Mickey very graciously got up on her day off to give us a lift out of Missoula. We left the Holiday Inn shortly after 7 am. Leaving at the same time was a charter bus full of people who had come to Montana to follow the Lewis and Clark Trail. They were really enthusiastic about their trip. |
Mickey took us on Hwy 12to Powell Station, just past the summit of Lolo Pass. We spent about an hour at Lochsa Lodge hoping the rainy weather would clear. Hwy 12 is also known in the area as the Lewis and Clark Highway and was formally dedicated August 20, 1962. Prior to that time Hwy 12 was unpaved. |
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Lochsa Lodge is set well back from Hwy 12. The Lodge itself burned several years ago and has since been rebuilt. One server mentioned that it is not only larger but also a great deal brighter. Most of the outbuildings including the cabins are the older, darker variety except for the new building for the Lewis and Clark bicentennial. |
We followed the Lochsa River through the mist and rain. I didn't take many photos though because of the dampness.
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This photo was taken after the sun lifted.
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This bush predominated the landscape. I'm still working on identifying it. |
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The fog lingered for awhile.
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For the geology buffs, here are some road side rock formations. |
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A number of these smaller bridges dotted the river.
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Across the river some of the rock formations were engulfed in trees. |
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When we showed these pictures to some cyclists who we met in Lowell, they remembered seeing this tree/log across the river. |
Louise greeted us at the Lochsa Visitor's Center.
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Moss and lichen are growing on this granite.
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The river is still to the left but these rock walls were also interesting. |
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This looked to us like it was decomposing granite.
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There appeared to be a bit of "sand" across the river or at least an illusion of beachfront property. |
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When this red-flowered plant is in large masses, the area looks quite alive. As we got down lower, the plant was more prevalent. |
We're approaching Lowell and I took this photo with the camera pointed backward over my left shoulder. |
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The Wyman family have travelled from New York on two motorcycles. From left to right are Kim, Cody, Kyle, Travis and Bob. They'll head home after getting to the Pacific Coast and then attending a convention in Las Vegas. Cody sits in the side car of one of the motorcyles. |
I sat for about 30 minutes at this spot on the river after we arrived and reflected on what a wonderful opportunity this trip has been.
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