Lowell, Idaho [from 6/8]

We left Lolo early and the music still played on.  Those groupies never sleep.  As we left the hot springs lodge, a large series of fire works sailed into the air in our honor…at least that is what we believe.  From there, we climbed for about and hour before the road got steeper as we crossed over Lolo Pass at 5,233 feet.  It was a relatively easy climb but the temperatures were in the mid-thirties and we were cold.  Next we had a great down hill ride of about 5 miles and then the terrain had a gradual decline for the next 70 miles. 

We planned a breakfast stop at Powell, Idaho where we had camped in 2002 when we crossed the United States.  Powell is not a town but rather a camp ground with cabins, tent sites, and a great restaurant. As we turned off the highway another cyclist was also turning off from the opposite direction.  We introduced ourselves and agreed to have breakfast together.  The other cyclist was Reinhare from Brenem, Germany and cycling from Portland, Oregon to Portland, Maine.  Our breakfast was excellent but to much for us to consume.  We took our remaining 2 large huckleberry pancakes with us and eat them for lunch along our ride. 

As we continued westward we met Becky and Denis who were cycling home to Delaware.  The stared 7 days prior in Portland, Oregon. We shared road and eating stories. While we recommended the restaurant in Powell, they warned us that all we had to look forward to were hamburgers; good hamburgers but not much else would be available to us for a while. 

We had hoped that our 70 miles of downhill would give us an easy day.  However, we had a constant head wind that negated any advantage the downhill provided and were ready to quit cycling after 87 miles.

For most of the day we cycled along the Lochsa River.  It is a gorgeous and fast moving river. Along the way we saw many white water raft groups.  One of those groups support vehicles gave us extra water as ours ran out (there were no services between Powell and Lowell).  When we arrived in Lowell, we stopped for pie--Joe had rhubarb and Jeff blueberry.  Afterward we made our way to our motel just a mile away.  Yes, the diner special was a hamburger with salad.

Interestingly, we have not had cell service in 2 days but both hotels have internet connections that allow us to post our blogs.

Photos (06-08)

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