Days 78-80: Libby, MT to Sandpoint, ID

Note: Dan is providing a brief update for Liz

After a very wet ride on Wednesday, Elizabeth woke to more cool temps and clouds. Day 78 was from Libby to Noxon, MT a distance of 50 miles with a little over 2000 feet of climb. The route followed along the Kootenay River before turning south on Bull Lake Rd. There were lots of photo ops including the Kootenay Falls which Elizabeth passed only an hour or so into the ride.

Elizabeth takes a walk out on the Kootenay Falls suspension bridge for a few more photos.

By early afternoon the sky begins to clear a bit and Elizabeth says she finally begins to warm up from two days of wet, cloudy riding. The ride runs alongside Bull Lake for about 3 miles but trees prevent many good views. Elizabeth manages to catch a photo of a small cove of Bull Lake from the road about 30 miles into her day.

Elizabeth has to be back by 4pm since she and one other rider are responsible for shopping, dinner, breakfast, and lunch. Elizabeth planned ahead and had her chicken marinading during the day to minimize the prep time.

As usual Elizabeth is up early on Friday, September 1. Today she’s got to have coffee on by 630am with breakfast and lunch supplies out by 7.

It’s a shorter and somewhat easier ride day with only 46 miles and 1700 feet of climb to Sandpoint, Idaho. At Sandpoint a hotel awaits as well as a zero day (rest day) on Saturday.

The morning clouds quickly burn off to blue skies and the temperature moves up into the 80’s – a much welcome change.

The route follows the river upstream to Lake Pend Oreille where it follows the lake’s eastern and northern shorelines to around to Sandpoint. Elizabeth gets photos of the lake from multiple vantage points since she is riding beside the lake for about 22 miles.

Elizabeth gets to the hotel by 2pm or so and immediately sets into rest day mode — laundry, drying out camping gear — all the things she needs to do to wrap up this riding block so she can rest and prepare for the next block of riding days. The dinner hour comes and Elizabeth joins the group to find an extra person — her son Austin — who came to visit on her day off!

With Austin’s visit Elizabeth now had access to a car — or in this case a jeep. This opened up the Saturday’s possibilities!

Elizabeth is always a fan of farmer’s markets and having a zero day on a Saturday made that a possibility. Sure enough, Sandpoint had a market and by 10am Elizabeth and Austin were there checking out the local fare and the locals.

Elizabeth and Austin got to spend the rest of Saturday exploring the area around Sandpoint.