As I passed Salmon and neared the Montana border the terrain took another turn, so to speak. I climbed in elevation over the really fun Chief Joseph pass with huge sweepers and an elevation of 7200 ft. The air was cool and refreshing after the hot desert floor. I stopped in Sula just to stretch and look around a bit.
I met a nice young woman who was the mail lady. She told me that the weather had only recently warmed up. It was what I could consider “perfect” riding weather, cool and clear with some scattered clouds.
The area around Sula had been scorched in the summer of 2000 burning 8000 acres.
The wildlife suffered greatly as you can see by this image taken by the BLM fire management team.
Here is the aftermath 8 years later.
Looks like the sheep have certainly returned!
From Sula the beauty began to change as I dropped down into the Missoula area. The roads filled with traffic and areas of construction. From Hamilton to Missoula was one long construction zone, top speed being 35mph. I was less than thrilled, but needed a reality check after miles of amazing scenery. Yep, I was back in civilization.
It was precisely during this time that my camera decided to take a sabbatical.
Day’s miles 314
