Day 13, Eureka, MT - 68 miles

A mile after we left the Venture Inn Motel parking lot we were on SR 37 and there we stayed for the entire day. We traveled along the Kootenai River (the third largest tributary to the Columbia river) and then, after the Libby Dam, the Koocanusa Lake. (Lake Koocanusa was named for the treaty that was developed between the Kootenai Indians (KOO) the Canadian government (CAN) and the U.S. government (USA) to build the Dam and form the reservoir.)  The day had some pretty good climbing and everybody agrees it felt much harder than yesterday's 96 miles.  The scenery was beautiful with sheer cliff faces to the right and the Koocanusa Lake to the left.

Ksanka Motel

Tonight we are staying in the "Subway-Ksanka-Motel-and-Mini-Mart-Gas-and-Bakery."  Really, that's what the sign says.  We had to go to the Mini-Mart cashier to get our keys. But the rooms are very clean and do not smell – something that cannot be said about every place we have stayed.  I picked up a beer at the mini-mart called Pig's Ass Porter from Belt, Montana, something that has been popular with all of us who need to carbo-load for the next big day.

Tomorrow we are going to Whitefish, MT, then into Glacier National Park.  I have been worried about climbing over Logan Pass from the day I signed up for this tour.  After all the climbing that has been going on to day, it will be easy.