Rick's Bicycling Adventures

 We rode 67 miles and had 3500 ft of elevation gain. After a Double Mocha and a breakfast  burrito at the Traiding Post we were off. Our trail paralleled the highway much of the day. We had some ok gravel and a little highway to tie the trail together. There was about a mile of single  track, not my favorite.It was overcast and sprinkled a little much of the day. We got on the highway  to Seely Lake and the sky opened up with HEAVY rain. We ducked into a department of  transportation gravel building  and waited out the worst of it. We were soaking wet and chilled by the time we got to Seely Lake. We came across a bar/motel and got the last room. After warming up with a hot shower we went to the bar and had beer and pizza. John was directing  karaoke that was all country music. He has a great voice. 

 Day 10 Columbia Falls, Mt to Trading Post Campground south of Swan Lake. We rode 49 miles and had 1677 ft of elevation gain. We waited out a rain storm in our motel room then got on the road. We had a mix of gravel and pavement. We did not see anything  that looked like a bicycle  hostel so it really is gone. We were told we had to eat at the Echo Lake Cafe. We got there about noon. It did not disappoint, breakfast  was wonderful. We made it to a trading post in Swan Lake and stopped to get a drink. The plan was to ride 7.5 more miles to our campground. Then I  heard thunder and the clouds were moving in. We made the decision  to camp at the Trading Post. It was a wise choice as it started to rain soon after we made that decision. 

 Day 9 The Bicycle Station to Red Meadow Lake. We rode  49 miles and had 4450 ft of elevation gain. The ride was mostly on gravel today. We had 2 significant  climbs. Red Meadow lake was just before the top of the second  peak. The mosquitoes were really bad. We camped with a young woman that was hiking from Glacier National Park to Olympic  National Park. Early  the next morning  I saw a moose in the shallow  waters. Day 10 Red Meadow  Lake to Columbia  Falls Mt. We rode 45 miles and had 1335 ft of elevation gain. After climbing  over the top of the peak from yesterday there was a lot of downhill. The gravel  road was  loaded with loose gravel and big rocks making the descent difficult. My hands were tired from grabbing the brakes.  At the bottom  of the hill  was Whitefish  Lake with abit of a climb to get to Whitefish. The local bike shop gave our bikes drive train a much needed scrubbing. We had lun...

 Today we rode 51 miles with 2200 ft of elevation gain. It was a beautiful  sunny day with a mix of gravel and pavement  riding. We crossed back into the USA at the border without incident. The route took us through Eureka , Mt and 12 miles south to the Bicycle Station. This place is amazing. Great campsites,  showers, bicycle repair station, and a kitchen  to cook in. We understand there are little oasis throughout  the ride. This is the last night  for Jaymie  to be with us. She is meeting  a friend in Kalispell and they are driving back to Edmonds. She has made us some lovely  dinners and breakfast. She left us a little sign at the entrance  to our campsite  because  we are Sub Team Stupid. 

 Today we rode 46 miles with 390 ft of elevation gain. We rode paved roads all day. We needed a little break from the massive climbs, roots, and rocks. Traffic was heavy, but most drivers were courteous. We had big headwinds all day. Doug's wife Jaymie  established a campsite at Baynes Lake, Bc. We got a shower and did laundry.  Jaymie  cooked a wonderful  dinner for us. We are crossing the border tomorrow.