DownTheTrail.com

hiking guides, gear, and journals

  • LATEST
  • GUIDES
    • COLORADO TRAIL
    • THE LONG TRAIL
      • LONG TRAIL SHELTERS
    • ARIZONA
    • UTAH
    • CALIFORNIA
    • HAWAII
    • ALASKA
  • GEAR
    • MY GEAR LIST
  • JOURNALS
    • GRAND CANYON
    • COLORADO TRAIL
    • LONG TRAIL
    • BICYCLING ACROSS AMERICA
    • APPALACHIAN TRAIL
    • DENALI
  • MORE
  • ABOUT

Day 71 – Missoula, MT to Powell, ID

updated: November 14, 2018

55 miles
August 6, 2006

I slept great last night, and didn’t wake up until 9:30. I felt bad because I think Craig and Sherri were waiting for me before having breakfast, even though they assured that me they weren’t. They made blueberry pancakes!

“I have to warn you though – the coffee’s strong,” Craig said. And he wasn’t kidding… I could smell how strong it was before he even said so. Excellent!

After more fun conversation – feeling more talkative after a good night’s sleep – it was unfortunately about time for me to go. They made it clear that I was welcome to stay another night for a rest day… but I thought I should put in some miles after yesterday’s short day. It would be nice to catch up with some of the cyclists that I met back in Lander Wyoming, before we reach the Pacific.

It was a funny thing saying goodbye this morning, after Craig and Sherri had taken me into their home like their own son, even though I’d just met them less than 24 hours ago. Sherri tried to pack me a lunch for today like a mom.

In Lolo I took a break at a gas station, and bumped into Mark and Anna again. We did a quick photo shoot of each other, and then they continued on up to the pass while I finished my Coke and Reese’s.

The climb up to Lolo Pass was steady, and not too difficult. I got more thumbs-ups from some motorcycle guys who were on their way down the mountain.

At the top I crossed into Idaho, and Pacific Time! Now I’m three hours behind the east coast. There was a sign at the pass that basically said “Lewis and Clark crossed here in 1805.”

On the way down into Idaho I started passing these majestic, towering red cedar trees – they were huge, and the forest was filled with them. It was a cool feeling to be surrounded by such height and age, entering the Clearwater National Forest.

I came to Powell, pretty much the only place to stop in the area. It had gas, a camp store, cabins, and a restaurant in a natural setting. I cooked dinner at a picnic table there – a pound of spaghetti and two cans of vienna sausages.

It was a little tempting to shack up in one of the rustic cabins that they had there, but I headed back to the forest for a little backcountry camping experience. There was a quiet field just off of a forest service road, with long, fluffy grass. Life is good.

Mark and Anna

Unfortunately this seat wouldn’t fit on my bike

descending Lolo into Idaho


View Larger Map
Google Map Route may not be 100% accurate.

<— Day 70 (PREVIOUS)

Day 72 (NEXT) —>

Tweet
Share
Share
Pin

About Jamie Compos

I'm the guy behind DownTheTrail.com. I love the outdoors, and the Grand Canyon is my favorite destination. Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter (at the bottom of the page), or else I'll slip a rock into your backpack when you're not looking.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

My Best Gear for 2023

Backpack

Day Pack

1-Person Tent

2-Person Tent

Sleeping Bag
(3 season)

Sleeping Bag
(summer)

Sleeping Pad
(inflatable)

Sleeping Pad
(foam)

Camp Pillow

Thru-Hiking Shoes

Sturdy Shoes
(Rugged/Off Trail)

Trail Running
(minimalist shoes)

Road Running
(minimalist shoes)

Socks

Water Filter

Water Treatment

Backpacking Stove

Headlamp

Power Bank

911 calls via GPS

Thru-Hiking App

Packraft

SEE MORE DETAILS
(my ultimate gear list)

 

(purchases through affiliate links earn commission)

 

chart your course

Copyright © 2023 Down The Trail - All Rights Reserved - legal statements - contact

This site feeds you cookies and is peppered with affiliate links. Recreating outdoors can be dangerous. Links to e-commerce sites earn commission. Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT