After spending way too much time in Idaho we finally made it out of the state. Given our route up US 93 there was no way of getting around going through Missoula, MT.
It was another cold morning that required heated gear until just outside of Missoula. The riding was easy and interesting as long as we went along the Salmon river. Once we got into the valley south of Missoula traffic picked up and the road turned into a four lane highway.
We didn’t need anything in Missoula so we kept on going, passing through downtown to road ID 200 which would take us NE to the 83 turnoff. The destination for the day was Salmon Lake State Park just up the road of the 200/83 intersection. Unfortunately, the park is located right along 83 so it was very noisy. After a quick pass and look at the available sites we decided to try our luck just five miles up the road at Placid Lake State Park.
The road leading to Placid Lake State Park was packed dirt with some washboard and wet spots after the recent rains. After taking Diane down this road for maybe three miles we were greeted by a ‘Campground Full’ sign :-(. So we turn around and return to Salmon Lake SP. Yes, it was noisy but we were ready to get off the road for the day.
Welcome mosquitoes. We barely got off the bikes when they started attacking. We must have looked pretty funny/pathetic waving and swatting trying to keep them off us long enough to get out the mosquito repellent spray. Once liberally applied, they stayed away. After setting up camp, we hung out and had an early dinner in case the mosquitoes decided to come out in force. No WiFi or cell service but they did have pay showers and decent bathrooms.
We talked to a girl from Colorado traveling in an RV with her 2 dogs and 2 cats. She’s been on the road for a year with her parents that were in another RV a few spots down. They are headed to Alaska. We also chatted with two riders from Houston that came in after us. They, too, are headed to Alaska and lost a few days being stuck at a BMW dealership due to unexpected repairs. They are going through Glacier National Park which we are skipping this time around.
