2015-07-24 - MT - Day 58 - Eureka to Libby
I woke up at 6 but left at 8, the longest I've taken on this trip to get ready. During that time, I listened to two "Criminal" podcasts, read about national parks, and ate breakfast. After realizing most of the people still around were planning to go to breakfast, I took off alone. The day was perfect. Light blue skies arched over the light blue waters of Koocanusa Lake, which glimmered with the sparkle of a billion stars like sun-kissed freckles. We crossed a bridge and rode on the west side of the lake between the mountains and the water, through the Douglas firs of Kootenai National Forest.
I stopped for only about fifteen minutes at rest stop 1, enough time to refill my water bottles, eat a quick snack, and tell Emily about my hike in Glacier. Libby rolled in just as I was describing the park's wildflowers. The Dubois couple and Gayle were there too. Feeling somewhat fatigued, I rode at a slower pace to where rest stop 2 would be once the V&T showed up. Along the way, I saw two large antlered deer and a cool bird. Reed arrived not long after me and we decided to wait. We shared my grapes and his banana chips as we chatted a bit about the area.
I stopped for only about fifteen minutes at rest stop 1, enough time to refill my water bottles, eat a quick snack, and tell Emily about my hike in Glacier. Libby rolled in just as I was describing the park's wildflowers. The Dubois couple and Gayle were there too. Feeling somewhat fatigued, I rode at a slower pace to where rest stop 2 would be once the V&T showed up. Along the way, I saw two large antlered deer and a cool bird. Reed arrived not long after me and we decided to wait. We shared my grapes and his banana chips as we chatted a bit about the area.
I waited for almost an hour before the Dubois and Gayle passed us, and Robo rode back to tell us that the V&T had actually parked three miles back. Reed and I decided not to ride back but instead to head on to the Libby Dam Visitor Center, by then fewer than ten miles away. We stopped at an overlook with Faye, Rob, and Gayle where I spotted at least two bald eagles. Reed and I then went to the actual visitors center, which had no food for sale except toffee candies. I bought a diet Snapple that only sharpened my hunger.
I learned about Libby Dam and the surrounding area. Koocanusa Lake, the name a play on Kootenai-Canada-USA, was created by Libby Dam, which controls the flow of water, prevents springtime flooding, and generates enough electricity at full capacity to power all the homes in Montana, some 500,000. Its construction was made possible by the Columbia River Treaty of 1964 between the United States and Canada. Today, operators of the dam must balance the interests of producing electricity, feeding water to farmland downriver, and preserving the fragile aquatic ecosystem.
I learned about Libby Dam and the surrounding area. Koocanusa Lake, the name a play on Kootenai-Canada-USA, was created by Libby Dam, which controls the flow of water, prevents springtime flooding, and generates enough electricity at full capacity to power all the homes in Montana, some 500,000. Its construction was made possible by the Columbia River Treaty of 1964 between the United States and Canada. Today, operators of the dam must balance the interests of producing electricity, feeding water to farmland downriver, and preserving the fragile aquatic ecosystem.
Less than twenty miles from the finish, I bonked and slowed down to a stop. I ate all the food in my bag before continuing slowly. Bob, Zach, and Chelsea caught up to me, and Zach gave me a Nature Valley bar that helped power me through to the night's camp grounds.
