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June 6-11, 2008 |
Due
to the deep low pressure region in the US Northwest, we had to alter our
travel plans at the beginning of our trip, and after 4 days we are now
stuck in Whitefish, MT.
As proposed, we headed out from Wenatchee on Friday, June 6th by car. We
stopped for a short visit at the "Dry Falls" of the ancient
Columbia River. A very impressive deep gorge. We started riding our
bikes in Davenport, WA and made it via Fort Spokane to a campground near
Hunters, WA. The next day (all rain) brought us to a motel in Newport,
WA. On Sunday finally sunny weather. We rode all the way to Sandpoint,
ID. In the afternoon we continued to ride to Clarks Fork, ID, where we
stayed in a motel and Mike & Marilyn popped up their trailer behind
the building.
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Peter und Maren on the road again |
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Riding across Lake Pend Oreille into Sandpoint, Idaho |
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Escaping the weather in the pop-up trailer |
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Marilyn & Mike pop up the trailer behind Peter and Maren's motel |
Sunset behind storm clouds near Clark Fork, Idaho
Monday started with very light rain. Nevertheless Mike, Maren and I cycled about 20 Miles along rural back roads from Clark Fork into Montana. At the Intersection of Hwy 200 and Hwy 56 the rain increased. so we entered the car and drove to Libby, Montana, where we had lunch in sunshine. In the afternoon, after some more rain, the three of us cycled again, this time on a very quiet and panoramic road along Lake Koocanusa. It was wonderful. The climbs and downhills were ridable. Late in the afternoon and after 50 miles on bikes we took the car to Eureka, where again we took a motel room with the friends nearby.
Lake Koocanusa
Riding across Lake Koocanusa
Tuesday was the "Highlight" of our trip so far. As the Weather
Channel had said, we started in light rain in Eureka in the car, but after
a few miles, the rain changed to snow and it snowed all day. The
temperatures were in the low thirties. Our friends dropped us off in
Whitefish where we planned to wait out the bad weather. We took a motel
room right in town and had a final breakfast in the nearby Buffalo Cafe
before we had to say Good Bye to our very dear friends, who had given us
so much support at the beginning of our trip. They took off and headed for
home, where they arrived the same evening (in sunshine).
Maren
and I are now going to ride on our own, carrying all our stuff. This will
change the speed of our ride, but it is the real bike touring! We plan to
leave town on Friday, when the weather should have warmed up and dried out
the roads. We are going to West Glacier and the following day across
Maria's Pass to East Glacier. The Going-to-the-sun Road is closed due to
the heavy snowfall of the last days.
Next report should come from the prairies.
