| DAY
SIX
I woke up to the noise of a train. Looking out of the tent I saw
a huge railway bridge nearby. I was at Lyons Ferry on Hwy 261 -
this is part of the Lewis and Clark trail that goes up into Idaho
from here.
I was very tired today - made breakfast
- explored my picturesque camping spot next to the river. It’s
odd when you arrive in the dark and set up camp - you’re not
sure where you are!
I stopped in the town of Starbuck (pop.25).
Inside the café a man with a long grey beard and matted hair stares
into a cup of coffee. A lady was on the phone “Yes, and I’m
so busy and .... here’s another customer I’ve got to
go.” As far as I could see we were the only three people in
town! She showed me a small book on the history of Starbuck while
I drank a coffee. “Nothing in here about Indians” I
said. “No, they were here but the last left in the 1930’s.
I asked her if there was a ‘Starbucks’ in Starbuck -
I guess Cafe Latte wouldn’t be popular here. I continued on
through the treeless landscape - towns were few and far between.
Reached Pomeroy around lunchtime - a farming community with lots
of churches. I went into a café and was faced with the usual problem
- lack of decent food. The menu had a variety of hamburgers, French
fries etc. I asked for some salad with my burger but the people
were unfriendly. Well, not so much unfriendly, as detached, uninterested.
There was an argument going on in the kitchen, nearly everyone in
the café was smoking and drinking coke. I asked about the hill to
Clarkston. “Dunno, never done it on a bicycle!” The
lunch was terrible - meat half cooked, plastic salad. I complained
but the lady (Miss Hairspray 1946) had no explanation.
The hill outside Pomeroy rises to about
3000 ft before descending to the Snake River at Chief Timothy. During
the climb I started to get stomach pains and dizzy spells - the
lunch. I stopped every five minutes until I vomited. Weak and feeling
down I counted every pedal revolution to the top of the hill.  The
scenery along the Snake River into Clarkson is spectacular - steep
treeless hills - some interesting houses on hilltops. I was still
stopping at regular intervals - the nausea making it difficult to
carry on. Eventually I arrived in Clarkston. Lewiston is one mile
away on the other side of the river.
I was told that the nearest bridge across
was closed - I went there anyway and one of the workers escorted
me across. I asked about a campsite - “1 mile down that way.”
I followed a path beside the river (still feeling weak) the campsite
was 5 miles away! By the time I put the tent up and had a shower
it was dark. I should have gone to bed with a snack but I decided
to cycle off and get something to eat. All I found was a sleazy
24hr bar full of people watching a baseball match on TV. They made
me an omelette and I had a late night - 11.30pm.
DAY SEVEN
I woke at 5am but decided to roll over and get some more sleep.
Up at 7am. Feeling a bit seedy after yesterday’s episode.
From the campsite next to the Snake River (Hells Gate Campsite)
I can see a large white ‘C’ and ‘L’ on the
hillside - just in case the people in Clarkston or Lewiston get
lost! I take my time this morning - watch chipmunks playing in the
shadows, sit by the river. Feeling better I pack up and leave around
lunchtime, getting some food supplies along the way.
I head out along Hwy 12 the road follows
the river. I pass a tent like structure with CLEARWATER CASINO in
large letters. It seems incongruous in this landscape. After about
15 miles the smell of pine returns again. Small groups of trees
appear on the hills. The further I go the faster the river runs
until eventually the hills are forests and the Clearwater River
is narrowing. Late in the afternoon animals cross the road to get
to the water, deer make a dash on their spindly legs, a chipmunk
goes head over heels and makes a dash for cover. I almost run over
a skunk as he fossicks in the roadside grass. The animals aren’t
used to this silent transport. When I reach the logging town of
Kamiah I decide to call it a day. A man with ‘conservation
officer’ written on his shirt tells me I can camp out of town
near the river. I find a spot under a tree and cook up some pasta
with bread and cup of tea. I’m about to go to bed when I see
a car speeding towards me down a dirt track. It stops nearby. In
the darkness I sit under a tree and watch as four men start shouting
angrily at each other. After about 20 minutes the car speeds away
leaving two drunk and aggressive men behind. I sit quietly as they
continue to shout - hoping they don’t see the tent. I figure
that they are too involved in their own problem to see me and head
off to bed. As I fall to sleep they’re still arguing.
DAY EIGHT
All is quiet in the morning. I follow the Lochsa River as it turns
to white water. The landscape is beautiful - after a couple of hours
I take my shoes off and give my feet a treat in the cold water.
As I sit there an Osprey flies slowly up the river with a large
salmon in its talons.
The road is uphill all the way to Montana
- I don’t think I’ll do any freewheeling in Idaho! Logging
trucks rush by and empty trucks head back to get more timber, piggybacking
their trailer wheels. There’s no shoulder on this road and
it can be dangerous when large vehicles meet in opposite directions.
Every now and then signs indicate ‘Sportsman Stop’ for
fishing and shooting. Most of the sportsmen I saw, with their V8
pickups had ample waistlines. Along the way I see a stall selling
fireworks (for 4th of July I presume). I stop and sit down. The
lady is Indian with a full moon face. I asked if she made the fireworks
“Heavens no” she laughed, her face lighting up. As we
talked she was watching some men fishing from a boat in the river.
“Are they Salmon fishing?” “Yes”, she replied
“but they won’t catch any there.” I asked if she
knew where they were. “Yes, of course, but I’m not telling
people who want trophies instead of food!” Before I left I
taught her to say “see ya sport” with an Aussie accent.
The road became remote, no houses or amenities for 60 miles. I stop
at dusk and find a place to put my tent under the trees. Worry that
I don’t know enough about bears - hang my food in a tree.
DAY NINE
A Ranger shows me where a hand pump is - I fill the water bottles.
The road climbs on - I’m eating a bag of almonds and dried
fruit - vegemite sandwiches too! I watch white-water kayakers as
they brave the cold water. About lunchtime I lie down in the sun
and rest for an hour - feeling weary my eyes close, the smell is
therapeutic - pine and fresh grass, the noise of the river, I drift
off to sleep. As I head towards Lolo Pass the sky ahead becomes
very dark. Gradually it starts raining - I put my wet weather gear
on. Lightning and thunder.  As
I climb up the steep section of the Pass lightening strikes around
me and the rain is torrential - eventually a hailstorm arrives and
I’m driven to a standstill. I hunch over the bike, no where
to shelter, as the road turns white and the large hailstones are
hitting hard and stinging. After about 20 minutes I decide to press
on. Cold and wet, water in my shoes and down my back, I slowly pedal
up the Pass for another hour. Along the way large rocks cover the
road as the water has caused landslides on the cuttings. When I
reach the summit there is nothing - not even a sign. I continue
down the other side feeling very cold. Although it’s downhill
I take it slowly and before I get to the town of Lolo (30 miles
from the pass) it’s dark. I find a shelter and change my socks
and shirt. The rain stops and I start to feel good again. I turn
on my MP3 player and I sit beside the road, the moon behind the
distant mountains and cloud lying in the valley, Neil Young is singing
“I believe in you”. Perfect. What a day! I laugh out
loud and head for Missoula 10 Miles away. When I reach Missoula
I’m exhausted - I ask a policeman where the nearest campsite
is. “5 miles down that road”. Just what I needed to
hear! I cycled down the road but couldn’t find the site -
I asked in a garage - “I think its back that way!! I eventually
got to the KOA Campsite and hit the sleeping bag at 2am!
Continue
...
Image Gallery
|
