Day 52: Forest Fires (Kooskia, ID to Riggins, ID)

Total mileage: 75

We were a bit sad to leave the town of Kooskia in the morning, after having such a wonderful experience there the night before. So we took our time getting on the road and stopped at a local cafe for a coffee. In retrospect, we probably didn't do much to help the town's economy, since each cup (with unlimited refills) cost only 50 cents. Cheap coffee = yet another reason to visit Kooskia, ID.

Our ride that morning took us uphill on a winding back road. For the first time in weeks, the road was actually steep! We climbed up and up until we reached a rolling plateau covered in freshly harvested fields of wheat. We saw a harvester at work in the distance. Suddenly it felt like we were back in the Midwest.

The morning climb

The plateau: a radically different landscape

 We stopped in Grangeville for lunch after working our way along the farmland grid. On our way into town, we ran into a couple who was eager to talk to us and hear about our trip. They gave us directions to the library, the grocery store, and a funky little coffee shop that they recommended we check out.

The coffee shop was indeed worth a visit. It was cool and cozy, and their iced drinks and tasty muffins were a welcome respite from the heat of the road. Not to mention that the shop was full of friendly people! Alix enjoyed chatting with both barista and customers while Alice for some work done at the library next door. The barista even gave us directions to some choice swimming holes down the road. Alix is quickly falling in love with northern Idaho.

Our afternoon ride had us climbing again, this time at a much more reasonable angle. The road was gloriously shaded and empty of cars, winding through a hilltop forest.

At the peak, the landscape changed dramatically once more. The trees disappeared and we were left with a sweeping view of a deep, dramatic valley. The mountainsides were loosely wrinkled and tan with dry grasses. The descent ahead of us twisted along the mountain's edge, without even a guardrail to protect us from the drop!

At the peak

Riding on the edge!

 Our descent into the valley was both breathtakingly beautiful and a bit nerve wracking. It was long and steep, with numerous switchbacks that we couldn't navigate without slowing down. But, it was also fun, and we both made it safely to the bottom without seeing a single car the whole way down!

We arrived in Whitebird to a smoke-filled sky. Apparently a nearby forest fire has been raging for a couple of days. The plume of smoke it produced blocked out the sun and gave it an orangish hue. We had been riding through haze for days, but hadn't yet seen a fire so close.

The next thirty miles brought us along the Salmon River to Riggins, ID. There we found a tourist town squished between the river on one side and steep mountains on the other. Annoyingly, we also crossed back into mountain time zone! Oh well. We stopped at a lovely riverside park and went for a swim before eating dinner and setting up camp.

Dusk on the river, hazy from nearby wildfires