Eureka, here we come!

June 25, 2024

UPS, downs, and fabulous views

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Jim and Gen were on the road by 9:15 this morning. It was a little chilly, so both wore knee warmers and jackets, but we knew those would come off soon enough as the day warmed, plus there’d be lots of climbing—about 3,600 ft in 44 miles, the 2nd biggest climbing day of the tour, which has been mostly flat-ish.

Rich and I took our time packing up and wandered down a path behind the cabin that led down to a beach on the lake, before checking out of the cabin and following our 2 riders. At the entrance to MT 37 from the resort, there was a small sign that said to wait until we saw a pilot car traveling in our direction. We sat there for a while, but there was no indication anything at all was happening, so we shrugged and turned left onto the highway. For at least 5 miles, we saw no indication of any roadwork. Then, I saw a pilot car going in the opposite direction, with two cars behind it. Uh oh, I thought, but there was a lane going in each direction and again, no road construction, so we continued. When the 2nd pilot car passed us going in the opposite direction, followed by a car and a large truck, the driver threw up his hands like, WTF? There was still plenty of lane. We kept going. Then we saw that they were paving one side, and the other had been graveled. We drove down the graveled side, going around a couple of construction vehicles on the side of the road. The guy in the 2nd pilot car had probably radioed back to say there was a couple of idiots on the road driving in the wrong direction, because soon a guy in a red pickup drove toward us. We all rolled down our windows, Rich and I professed ignorance, and the guy said “there was sign,” and drove off shaking his head. But by this time we were at the end of the roadwork and on we went. No telling how long we would have had to wait for the pilot car going in our direction, since they had cordoned off ~10 miles.

Turned out Jim and Gen were making good time in spite of several long uphill pulls; they had traveled nearly 12 miles in about an hour when we caught up to them. Later they reported that though there was a lots of cumulative climbing the grades were “highway grades,” usually 4-6% or less, and there were lots of corresponding downhill runs to give the legs a break. The road was well-paved, overall, and the shoulder wide with hardly any traffic, which made for a pleasant ride.

We met up with them again at the Koocanusa bridge, which was worth stopping for and taking pictures. There’s a walkway across the bridge, so I walked out halfway to get a picture of the lake from the middle. I wished there was a walkway on the other side, but there’s isn’t, and I didn’t feel comfortable walking down the lane on that side since there was no shoulder and just enough traffic to make it an unsafe endeavor.

After that, we drove straight to our destination, another 12 miles on, the Ksanka Inn at the intersection of MT 37 and 93. We checked in at the motel office, which is also the corner convenience store, a quick lunch, sharing a subway sandwich while we waited for Jim and Gen to arrive. Before we checked in, while getting out of the car, I observed an unkempt guy approaching a bicycle leaning against the store wall. He looked around furtively, then quickly unzipped the top tube bag, looked inside, and quickly zipped it up, again looking around as if to see if anyone was watching. I got out of the car and practically accused him of attempting to steal, when Rich pointed out that the guy was wearing cycling shoes. How embarrassing! Of course, I apologized, but can only say that at least I was looking out for fellow cyclists and he really did look dodgy.

Jim and Gen arrived not much later and, as I write this, we are all ensconced in our rooms for an afternoon rest.

Later—dinner was a low-key affair at the 4-Corners casino and restaurant across the street. Decent fare, good prices. Afterwards, we piled into the truck and drove through downtown Eureka, to get a sense of what was there and, for Jim and Gen, what had changed since they were last here. That didn’t take long, as it’s a small town.

A pond on the opposite side of the road from the lake. I could hear a waterfall, but couldn’t see it from the road.

Koocanusa Bridge—the tallest and longest bridge in Montana, built in the early 1970s. It spans the entire width of Lake Koocanusa, giving access to the Amish community on the west side and a back way to Yaak Valley. The bridge is 2,437 feet long, and approximately 270 feet above the water.

Looking down the long bridge to the other side.

View of the lake from the middle of the bridge.

Looking back to the turnout where I started walking. That little dot between two trees to the right of the bridge is Rich, waving at me.

Interesting rock cliffs where the road had been cut through. The rock facing was extremely tall and steep like a wall in many places along the road.

Our room at the Ksanka Inn—typical older cinderblock-constructed motel. Not very clean, sad to say. And no in room coffee, though we can get it at the convenience store next door (which is also the motel office).

Today's ride: 44 miles (71 km)
Total: 419 miles (674 km)

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