Day 103 - Eureka to Libby - Two Far 2023 - Oranges to Apples - CycleBlaze

July 27, 2023

Day 103 - Eureka to Libby

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It was a good day, but a long and hilly and I'm tired kind of day, so I'm going to let the photos tell the story.

MT37 was hilly and curvy but had a good shoulder.
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My first view of Lake Koocanusa. Libby Dam blocks the Kootenai River forming the 90-mile lake which extends into Canada. The lakes name is a portmanteau of Kootenai, Canada and USA.
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Koocanusa Bridge as seen from afar.
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A whole lot of rock was removed to build the road on the opposite shore.
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Looking north (upstream) from the bridge.
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View of the lake looking south.
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The bridge site had a nice parking lot and info kiosk.
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Compare my photos of the bridge to this photo to get an idea of how deep the lake is at this point.
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Mid-morning snack at Rocky Gorge Campground.
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Several of the mountains along MT-37 seem to be composed of very soft rock. You can see where water is eroding away the face of the cut. There were several areas where large rockslides had occurred.
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Even though there were several cuts made to build the road, the road was very hilly. My Garmin registered 11 climbs, totaling over 12 miles, on the portion of MT-37 that paralleled the lake.
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Another view of the lake. It was a very pretty ride.
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This hill was composed of gravel instead of solid rock.
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Libby Dam.
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The downstream side of the dam. The dam contains five turbines that generate 600 megawatts of electricity and services eight states.
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The "Dirty Shame" slide, mentioned above. You can see the anchoring system near the top of the rock face.
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On MT-37, looking upstream at the Kootenai River, about 5 miles below the dam. The water was crystal clear.
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Rafting on the river just downstream of Osprey Landing Boat Ramp.
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Looking Downstream from Osprey Landing.
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And upstream from the landing. It was another beautiful day.
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History of travel on the Kootenai.
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Today's ride: 70 miles (113 km)
Total: 4,874 miles (7,844 km)

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