Ride Day 94

Today I had a short ride of 54 miles and climbed 2700’ still following the Lochsa river as it gets faster rapids and is becoming smaller. The ride was easy rolling hills that steadily climbed higher ending at Colgate Licks campground. I took it easy because I have been pushing it hard lately and I am now only a one day ride to Missoula Montana. I was surprised today with my first flat tire. Of course I had to get a flat in the rain which just makes repairing it that much more slippery and dirty. I took the tube out and found a goat’s head thorn in it. I think maybe the thorn has been in the tire for days and only just today worked its way into the tube to cause the leak. I pulled the thorn out with needle nose pliers that my fellow rider today, Mark, had with him and put in a new tube because it is too much hassle to try to patch a tube in the rain. I only lost about 15 minutes due to the flat. This is a very wild part of the country around here. The Bitterroot Wilderness starts on the other side of the river and goes 150 miles before the first road and is over a million acres of area. The campsite next to me is full of bear hunters. I did not take many pics but not because this place isn’t beautiful but rather the camera just can’t capture the immense size and depth of the vistas and the light rain made everything I tried to take a pic of look blurry. It is less than 30 miles to Lolo pass which is at 5235’ then a long downhill coast to Missoula. I am not riding tomorrow. I want to try to get to some local hot springs to rest my tired old body before I hit the big city. I plan on getting into Missoula this Friday afternoon. There is no cell or wifi around here so until I get to Missoula I am just saving these blogs. More later…