Libby, Mt To Eureka, Mt

June 29, 2010
73 miles

At our meeting last night Ken told us that today's ride would be tough because we would be riding up and down drainage ditches around Lake Koocanusa. So I got up around 5:00 a.m. and got breakfast. Most of the others in the group were also up.

I went solo and took off at 5:45 a.m. However, I missed the highway turn for Route 37 and went out about 2 miles before realizing I was going in the wrong direction. Once I was back on course the first part of the ride was very peaceful. At about 6 miles up I saw where R.W. Grace had the asbestos mine that became a horrible tragedy for Libby residents.

Heading toward Libby Dam in the early morning


I hit the top of the Libby Dam at mile 17. No one was around and it was still early morning. Then started the constant ups and downs around Lake Koocanusa as the highway would go down every time you came to a creek feeding into the dam. Lake Koocanusa is named from Kookanai River, Canada and USA. Incidentally we are very close to the Canadian boarder. The lake was a bit low because of the lack of snow this year.

Libby Dam-mile 17


My dashboard


Lake Koocanusa

Up until the lunch stop I seemed to have the whole road to myself. There were no cars but a few cyclists going the opposite direction. Also there was shade as it was still early in the morning.

I saw Tim parked at the lunch stop around 42 miles. I sat and talked with him and joked around for about 30 minutes.

Arriving first at the lunch stop, mile 42 with Tim waiting


Dandelions Montana style


55 mile marker- the bridge over Lake Koocanusa



Then the bigger climbs came after lunch. Also it got very hot and I was sweating a lot. I drank a whole bottle filled with gatorade in a 20 mile stretch. By the time I got to Rexford I was really hot. I still didn't see anyone from our group. I did see a guy going the opposite direction on a fully loaded recumbent. I chatted with him a while but he was only going about 35 miles a day. He told me that the roads out in Montana are not good for the skinny tires I have on my bike.

Finally at around mile 69 I got into Eureka. It was very hot here too. I stopped at a convenient store and got directions to the Riverstone Family Lodge. I had to ride north on Hwy 93 four miles to get to the lodge. The lodge is 3 miles from the Canadian boarder. I was the first rider to reach the lodge and put up the clothes line- my official job from Ken. The lodge is very nice and I am sharing a room with Ed.

Tonight Tim is cooking dinner for all of us in the lodge dining hall.

Home for the night-the Riverstone Family Lodge- Ed and I have the first room with the bikes out front