On to Libby

June 23, 2024

From Lake to Waterfalls

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We all slept in this morning, as we were in no rush to leave. The day promised to be warm and sunny, with a tailwind for Gen and Jim. Rich would be driving. Gen and I drank coffee and watched two yearling deer grazing on the front lawn. Breakfast was a group effort—Jim and I made scrambled eggs in butter and Gen toasted cinnamon roll slices for breakfast. We served these with grapes. Yum.

Gradually, we got ready to leave, riders first. By the time Rich and I got the trucked packed and everything buttoned up, we were nearly an hour behind Jim and Gen.

The route today was pretty simple, north on Hwy 56 for about 20 miles, then right on Hwy 2 all the way to Libby. Hwy 56 is beautiful, forested, rolling highway that follows the edge of Bull Lake. Not much of a shoulder, but traffic was light. We met Jim and Gen about 4 miles shy of the turn and checked in with them. Gen’s pedals needed a little lube to make it easier to unclip. They were soon on the road again.

Next stop was Kootenai Falls park. We met at the entrance, hiked down to the falls and then on another trail to see the swinging bridge. It’s Sunday and the park was busy—lots of families and sightseers. After our short hike, we picnicked on leftovers of pizza, wrap-style sandwiches, and chips. The breeze was picking up, but still pleasant and we hoped that it wouldn’t be too much of a sidewind for Jim and Gen as they continued into town.

Rich and I arrived at the motel shortly before 3:00, checked in, and had unpacked before they rolled in.

A sign observed soon after turning onto 56.

Caged bridge crossing over the railroad tracks.

There was wild mock orange everywhere—smelled lovely, too.

The swinging bridge—Jim is crossing at the front.

Gen in the middle of the bridge. I didn’t feel balanced enough with only one useful arm, so I stayed put on my side.

The stairs to get back on the bridge that crosses the railroad tracks.

Home sweet home for the night—the Caboose Motel. From high end luxury to a hunting lodge to this. Every day’s an adventure.

We went for dinner to what was one of the few eating places open on a Sunday—Cabinet Mountain Brewing Co., also walking distance from the motel. Turned out to be a great place to eat. The food was excellent. We started out with a burrata plate to share (burrata is a soft mozzarella, served with bread and various condiments). Jim had pulled pork, Rich had a Reuben panini, Gen had a veggie panini, and I had a salad with grilled chicken. They serve lots of different beers plus beer cocktails. I’m not a beer drinker, so I opted for a pomegranate spritzer, whichever tasted much better than I thought it would.

After dinner, we wandered through downtown Libby, which was about as dead quiet as a small town can get on a Sunday evening, on our way back to the motel. There were several interesting murals depicting life in Montana.

Today's ride: 34 miles (55 km)
Total: 349 miles (562 km)

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