Clark Fork River, North of Plains, MT
Officially Day 1 of the Pilgrimage!
Easy 173 mi day, and went down Hwy 211 that turns into a very fun dirt road which features this view. Yes please. Despite the on and off sprinkles and a little chilly at 58*F, a successful first day with no issues from Lazarus, yay! … (as I huddle in blankets trying to feel my legs again at my Grandma’s house in Thompson Falls.)
Ross Creek Cedars, Montana
The Pilgrimage: Day 2
I think Giant Cedars are my new best friends. Seriously, guys this place was amazing.
The Ross Creek Cedars are on my list of Most Underrated Attractions in Montana. They’re between Noxon and Troy on Hwy 56, on the far North-West side of the state. The road is paved, and becomes very narrow and windy. The trees become very dense and I developed a feeling like I was riding into a Faerie Forest. On the way out you then get to experience this amazing view of the Cabinet Mountains.
On the way to Yaak, I stopped for a short break to see the Yaak Falls, along hwy 508. I sopped and had a burger at the Dirty Shame Saloon in Yaak. It was the quite possibly the best fries I’ve had ever. I’m still drooling whenever I think about those fries, and I need to go back so I can experience them again.
Yaak Falls, Montana
I took a very windy detour and followed hwy 508 to Lake Koocanusa. However between the Ross Creek Cedars and Yaak Falls my bike developed a throttle problem. So, I did have to stop a little earlier than I wanted because my throttle cable managed to wedge itself against my tank, making it run at 3k rpms.
So, I set up camp in Rexford, fixed the throttle, and also fixed my fuel gauge.
Rexford Campground, Montana
Bonus of this camp site; the camp host sat and talked to me for a good half hour and convinced me that I should be a camp host. He was pretty persuasive. I’m liking the idea.