Day 5: Rough Riders

 

With apologies to Teddy Roosevelt.

Kellogg, ID to Superior MT, 77 miles and 3800 feet of climbing.  This section, which includes parts of Idaho and Montana, is known for challenges in routing and logistics so we planned for a little less distance than usual. There just aren’t any paved roads other than Interstate 90 that connect west and east.  The weather was cool and overcast, but no rain. A blessing. We started by finishing the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes, a 20 mile stretch that left us at the other trailhead in Mullan, ID.

We did reasonably well on the routing and navigation today mainly because of some help we received from two people we met along the way.  Royal, an exceptionally helpful guy from Mullan, took time out from his job assembling cell towers to help us figure out routes that bypassed or at least minimized being on the Interstate in a particularly tight section (i.e., very narrow shoulders). Jen, the manager of the Montana Bar (and Casino), was outside when we rode by asking for directions to a nearby trail. She took one look at our bikes (mainly the tires), explained that the trail surface was rocks and gravel, that even mountain bikes have a problem riding through it, and that we’d be much better off if we just went inside for lunch - which we did. Pretty good food, nice people, and the place was pretty funky as well. 

We were on all kinds of roads and trails today: paved bicycle rails, dirt and gravel trails, paved roads, dirt roads, and even the Interstate. And we did pretty well, even with all the logistical challenges - not that we didn’t have an incident or two, including one involving a long climb on a road that would have problems qualifying as a double track mountain bike trail in the northeast (or a goat trail anywhere). We had to backtrack after we had a tire touch while dodging protruding boulders followed by a slow motion tumble. No worse for the wear. 

We admit that we were a little nervous starting out as logistics and planning are not our strongest suits (actually, we don’t have any strong suits) but it turned out to be a really fun day. And, of course, there was the headwind which we can’t seem to shake; there’s always tomorrow. On to and maybe through Missoula.