PARADISE FOUND

Cycling Kootenai Country

By Bill Schneider, 8-17-09

	Riding along the Kootenai River, Yaak Falls and Wild Bill crossing the Rexford Bridge over Koocanusa Reservoir. Photos by Bill Schneider and Reed Gregerson.

Attention road cyclists. Where can you ride 90 miles straight on smoothly paved, pothole-free roadways; almost devoid of motor vehicles; all lined with fantastic scenery, but no fences, telephone poles, or buildings?

We cyclists all know the answer to that, right? Not many places. But I found one right here in northwestern Montana.

Having been an avid cyclist for decades, I’d frequently heard about the terrific cycling opportunities in Kootenai Country, but for some reason, I never made time to experience it. I finally had my chance this summer.

Instead of being on the way to somewhere, Kootenai Country is a destination. It takes an extra effort to travel to the remote northwestern corner of the state, but for cyclists, it’s worth the trip.

We stayed at the Sandman Motel in Libby, the City of Eagles, and rode two of the three routes right from our room, but not until we wolfed down some scrumptious huckleberry flapjacks at the Libby Café. We could’ve ridden the third loop from our room, too, but instead, and to cut 30 miles off the route, we decided to drive to the Rexford Bridge across the Koocanusa Reservoir and start there. (Details of these three trips at end of article.)

I’ve ridden my bicycles a lot of places, including two extended trips to Europe, dozens of trips over the Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park and trips to other national parks like Arches, Canyonlands, Grand Teton and Yellowstone. I’ve also ridden the highly revered Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes and over the purported most scenic road in America, Beartooth Pass between Cooke City and Red Lodge, but I have never had a better time on by bike than I did during my summer cycling adventure in Kootenai Country.

Perhaps the nicest long bike ride in Montana starts in Libby and follows a 103-mile route to the sleepy berg called Yaak, part of it on the Lake Koocanusa Scenic Byway, which starts in Libby and follows the loop round around the reservoir. The first 15 miles closely follows the majestic Kootenai River, where we saw a few manmade structures and motor vehicles, but after we turned on the West Side Road (NF288) along Koocanusa Reservoir, we rode for another scenic 45 miles along the reservoir to the Rexford Bridge without seeing one single motor vehicle, moving or parked. Imagine that!

From the bridge, we rode another 43 miles, again with no signs of civilization except the paved road, but we had some “traffic"--har, har--at least four or five vehicles. We also had our first opportunity to ride up what has to be the longest, steepest hill in Montana, officially called Dodge Summit, but that name hardly does it justice. Something like Passo Yaakia or Yaak d’Huez would be more appropriate. From the bridge to the top of the hill it’s 17 miles, climbing all the way, except one 500-foot dip, and on the last five miles, you ascend 2,500 feet in elevation, which is 9.47 percent grade.

If you aren’t a do-it-yourself type like I am, you can still enjoy Kootenai Country by signing up for the two-day Stokr Ride, which stands for Scenic Tour of the Kootenai River. This well-organized, non-competitive tour happens in mid-May and follows some of the same routes I’m applauding in this article. Apply early, though, because there’s a limit, and it fills up fast. Click here for details.

One note of caution. Manage your water carefully. The lack of civilization translates into fewer places to re-fill water bottles. We even had to resort to filling them from streams and using Iodine purification tabs.

You can make up your own trips, of course, and you don’t have to do the long routes--just pick our shorter sections that fit your interest and ability, such as the stretch along the reservoir or along the river--and enjoy.

To get started, here are some details on the three fantastic loops we rode:

Koocanusa Reservoir Loop: Start at either the bridge below Libby Dam or the Rexford Bridge at the north end of the reservoir, and enjoy a pleasant loop around the reservoir. Light traffic on Highway 37 on the east side and almost no traffic on the west side road.  No extended climbs. Total distance: 84 miles.

Kootenai and Yaak Falls Loop: Start early from Libby (to avoid traffic) and head west on U.S. 2 to Troy, making a stop to see fabulous Kootenai Falls. Ride through Troy, and after another 10 miles on U.S. 2, turn right on the Yaak Valley Road (NFR 508), making another stop at Yaak Falls about five miles up the road. When you reach Yaak, take a break at the Dirty Shame Saloon, and then take the Pipe Creek Road back to Libby. If you time it correctly, you at stop at the Red Dog Saloon, seven miles before Libby, for dinner. Total distance: 95 miles.

Yaak Long Loop: Start in Libby, ride east on Highway 37 for 15 miles, taking a left on West Side Road (NFR 288) a mile or so before Libby Dam. Ride along the west shore of Koocanusa Reservoir for 45 miles. Go straight at the Rexford Bridge on the Yaak Valley Road (NFR 92). After about three miles, it splits; take the left fork and stay on it until you see the Dirty Shame Saloon in Yaak on your right, which will be just about the first manmade structure you’ll see since leaving Libby. After taking a break at the Saloon--or better yet, staying overnight in Yaak--take the Pipe Creek Road (NFR 68) back to Libby, over Pike Creek Pass, which will seem almost flat compared to the ascent up Dodge Summit. Total distance: 140 miles.

To read a companion article on the Dirty Shame Saloon, click here.

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