Road Trip #2, Day 3 - Sacajawea Scenic Byway, Salmon River - Idaho/Montana

July 17, 2010
Colorado, USA

Missoula, MT -- We rolled out of Great Falls about 8 am on day three of Road Trip #2 2010 heading north on Hwy 15. After listening to a local warn us about fires in "the desert" as he called it, I checked and approved one of our routes. We planned to ride the Sacajawea Scenic Byway (Hwy 28) from Sage Junction, ID to Salmon ID (136 miles) and then on to Missoula, MT today.

Stopping at Sage Junction Port of Entry Station for a cup of thermos coffee before heading out across "the desert", Tim asked about fire and smoke danger on our route. We were given the "all clear", the haze in the distance was residual smoke. I didn't realize until later how much the haze would affect the photos so part of the landscape shots have sort of a washed out fuzzy look to them. We heard the officers warn another person that Mud Lake was the last stop for fuel for a good many miles.

The first part of the road was lined on either side with either sage land or farm land (yep, those are potatoes, Tim). Mud Lake, from what we could tell is a farming community although we could see a large lake (Mud Lake) in the distance as we rode along. Over 8000 acres are designated as a wild life management area focused on waterfowl.

With the Bitterroot Mountain Range (Continental Divide) looming in the northeast and Flatiron Mountain (elev 11,019) looming to the southwest on either side of the road we traveled at a leisurely pace with very little traffic, loving every minute of it.

Part of our ride along Hwy 28 would take us across INL Industrial and Research Complexes land. From the web site: In operation since 1949, INL is a science-based, applied engineering national laboratory dedicated to supporting the U.S. Department of Energy's missions in nuclear and energy research, science, and national defense. I checked, we did not glow in the dark later so I guess we're OK.

The road stretched out before us with sage lands flanking both sides. There were few trees. Other than a couple of deer and a small herd of antelope, we did not see much wildlife. Once, we thought we spied an eagle perched on a distant fence post. The vegetation was beginning to dry out so the land laid out before us took on an amber hue. The mountain view changed constantly as we rode along. Occasionally, a farm would appear in a valley and a few head of cattle. In some places ATV trails snaked over the foothills.

This road winds through Sacajawea's homeland. Sacajawea (pronounced Saka-ja-wee-a), a Lemhi Shoshone woman born around 1788 lived in this area. Captured at the age of 12, by the Arikira Indians of North Dakota, Sacajawea would not see her home again until becoming part of explorers Lewis and Clark's Corps of Discovery in 1805.

When we reached a tiny spot in the road known as the town of Tendoy, we stopped in a pullover. Across the highway was the Tendoy Store and Post Office. We strolled across and entered the store looking for a cup of coffee and maybe a cookie. We found fresh coffee and packaged cookies. We were greeted by the 92 year old owner (sadly, her name escapes me). Behind the counter was a shelf loaded with photographs of her family. The store was established in 1947 by herself and her husband. She had been running the business for 62 years, over 20 years by herself since her husband died. Her son is the postmaster, but was currently in the hospital recovering from appendicitis, so she was on her own. We thanked her for her kindness and left her to her business. She warned us to ride careful. She said there was a moose that walked the road in front of the store every night and another moose had been reported further up the road the last couple of days.

Beside the store is a small tourist pull off with signage indicating the significance of the area. About eight miles from Tendoy, the American flag was unfurled for the first time west of the Rockies by Meriwether Lewis in 1805. Tendoy is named for a Shoshone Indian Chief.

The Lemhi River gurgled along beside the road as we continued our journey. We were nearing the town of Salmon. Between Tendoy and Salmon, we stopped again at the Sacajawea Interpretive Center. We strolled the outdoor area, admired the bronze statue of Sacajawea and snapped a few photos.

Our road (Hwy 93) would turn due north in Salmon. The day was warm. We stopped for fuel on the north end of town and since the fuel stop housed a small cafe, decided a root beer float would help cool us off. It did.

The road to Missoula would take us over Lost Trail Pass (elev 7014). It was a great ride, snaking alongside the Salmon River through the low rolling hills of the Salmon Challis National Forest. Access to the Lost Trail Powder Mountain Ski Area is near the Visitor Center, where we stopped once again. Now we were in the Bitterroot Mountains. Here's a bit of history - explorer Clark crossed Lost Trail Pass in a failed attempt to follow the Salmon River to the Columbia in early September, 1805. He and a Shoshone guide scouted ahead of the rest and discovered that reports of the Salmon's unsuitability were true. The twisting, deep river earned its name, "The River of No Return."

Salmon River aka River of No Return

Just as we traversed the border into Montana our road crossed the Continental Divide. We enjoyed the rest of the ride into Missoula passing through small towns like Darby which was crowded with vehicles and tourists gathering to celebrate Logger Days. I'd like to return to Darby. We passed by several logging outfits. Just past the town of Victor we encountered a couple of miles of unpaved road.

Riding into Missoula, we arrived at the wrong Super 8, but they changed our reservation from one location to the other without much of a fuss. Today was laundry day so we spent a little time hanging out waiting for our clothing to wash and dry. In the meantime, we called the Folks, grabbed showers and relaxed. Later we would walk across the street to a restaurant called The Montana Club. It is actually a restaurant, lounge and casino. We were in the mood for a burger but the menu is wide open. I ordered the Cajun Burger which was a blackened patty with roasted red pepper, cajun mayo and pepperjack cheese. YUM! I believe Tim ordered something like the All American Bacon Cheeseburger. We also ordered beer and sweet potato fries which came with the best damn dipping sauce we have ever tasted. They called it a Hawaiian Creme Sauce and it's a chef's secret. I bet - double yum! They should bottle the stuff because it is good enough to drink. There are several locations for The Montana Club in Missoula, Butte and Kalispell.

We traveled 320 miles today on roads we never thought we would travel, seeing new places and towns and rediscovering bits and pieces of America's great history.

Here is a slide show of today's ride (94 photos):