Day 15: Lowell, ID to Lochsa Lodge, Lolo, ID

Monday June 19, 2023, 65 miles (105 km) - Total so far: 662 miles (1,065 km)

We got an early start, as we had a 65 mile ride ahead of us. We had a simple breakfast of coffee, oatmeal and peanut butter in our motel room and hit the road as planned around 7:30. Today’s route was simple, as it followed HW12 all the way to Lochsa Lodge where we intended to camp for the night (as the cabins were fully booked). From there we would tackle the climb through Lolo Pass and on to Missoula the following morning.

The weather was fine - a bit cooler and overcast ,so we broke out our leg warmers, tights, hats and warmer waterproof gloves.

The first 35 miles were uneventful and a pleasant, gradual climb with a 1 to 2% grade following the Lochsa River. The views and sounds of the river were soothing and helpful to distract us from the drone of trucks passing occasionally. The shoulders were decent and again, most of the passing vehicles gave us plenty of room.

At mile 35 we stopped for lunch. A few cyclists passed and then turned around to talk to us. Shortly thereafter one of there sag vans pulled up and parked behind us. They were a group of eight men from Waban, MA who have been cycling together since the 80s. Every year for the past 24 years they have completed a one week segment of one of the cross country cycling routes. They call their group the WYMPS, the Waban Young Men’s Pedaling Society, although one mentioned that today they refer to themselves as the WOMPS. They were interested to hear where we were heading. We told them our plan for the summer and that we intended to camp at Lochsa Lodge that evening. It turned out that they were staying there as well. They wished us good luck and hoped we would see each other later.

As we set off for the final 30 miles it began to rain and the temperature dropped to around 47 degrees. This weather persisted for the rest of the afternoon. This was a great opportunity for us to test the rain gear we had purchased!

As we arrived at Lochsa, we were greeted by one of the WYMPS, who told me that they had been waiting for us. As it turned out, they had overbooked an extra cabin, and they insisted that we use it. Despite my attempts, they refused to let me pay them for it. I told Sharon that we truly have an angel watching over us!

We had a nice dinner at the Lodge. We had an opportunity to talk to many of the WYMPS - what a wonderful group of men. The following morning we exchanged contact information and promised to keep in touch.

Check out this breathtaking video of Lochsa River on YouTube HERE!

Stops along the river