I woke up in the middle of the night to the smell of smoke wafting down the river canyon. The wind had changed direction to remind us of the forest fires burning nearby. When we got up at first light, we could see the smoky air and the river had turned brown suggesting a mud slide somewhere upstream where the fires were burning.
After carting all our gear back up the track, we set off for the small town of Lowell to grab a quick coffee and snacks for the day. This was our last chance to re-supply for the next 64 miles.
 |
| Stocking up for the day in Lowell |
At Lowell, Hwy 12 picked up the Lochsa River and we spent the whole day meandering and winding along its banks through the Nez Perce and Clearwater National Forests in the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness area.
 |
| Early morning sun glistening on Lochsa River |
Whilst the ride was very scenic, the day felt a little long and arduous riding in the sun. The scenery looked very similar as we rounded each bend in contrast to yesterday's sensory overload. There was a gentle gradient the whole way so that your legs never got a break. The road was rough, narrow and bumpy with cars buzzing close by you so that you had to remain focused the entire time to avoid bumps and cracks and stay as close to the sometimes non-existent shoulder as possible, constantly searching for the smoothest part of the road.
 |
| One of the bridges leading to the trailheads on the other side of the river |
 |
| View from a bridge |
About 28 miles into the ride, we stopped at the Historical Ranger Station which somehow survived the Lochsa fire that destroyed the area in the 1920's. This was our only chance to re-fill our water bottles all ride.
 |
| The root cellar in the Ranger Station |
Tonight, we're in bed before dark in an attempt to get an early start tomorrow to avoid climbing Lolo Pass in the heat of the day. This is only our 2nd day of the whole odyssey with no beer and our 3rd day of washing in the river!
 |
| Colgate Links Trailhead |
CRANKING ODYSSEY STATS
Total Odyssey miles: 943
Overall Fastest Speed: Steve (39.9 miles per hour) Mandy (35.3 miles per hour)
Bonks: nil
Dog chases: 3
Dummy Spits: Steve (2 - Day 10 because it rained; Day 16 - because the rocks in the river were slippery)
Mandy (0.5 - Day 14 those freakin' wreckless Idaho drivers!)
Flats: Katie (4)
Wrong turns: 6
Beer of the day: N/A
Lesson of the day: Gatorade makes mould grow very fast in your water bottles
No. of our luxury items that Katie has used: 5 (duct tape + rope + pliers + a confused cup/bowl + can opener)
No. of days with no shower: 7
Starting weight: Steve (90kg) Mandy (51.5kg)
Posted with Blogsy
Mandy, there is no such thing as a .5 dummy spit. You need to be proud of it, own it, and make that a "1."
ReplyDeleteHa! It was a silent, inner dummy spit at the stupid drivers hence I only gave it half for lack of verbal abuse!
Delete