We got up at 7 am, ate breakfast and departed the bike hostel. We rode for 1.5 miles along country roads to Hwy 20. The route gained about 2,300 feet of elevation over the next 25 miles thru coniferous forests. Near mile 20, we stopped at the Beaver Lodge Resort and Campground for a second breakfast.
Out front, a huge gaggle of all-terrain vehicles gathered with riders and passengers for the Poker Ride. Evidently, this is an eagerly awaited annual affair in these parts. Feeling full, we rode 5 miles to a pass, then descended for 6 miles to the Pend Oreille River valley. We turned south and followed the barely flowing wide river downstream (see photo).
In 20 miles we ate lunch at a historical marker commemorating British explorer David Thompson from the early 1800s. Several miles later, we crossed a wide flat prairie with lots of wetlands interspersed with plowed fields. I wondered how this landscape came to be. In the prairie, we stopped at a new grocery store courtesy of the Kalispel Indian Tribe to refill our water bottles and get a cold drink. Wet our college biker friends these.
Onward we biked for 19 miles to Newport. We arrived tired and hot. Betsy reserved a camp site at the Albini Cove recreation area 3 miles north of town. After my navigation error, we retraced our riding and found the campground. What a relief! We perked up after a shower and dinner. Betsy’s knee hurt today, but she thinks it will be okay after a rest tonight. We journeyed 83.5 miles today!
