Eight Days on the Road

Melanie must have looked up reviews of the Blue Lake Resort on the internet last night. She warned us about the noise of the railroad. I don't think I heard a train after 9:00 p.m. The noise of traffic on Rte 2, lowing cattle, and BJ's snoring were more serious issues.

I slept fine anyway.

Breakfast this morning was in Bonners Ferry.

We stopped for snacks at the General Store in Moyie Springs where the wooden floor was slick with fresh oil.

"How often do you oil the floor?" I asked.

"Couple times a year," the proprietor answered. "We just did it last night."

"And I just came on the right day," I said.

She took a long beat and then broke into a broad grin.

The fence outside the store has signs advertising Picnic Tables, Vegetables, Propane, Benches, Plants, Chainsaws, Lawn Mowers, Cafe, Bakery, and Pizza. The hot lunch special was cabbage rolls. They also sold pig feed, straw, and hay.

We stopped for a cold drink and a bathroom break at the State Line Bar and Casino just barely across the Montana border. A midday patron informed us that the city of Troy (elev. 1889) is the lowest point in the state of Montana. The Home Bar is the lowest point in Troy.

"But you have to go down the basement," she said.

From the state line to Troy, Montana got stingy with asphalt, but climbing from Troy to Libby the road shoulders widened nicely.

We made 60.582 miles by my incredibly accurate bike computer and are staying the night at the 2 Bit Outfit RV Resort in Libby (elev. 2601).

General Store, Moyie Springs

State Line Bar and Casino