Extreme Weather Ride: BC, Idaho, Montana

[CounterSteer]

On June 29th I started a 5 day, 2900km ride through southern BC on Hwy 3, Idaho, and Montana, and returned home via Hwy 3 again. June 29 and 30 were extremely hot! High 30's, that is, so I didn't want to stop too much for photos. Days 3 and 4 through Idaho and Montana the weather was very comfortable and on the return trip on Day 5, I hit the other extreme! Through Manning Park the clouds in the sky were almost jet black, and bright flashes of lightening lit things up momentarily, then the loud rumbling sound of thunder. You just knew this was gonna' get worse. Sure enough, the skies opened up and there was a torrential deluge of mixed rain and hail. Visibility was near zero! All traffic came to a crawl or pulled off the road to wait for the rains to clear. But did I care? Hell no! Because I was on the way home from an awesome ride and in a couple hours I would be parking the bike in my garage and drying off. The photos are posted on Flickr and here is the link

http://www.flickr.com/photos/harry2010/2747986941/

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=116520271551788939961.0004514caeac7590e50df&ll=48.356249,-118.234863&spn=5.578071,7.371826&z=7

[elevation]

Could you write a sentence or two about all the roads you took in Idaho and Montana? I am planning a trip to possibly go to Glacier National Park on my extended Labour Day Long weekend.

Highway 12 in Idaho looks pretty interesting...

[CounterSteer]

Could you write a sentence or two about all the roads you took in Idaho and Montana? I am planning a trip to possibly go to Glacier National Park on my extended Labour Day Long weekend.

Highway 12 in Idaho looks pretty interesting...

My favorite part of the route was south of Coeur d'Alene where I exited US Hwy 95 onto State Hwy 5, through St. Maries, south on State Hwy 6 (White Pine Scenic Byway), south again on State Hwy 9 and 3 until I reached US Hwy 12 junction. These country roads were all mainly narrow, very twisty, lots of up and downs, tight, low speed corners and minimal traffic!!
US Hwy 12 through Lolo Pass is more well known as a bikers destination highway, but I did not find it as exciting as the roads I listed above. But don't get me wrong, 99 miles of high speed sweepers is still a rush!

My 2nd favorite ride was from Murray, Idaho, to Thompson Falls, Montana on State Hwy471 (aka NF-7). This also is very much a little used secondary road but has excellent pavement! Since it goes over the Thompson Pass, there is a lot of elevation change and lots of good twisties to go with it.

The northern route through Glacier in Montana is an awesomely scenic ride, which I did last year. Although don't expect to have any fun leaning into the turns as this is extremely popular with the tourists and traffic is brutal:-(

Hopefully some of this info may help with your plans;-D

[clickarmy]

Nice pictures, good report

[Triplepete]

Could you write a sentence or two about all the roads you took in Idaho and Montana? I am planning a trip to possibly go to Glacier National Park on my extended Labour Day Long weekend.

Highway 12 in Idaho looks pretty interesting...

Here's a couple of rides I did over the MT a few years back

http://fury.smugmug.com/gallery/182531_RbodX#P-1-15

http://fury.smugmug.com/gallery/48554_MWPyH#12743185_Laj35

[Thumper 8]

US Hwy 12 through Lolo Pass is more well known as a bikers destination highway, but I did not find it as exciting as the roads I listed above. But don't get me wrong, 99 miles of high speed sweepers is still a rush

I agree - did Lolo Pass last week and while the road is very scenic and the road twisty, they are mostly 30 to 40 mph corners that get a little boring after a while... at least at the speeds available on a KLR. Rippin' on a litre bike would be another thing altogether :evilgrin

Best roads we found were New Denver to Kaslo in BC (now that it was repaved last year - did it 3 times :) ) and some backroads throughout Idaho.

Did a great loop based out of Orofino, Idaho - gravel backroads (climbing to 8,800 ft through Hoodoo Pass) to Superior, Montana and then down to near Missoula where we took a gravel bypass to Hgy 12 (the Lolo Pass) and back to Orofino. There is also an amazing little road that descends into Orofino that has to be ridden to be believed. One of the best days riding ever - with the gravel backroads being the real adventure and highlight... except for the near 120 deg F temps :surrender

Spiral Highway nr Lewiston, Idaho was good too - although a little wet when we got there. In eastern Washington State, DH 35 (Hgy 261 through Starbuck) was an unexpected delight - brand new pavement and not a car to be seen - and fabulous scenery... and a nice mix of corners too!

[jeckyll]

Tony: You missed some of the best riding unfortunately. Hwy 3 south from Lewiston ... Crazy stuff. Had a sign "warning" of 25 mph corners for 13 miles.

Didn't get a photo of the sign, but got a photo of one of the spots along the road :)

http://lh4.ggpht.com/bj.larsson/SLAxtYmqCOI/AAAAAAAAF-M/xW3sab-8tc8/s800/CIMG4026.JPG

It looped like that from WA into OR ... heaven :D

Here is the road Tony was talking about into Orofino

http://lh5.ggpht.com/bj.larsson/SLAxMvHeqxI/AAAAAAAAF8w/nPPNTkSWwEE/s800/CIMG4014.JPG

I should work on the trip report ... next week :)

Course if you were traveling a KLR you could cross passes on roads like these:

http://lh5.ggpht.com/bj.larsson/SLBHOE4ckGI/AAAAAAAAGM4/-NclLa3kTII/s800/CIMG4155.JPG

Hmm probably enough of a hijack ;)

[Thumper 8]

I should work on the trip report ...


My post above is my ride report :laughing

BTW, nice pics in the 1st post - looks like you took a great route!

[GSP]

There is also an amazing little road that descends into Orofino that has to be ridden to be believed.

Spiral Highway nr Lewiston, Idaho was good too - although a little wet when we got there. In eastern Washington State, DH 35 (Hgy 261 through Starbuck) was an unexpected delight - brand new pavement and not a car to be seen - and fabulous scenery... and a nice mix of corners too!

Is that the "Old State ID7" I see on Google Maps? I rode down that way a few years ago with a friend of mine. On the way into Kendrick, I saw a twisty-looking road heading up the mountain--Wancher Gulch Rd. When we got to the town (another of those "frozen in time" places you see on the backroads, I decided to turn around to try the road, thinking it would eventually lead us back to our route--and it did.

Starbuck is good, too. I first rode that several years ago when trying to cross WA State with minimal travel on main roads.

[jeckyll]

GSP: Yup, that's the one

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=46.536075,-116.377316&spn=0.085494,0.154495&z=13

:)

[J_Scott]

Awesome! looks like this road was in good condition.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3114/2748849804_8c6a94e4b1.jpg

[CounterSteer]

Awesome! looks like this road was in good condition.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3114/2748849804_8c6a94e4b1.jpg

It was my first gravel road with my V-strom which I just bought this year so a good road to "cut my teeth on."
Thanks for the pics, Jeckyl, it looks like an awesome road which I'll have to put on my list next time I'm in Idaho. I just returned home today from an 8 day ride to Yellowstone and discovered some more truly great rides. Hwy. 296, The Chief Joseph Highway, between Cody, Wyoming and Cooke City, Montana stands out as one of the best; loads of switchbacks up and down a mountain and very scenic. I'll post up a ride report in the near future, hopefully.