Ram Wigwam Campground, Flathead River Valley, B.C., Canada to Ksanka Motel & Motel, Eureka, Montana, USA

Statistics

Distance: 41.6 miles 

Average Speed: 8.3 mph

Hours Riding: 4 hours 58 minutes

Calories: Not available

Total Ascent: Not available

Total Descent: - Not available

I woke at about 6:30 am, had breakfast, took down camp, and headed out by 8:00 a.m. with David Galagher from the UK. It was a very tranquil experience on the trail, with the sun just coming up and the play of light beams through the trees.

Harry Brown caught up to us and we rode together the rest of the way. We made a sharp right turn marked by cairns. It was a very difficult single track with frequent stream and puddle crossings.

Charlotte showed me a series of pictures of herself going over the handlebars into a puddle. She asked Gordon to take a picture of her puddle crossing and said, "Watch, I'll probably fall in!" which is exactly what happened. Charlotte is from the UK but lives in Austrailia. She found out about the trip because her sister dates Sean, one of the guides.

The ascent was so steep at one point that Harry and I had to help one another carry the bikes.  At the top, I noticed a greater resistance in pedaling and that was because my rear tire was low. I pumped it up again and it went down quite fast. I decided to change the tube and harry loaned me his.

The climb to the top of the pass seemed to go on forever, and it topped off at 6,200 feet in elevation. The downhill was equally long, so my brakes needed to be applied almost constantly.

We stopped at the lunch spot, which was most of the way down the hill. I had a turkey sandwich, potato chips, a couple apples, and some water.

We finished the rest of the downhill and headed toward the US border crossing; we crossed without incident. We then rode into Eureka to the Ksanka Store and Motel. I shared a room with Norm, who is from Cleveland, OH. Norm grew up in an Amish commuity until he was 14 when his parents decided to leave. His experience was a goood one that taught him the value of hard work and self reliance.

A group of us went out for burgers at the local casino and restaurant. No one was at the gaming tables, likely because the townspeople of this logging community didn't appear to be doing very well.

Tomorrow we ride an alternate route because of the forest fires. The result of the fires for us is not only a route change but a cloud of smoke in the air and smoker's coughs.