Day Three: Sandpoint, Idaho to Missoula, Montana

Saturday morning's weather was nicer than I had feared, and the forecast models had fair weather persisting until late afternoon.  Additionally, the sky was nicer to the east (my chosen direction of travel) than to the west (where the clouds showed some structure, but not too much malice), and so after a breakfast of yogurt and make-your-own-waffles I loaded up and headed back up Highway 95.  A couple of miles north of town I turned east to join up with State Highway 200.  The route is designated a national scenic byway, and continues as a series of state highways (the longest such chain in the US) as far as Minnesota. This route was suggested by Chris and Bryan, as I'd mentioned wanting to avoid high mountain passes given the looming threat of thunderstorms.  The route is designated a national scenic byway, and continues as a series of state highways (all numbered 200, the longest such chain in the US) through North Dakota and into Minnesota.

In Idaho, Highway 200 first skirts the northern shoreline of Lake Pend Orielle ("ponderay") through Hope (then East Hope and Beyond Hope), and then follows the Clark Fork River into Montana.  The road makes an endless series of sweeping turns, heaven on a motorcycle.  I'm clearly not the only one who thinks this, as when I stopped for lunch in Thompson Falls there were several sizable groups of motorcycles already parked there.  I nestled the Triumph in among a set of Alberta-tagged motorcycles.  After lunch and chatting with the bikes' owners (who were down from Lethbridge), I continued on my way.

Parked alongside other Alberta-tagged motorcycles in Thompson Falls, Montana.

The region is ideal elk territory -- rugged and big, with a mix of open and treed terrain -- and apparently also supports a healthy moose population, as evidenced by the huge antlered head and hide sitting on a flatbed trailer across the street from the ice cream parlour I somehow found myself stopped at in Wild Horse Plains.  The town is well-named, as I can't imagine living here without owning and riding horses.

This little spur road provided access to exactly one small ranch. The Clark Fork River flows along the base of the steep slope on the opposite side of the valley.

The road joined up with Interstate Highway 90 far too soon, but before the expected arrival of rain.  I continued east to Missoula, then picked a tenting spot at the KOA campground in town.  I'm an examiner in a Ph.D. defense in a few days' time, and thus have a 200-page thesis to read; the KOA provides not just a convenient location (e.g., close to Staples, where I can have a physical copy of the thesis printed off), but also WiFi for checking references and email.  Mountain camping will commence following the arrival of better weather and the completion of the thesis defense.

Camped out at the Missoula, Montana KOA.  If my Triumph marks one end of the motor camping spectrum, some of the big rigs here surely mark the far other end.

(This post was written on Day Four of the trip.)