Day 20: To Indian Trees campground

August 20, 2013

So far I managed to avoid the wildfire smoke. My luck will change today because my route goes into a huge smoke plume drifting east from Idaho. That fire is much bigger than the fire I saw yesterday near Missoula.

The highway noise started long before I got up at 7:30. On the road at 9, heading south on US 93. I had an early lunch in Darby because it's the last real town today. Darby has about 800 people-a big town around here. It's the home of a recumbent bike manufacturer named Lightfoot Cycles.

I saw two westbound touring cyclists in Darby. Overall I've been surprised how few touring cyclists I have seen since leaving Missoula.

The area is still fairly populated, but the farms have given way to upscale hobby ranches and summer homes on 10 acre lots.

Big Copper Feather ranch is fancier than most places.

In Montana the wilderness howls and canyons yawn.

The local air was fairly clear until I got to Darby. South of Darby the smoke became noticeable at ground level.

Bitteroot river, now much smaller than near Missoula.

Irrigated pasture. Who decides which direction the cows must face?

I bought a few very expensive groceries at the store in Sula, population 50. Last services before Lost Trail Pass.

Recently burned hillside overlooking the Bitteroot river

The smoke got steadily denser as I traveled south during the afternoon. No more distant mountain views. The smell was not pleasant and tiny gray bits of ash began to fall from the sky.

I followed the Bitteroot river all day. For the last few miles the road climbs high above the river. Today my goal was to camp as close as possible to this side of Lost Trail Pass. I debated going an extra mile up the highway to camp at Lost Trail Hot Springs. But I decided the weather is too hot to soak in hot water, so I turned right and descended a mile to camp at the Indian Trees USFS campground. I set up in the designated hiker/biker campsite. Same as any other campsite except it has no driveway or parking space, and it has a little cascading creek behind the site.

The campground has water and a vault toilet. Large mostly forested campground, but only one other site was occupied. People more mobile than me have all fled the smoke.

Cyclist campsite at Indian Trees USFS campground. No parking space required.

The campground is named for a group of large trees that were carved by local Indians a couple hundred years ago. I didn't notice the trees and didn't try to find them.

I arrived at the campground at 3:15 PM, very early for me. So I had many hours of heat at the campground. I made a shower, washed clothes, etc. Overall it was boring to just sit there in the smoky forest. I should have pedaled up to the hot spring to check it out. I needed the long rest, but it's really irritating to camp in a perpetual cloud of smoke and settling ash. After 40,000 miles of bike tours this is the worst smoke I've ever camped in. I hope this doesn't become the new normal for late summer in the western U.S.

Fortunately today didn't have much of a headwind. The short distance and moderate ascent made it an easy day. High of 90F, and it didn't cool down much in the evening. The campground was ghostly quiet except for the occasional noise of a truck a mile away laboring up US 93 towards Lost Trail Pass.

Distance: 40.2 miles (64 km)
Climbing: 1794 feet (544 m)
Average Speed: 9.6 mph (15.4 km/h)

Today's ride: 40 miles (64 km)
Total: 1,033 miles (1,662 km)

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