September 18: Missoula, Montana to Wendover campground (Clearwater National Forest)
I left Missoula this morning and the temperatures were in the high 30’s. But, the skies were clear, so I at least knew I would be staying dry. I put on lots of layers of clothing so I could shed them as the temperatures rose and as I started the climb up Lolo Pass.
At lunchtime today, at the 5325-foot summit of Lolo Pass, I crossed the border into Idaho, the forty-forth state visited by The Dream Tour.
The climb up Lolo Pass was quite pleasant, actually. The first forty miles was very gradual — one to two percent grade is all — and the scenery was, of course, unbeatable. The last three miles to the summit was quite a bit steeper, but still only five to six percent grade. The backside of Lolo Pass was steeper. I was glad to be going down it rather than up. It was about five miles of six to seven percent grade and then it flattened out to the one to two percent grade that I saw on the ascent.
This 110 mile stretch of highway 12 between Lolo, Montana and Lowell, Idaho parallels the Lewis and Clark route, so there are a number of historical markers along the way to stop and read. Many of them describe where their actual route was and it’s usually up on the ridgetops. Then you look at the mountains all around, you wonder how in the world they ever had the strength and endurance to keep going. It’s hard enough to ride a bike on a paved road along the river.
I rode about 20 miles past the Lolo Pass summit to the Wendover campground of the Clearwater National Forest. The weather forecast was for cold temperatures and rain overnight and tomorrow, so we decided to stay in one of the motels along highway 12. The closest one was full, so we ended up at the next closest place — the Lolo Hot Springs Motel and R.V. Park about 27 miles back towards Missoula. Tomorrow morning, we’ll drive back to where I stopped riding today.
| Total distance: | 67.11 miles |
|---|---|
| Time: | 5:00:12 |
| Average speed: | 13.4 mph |
| Maximum speed: | 34.7 mph |
| Total calories: | 5025 |
| Average heart rate: | 125 bpm |
| Maximum heart rate: | 159 bpm |
| Total ascent: | 2523 feet |
| Total descent: | 2558 feet |
| Ride profile: |  (click on image to view a larger version) |
| Ride comments: The day started out cold, but the skies were clear, so I knew it would warm up eventually. It was a long, gradual, and beautiful climb to Lolo Pass (elevation 5325 feet). Rode to just past the Wendover campground in the Clearwater National Forest. Pat picked me up there because we’re staying at the Lolo Hot Springs Motel and R.V. Park due to a forecast of heavy rain tonight and tomorrow. |
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