In Idaho

August 12

Having completed our rites at the ACA headquarters, we turned our bikers south (south!) to pass along the 'backside' of the Bitterroot range and on toward Idaho.

Up to Chief Joseph Pass and into Idaho on a hot day.  A hot day in the mountains always means afternoon showers and down the other side was accompanied by a lightening show...followed by much helicopter action as the lightening almost always starts a fire somewhere.

At the Idaho visitors center, we met some friendly and curious folks on a historical bus tour.  They were retracing the steps of Lewis & Clark, or as least as much as could be from a tour bus.  Their destination for the day was Lochsa Lodge.  What a coincidence! that was our destination too!  So, as we coasted down the beautiful valley toward the Lochsa river, I was thinking of this large bus full of history buffs and wondering if they'd gobbled up all of the little log cabins that the Lodge offers.  They had.

Fortunately, the storm had passed with little rain and we settled in our tent behind the very, very small store.  We bought showers for $5 (includes towel and a small bar of soap) and skipped the $25.00 lodge meals in favor of eating food that we had carried up the pass.

The next day, we pedaled beside the Lochsa river all day and stopped several times to swim.  The waterway is beautiful and the river was so clear we could see the rocks on the bottom from pretty high on the road.  It was a clear day and a starry night sky looked eminent so we camped again; this time we stayed at a campground in Lowell which had crappy showers but good company (and a pool that we didn't use because we had splashed our 66 mile way there.

Saturday was more river...this time up and over a pass and down the other side on a shockingly steep and curvy (blessedly empty) backroad to White Bird, ID where we stopped for burger (no bun) and fries. then on to the Salmon River to follow it upstream for 56 for hot but splashy miles to Riggins.

Riggins has a grand bridge and is really just a dot on the map in grand scheme of things but apparently a really BIG deal in the paddling world.  Such a big deal, infact, that in a town whose population is 400+ there are 7 (no lie) motels and 3 campgrounds.  We got the last tent site in the whole place and were happy to have it...it overlooked a roaring curve in the Salmon River.

Today was a short day up to a high valley town called New Meadows.  It is on the way to a nice lake (read: lots of big trucks pulling big boats). It's other claim to fame is that it sits halfway between the equator and the north pole.