Day Seven.
I had a light breakfast at the hotel. Scrambled eggs, banana and
coffee. It was going to be 92° at my destination in Lolo today so it
was kickstands up at 7:30 or and 58°. Perfect. So I thought.
So today the route is from West Yellowstone to Lolo Montana.
My route goes along Lake Hebgen the site of the 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake, measuring 7.2, with a landslide that killed about 35 people and blocked the flow of the Madison River.
A few photos. I love stopping at the Kiosks.
Clearly the lake level wasn't this high prior to 1959.
The hillside that slipped is in the distance.
It is Sunday and I am approaching the Visitor Center. A closer look at the slip area.
With my early arrival the Visitor Center.was closed so it is on the road again. Ohh, when I was quite young, when I was quite young ... The singer of On the Road Again Alan Wilson was an emotional mess and was one of 27'ers who passed way at 27 in 1970. Talented guy damn shame.
After Lake Hebgen the route drops in elevation into a valley. Within an
hour of departure the temperature changed from 58 to 92°. I had a
strong tail wind getting excellent gas mileage at the cost of heat. I
remember looking for a safe place to pull over to shed a layer. No
dice. Cross country cyclists were on the road. One person we heading
into the strong wind. Wow. The wind was heating the area due to the
compression. This happens in Western Washington when the wind blows
east of the Cascade Mountains into the Puget Sound lowlands.
Before I could strip a layer the wind stopped and the temperature dropped to 74°. Very odd.
Somewhere around Dillion Montana.
Big Hole Pass. Somewhere around here Lewis and Clark saw the Bitteroot
Mountains and realized the Northwest Passage, by water, did not exist.
What would they tell their leader? 
My next stop was Big Hole Battlefield. This place is a must see.
The Visitor Center is on a hill above the battlefield and lies before you much like a large amphitheater.
The Nez Perce were seeking help from other tribes early in their journey. Here is a map of their journey.
The site is very moving. In the first skirmish the Army shot low into
the tents killing women and children indiscriminately. After this
battle the Nez Perce realized fleeing to Canada was their only option.
It was in the low 90's while I toured the Visitor Center. In the
parking lot I clicked the GPS in place and it didn't boot up right so I
became distracted with it while putting my helmet on. I reboot the GPS
and unknowingly knocked my glasses on the ground. When I looked down my
heart sank.
At least the scratches were in the lower part of the lens. It was fine
for driving, not so good for reading. If this is the worse thing that
happens on a motorcycle ride, I am doing well!
Hwy 93 at Lost Trail Powder Mountain north to Lolo is rather boring, no
check that extremely boring, except for the first few miles north of
Lost Trail Powder Mountain. It is nice and twisty and invites some
lean angles but there was a light coating of oil or tar on the road and I
didn't trust it. It looks like this.
I stayed at the Days Inn for my last time. Next time I will get a
better place in Missoula just 10 miles up the road. A few other bikers
were at the Days Inn. Of particular interest was three guys from
Pennsylvania. I asked where were they heading and they said the Big 5
in Utah. Whoa these guys were on a mission as it was going to be into
the 100's where they were going.
End of Day Seven.
Day Eight
This is the End. The Doors. A downer song though and Jim Morrison was
another music icon who died at 27, so he was right, at least about
himself, cause I am still here, still rolling on two wheels and loving
it. Click to the next song.
Today's ride is from Lolo, Montana to Spokane Washington and excellent
place to live if you love motorcycling without traffic. I am glad I
moved here here post retirement. Great riding in Spokane. Today I did a
lap around Lake Coeur d'Alene with the Tuesday rider. Great fun.
In the report I have shown the route for the day at the top of each day's entry. Not today!
Another warm day would see above 90° degree temps in Spokane. So the
aim was to be home by 2:00pm or so. Missed it by a bit, oh well.
I hit the road, a bad term for motorcyclists, at 7:45 or so in a
misguided attempt to beat the heat. Lolo Montana is on mountain time.
At Lolo Pass, one hour down the road, I cross back into Pacific time
and it is damn early about 7:45am and this is deer country - big time.
Near Lachsa Lodge,
a place worth staying at if you can get a room in the summer, the deer
are thick. There is a fresh kill near the shoulder, deer off the
shoulder and the road is elevated, so the shoulder drops away and
spotting deer is difficult. Homie is riding, with two fingers on the
front break lever. Motorcyleroads.com says "This route covers one of
the most beautiful sections of the Lewis & Clark Trail as it winds
through the Rocky Mountains of Idaho and Montana. Homie sez Lolo Pass
is boring after riding the Chief Joseph Scenic Byway and this deer
infested early morning ride is a bad damn idea. The speed limit is 50
mph so Homie was doing 58 on cruise control and it is scenic but no inspiring.
And despite all the Lewis and Clark stuff along the way Hwy 12 is NOT
the route of Lewis and Clark as they traveled just to the north of Hwy
12 on the ridges as it was easier than the cliffs and rivers Hwy 12
follows. You can ride the approximate route of Lewis and Clark by
taking an adventure bike on the Lolo Trail Motorway FS 500. It is part
of the Idaho BDR and it is pretty rough in spots even on my DR650.
Great scenery, loved to death. I rode it about 20 year ago before it
was designated a BDR on a big fat 2005 DL1000 Manstrom. It was easy, no
challenges at all, 90/10 tires too. In 2014 the Idaho BDR was created
making this every so popular along with the invention of side x sides
bringing more people out to the wilderness. I am fine with side x
sides, they carry chains saws and help keep the trails open. It is just
all the demand is trashing the the Lolo Trail Motorway. Glad I did it
when I did it. I have half if it from each side on the DR650 but not
completely through.
I took a break along the river at a boat launch and strip a layer. It
was mid morning now and the worst of the deer activity was, hopefully,
behind me. In Orofino Idaho a coffee shop and a bit to eat was a
welcome break.
Off for home and off Hwy 12 and on the Swoutwick road then Juliaetta Genesee road. Is is the route.
This was fun and the Triumph was in it element here a road with less
then ideal pavement and great scenery. I was inspired to whip out the
camera.
And I am having too much fun running the Triumph though the gears.
And then just outside Genesee the pavement ends. It wasn't bad, hard
dirt, but bummer. It was only 3.5 miles but come on Idaho, pave it.
Still it is beautiful. It was more interesting the Lolo Pass and more fun.
I get gas in Moscow Idaho then though Pullman and Cofax where I take the
Green Hollow Road, a road that is hard to describe other than wow, this
is really here? It is a nice twisty affair and ends up at Hwy 23 where
decide to take the quick route up 195 back home.
What a great trip.
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