Following Lewis and Clark

 We've come across sections of the route taken by Lewis and Clark in 1804-1805 as they explored the vast area of the Louisiana Purchase. Today we followed much of their route from Montana west through Idaho as they headed toward the Pacific Ocean. US Route 12, is known as the Lewis and Clark Highway, and in Idaho it's also the Northwest Passage Scenic Byway.

We started today's ride in Hamilton, MT, heading north on US 93, a 4-lane, busy highway in the Bitterroot Valley for about 30 miles until we turned north on US 12.

We started climbing through open fields and then heavily forested Bitterroot Range.

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Our highest point for today came at 5233' Lolo Pass where we crossed from Montana into Idaho. We stopped at the visitor center - closed today but the bathrooms were open - for a quick snack and drink of water, and enjoyed chatting with a couple from Iowa riding their motorcycle.

I missed taking a photo of a large sign that proclaimed winding mountain roads for the next 99 miles. All that was missing from the sign was a photo of an extremely happy couple zooming through the canyon on their motorcycle!

This area is the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest which covers 4 million acres in north-central Idaho. Much of this area is protected wilderness, and for most of the 99 miles we saw very little traffic as we descended down from Lolo Pass.

US 12 twists and winds following the Lochsa River, one of the rivers included as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act in 1968. 

 

We stopped for lunch at Kooskia at 1293' elevation - we had dropped almost 4000' over 99 miles. The Selway River joins the Lochsa River at Kooskia, forming the Clearwater River.

US 12 continues along the wide yet still winding Clearwater River, which Lewis and Clark paddled in dugout canoes. The elevation dropped to 864' - that is about 7000' lower than our home in Southwest Colorado.

The last part of today's ride took us away from rivers as we headed north on Idaho Route 3. The temperature was over 90 degrees and we decided to stop at the first gas station we saw for a drink of cold water - and much to our delight found ourselves at the Juliaetta Market which featured huckleberry ice cream. We saw inside the air conditioned market chatting with the friendly woman working there while we cooled off. Refreshed, we rode through the huge, rolling hills of the Palouse.

Our last turn was onto Idaho Route 99 which wound through the wheat fields of the Palouse into Moscow, our stop for tonight.

Today was another beautiful, memorable day on the BMW through mountains, along rivers, and into rolling agricultural lands crossed 220 years ago by Lewis and Clark. Much of the area hasn't changed much during those centuries and I like to believe that it will stay this way for the next few centuries for others to enjoy.