplies and watched the Olympic Games.  Dave will be envious that I got to see some of the beach volley ball action.  I am ready for the next leg and to reach Seattle.  I figure about 6-700 miles to go.