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Day 14 - June 21 - Lucille, ID to Lowell, ID - 84 miles Click on the thumbnails to view larger pictures.
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| It was a gorgeous morning to be on a bike. Perfectly
clear skies, no wind, and 58 degrees. The first part of today's
route followed the Salmon River downstream and we made good time getting
to White Bird. Since we hadn't eaten yet we decided to stop at
Hoot's Cafe and have breakfast. We've been very fortunate in being
able to find restaurants that serve good food and this morning was no
exception. An excellent breakfast gave us the fuel needed for the
big climb ahead.
White Bird Mountain has two different routes you can take to get to the top. The old road is longer, but it is less traveled and the grade not as steep as the new road. The new highway is shorter, steeper, and has a lot of truck traffic. We chose the old highway to get away from the heavy truck traffic. It took us two and a half hours to climb the 11 miles of serious switchbacks. It wasn't as bad as expected and the view from the top was beautiful! We again enjoyed a fast downhill into Grangeville, but when we arrived the weather made a rapid change. Heavy black clouds rolled in and by the time we exited town it started to drizzle. For the second time on the trip it was necessary to get out the rain gear. For the next 20 miles we rode in a light drizzle, but then just as quickly as it came the storm passed. With dry skies over head we enjoyed the ride along the South and Middle Forks of the Clearwater River to Lowell. In Lowell we set up camp at the Three Rivers Campground which is busy with whitewater rafters and canoeists. We all had big Lochsa Burgers at the lodge for dinner. Now let's hope the river helps us get a good night's rest to prepare for the long climb up to Lolo Pass in the morning. |
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