Kamiah, ID to Lowell, ID. 33 miles.
Leaving the town of Kamiah headed East on Hwy 12, I had to cross over the raging Clearwater River before then following her northern shore upstream. She was a torrent of water, upwelling, moving swiftly, as if in a hurry, racing to meet up with her counterpart, the Snake River down at Lewiston & Clarkston.
Standing over the Clearwater, I was reminded of a time when I measured the flow of the Klamath River while working for the USGS. At the time, I measured 15,000 cfs (that's like 15,000 boxed basket balls flowing by you every second). I didn't know what the depth of the Clearwater was here, as I peered cautiously over the bridge (depth is important in accurately calculating flow). But, I could only imagine from witnessing her behavior that the flow was comparable.
I made my way upstream. It was raining off and on. From my previous day's encounter with the weather, I was a bit more experienced on how to handle it. I managed, and the scenery was a great distraction from the wetness of everything outside and the swampiness of the weather under my rain jacket.
I was deep within the Nez Perce reservation, and passed a sign indicating a sacred site, the "Heart of the Monster". This was the ancestral birthplace of the Nez Perce tribe.
Shortly after, still following the Clearwater River, I came upon a juncture. The source of the Clearwater was branching off in two different directions; the Middle Fork and the South Fork, both smaller than their sum. I was to follow the larger of the two, the Middle-Fork of the Clearwater River, still on the North side.
I noticed several boats with fishermen, despite the rain. I wondered what species they were fishing for. As a drift boat that was drifting along my side of the River approached me carrying a couple (probably in their 50's) with a guide, I yelled out to them, "How's the fishing going?" They replied, "Any day is a good day on the River." "Whatcha fishing for?", I asked. The guide promptly replied, "Chinook Salmon. Do you want to see our catch?" All the while, they are floating downstream as I am pedaling upstream. "Yes, I would love to see it!", I replied while hitting the brakes and quickly grabbing my camera hoping to catch a shot as they drift past me.
Continuing to follow the River, I came upon a sign that was telling of what's to come. Following the River through it's narrow channel meant narrow winding roads.
I also knew that I was approaching a section of no services that was about 65 miles long. With the rain, my goal was to ride 30 miles for the day to the last outpost of services so as to be poised for the 65 mile serviceless stretch the following day.
As I moved on, the challenges of navigating this River valley became more and more apparent. Homes on the other side of the River are not accessible by road, as very few have bridges. Instead, cable-ways are used to transport goods and people back and forth across the River from their homes to the highway.
As I finally approached my destination for the day, the small area known as Lowell (two motels with a restaurant in each), the River split once more. This time, into the Selway River and the Lochsa River (pronounced "Lock-saw").
I decided to check out the motel options in Lowell hoping to find a cheap deal to avoid having to set up a tent in the rain. The first one I went to was called "Three Rivers", a place on the River catering to the many people who come to this region for river rafting. It seemed like an ok place. While I was sitting on their porch contemplating what to do, a young man walking down the muddy dirt road in the rain asked me where I was going.
We struck up a conversation, and it turns out he is riding a tandem bicycle with his wife of 7 months from the East Coast to Portland, OR. He was also investigating lodging options, and figured out that the place back across the River was $10 cheaper. Reluctant to go back out in the rain, I decided to check it out anyway.
Back on my bike and returning to the highway, I found the other motel, with Andrew and his wife Sujata standing out in the rain, leaning against their tandem. They asked me, "Would you be interested in sharing a room?" I said sure, and got to know them over dinner. Both are on their way to Lompoc, CA ultimately. I enjoyed spending time with them and sharing stories about our travels.
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