Border explore

North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River

Wild life

no, domesticated life

Sunday was a great day to explore the Montana Idaho border.  I put 370 mile on the bike today from Trout Creek to Thompson Falls up FSR (forest service road) 471  to St Rt 9 to Kingston, ID.





  From Kingston I went west and picked up Hwy 3 to St Maries where I turned on the St Joe River road.  /this is called the White Pine Scenic Byway but I'll have to be a party pooper and say the White Pine is mostly gone or in sick condition due to disease imported many years ago.  Still, what's a name, the trip was perfect. I read about some of this trip and it sounded worth a ride but the day was so awesome I couldn't loose no matter what.  Ok, at 8am it was 45 degrees so I waited til 9:30 OK? By now the sun was taking affect and it must have been.....50......but I have clothing.
This is a shot of a valley off Hwy 3, there is a bicycle path and cyclists in the middle of the picture, trust me.  

By the end of the day it was in the 80's and I was shedding cloths at every stop.  This outlook had a For Sale sign on it.  What a view!

The St Joe, Coeur d'Alene and St. Maries rivers as well as everything once I crossed the mountain ridge flow into the Spokane River.  This is the Spokane River watershed and is HUGE.  The Spokane flows into the Columbia.  Pretty much everything east of the Cascades and west of the Cabinet/ Bitteroot Mountain Range does.  Mind-boggling!!  So much for Geography.How about History.  the Cataldo Mission is one of a rich history of missions in Montana and Idaho.  This building was built by the Tribe and has no nails in the construction.  It also costs $5 to get in so.........I got a picture from afar!!

The St Joe River Valley

 
and the mist coming off the river.  This is the Misty Meadow camp ground.  Next time when you come along, we'll stay here!!

I'm learning that many of these roads would handle my behemoth motorhome and these camp site would as well.  That said, I'm ok takin' the bike for sight seeing...the motorhome has to survive aat least until spring!