Upwind Slog to Bigfork

June 16, 2024

Columbia Falls to Bigfork; headwind the entire way

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The Bridge St. bridge is closed to all, creating headaches and controversy in Bigfork.

Happily, given the cold and windy conditions, I was the driver du jour today. Once Jim, Amber and Rich left the hotel in Columbia Falls, I drove directly to Bigfork to visit my stepmother and stepsister.

I am writing this as dictated to me by Jim and the pics are courtesy of Amber. For him, the ride was cold and made more difficult by a strong headwind. Jim mentioned that he started out with 3 layers (i.e. cold weather gear) and was never tempted to take anything off. Much of the ride was on backroads, avoiding the highway. No rain fell on the riders but it was trying to spit a bit as I drove up the motel driveway to meet them.

It has been over 10 years since we have ridden this route and Jim was struck with the increased number of homes being built or already built in what was previously crop lands or pasture.

Once in Bigfork, Jim and company made a beeline for Pocketstone, a delightful breakfast and lunch place that we eat at every time we come to Bigfork. As usual, they didn’t disappoint.

Next was a visit to the closed Bridge St. bridge. This historic 1 lane steel trestle bridge is a vital connector between downtown Bigfork to the rest of the town’s commercial district and has been closed since Jan. 31 due to structural integrity issues. Apparently it is scheduled to be replaced sometime in 2026 with a historically similar bridge but in the meantime, the closure is a major headache for many residents and businesses outside of downtown.

All 3 riders were “surprised” by the steep driveway leading into the Timbers, our motel for tonight. Jim had to use Sport mode to ride up it; Amber thought she could make but asked “why?” and walked up with Rich.

Tomorrow looks wet and even colder than today. Hopefully that forecast will change.

Today's ride: 31 miles (50 km)
Total: 145 miles (233 km)

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Kelly IniguezYou've ridden into Gunnison, CO? The big bridge over the reservoir was closed for structural reasons this spring. Highway 50 is a major road in Colorado. The detour around was 350 (?) miles! After several days of trying to figure things out, they started having escorted convoys on a dirt road from Lake City, once in the morning and once in the evening. School children were taken across the reservoir by boat. The last I read, the convoys are now going several times a day. No timeline on getting the bridge operational again.
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