Big Decisions for my 2025 Trike Tour Made while Exploring Montana and Idaho

 

June and July 2024

I love the reflection

Glorious views

Ivy siting on a Catrike

Aside from getting sick at Tater TOT, the event was outstanding. Janet Buckwalter of Stein Trikes did a great job of working with the management at the Fairbridge Inn to establish a decent rate for a block of rooms.  She kept everyone on the Tater TOT Facebook group page up-to-date, and I think this light hands-on organization made a huge difference to the event's success. There were more trikers in attendance than ever before. I'm not sure of the exact numbers, but nearly 200 trikers were staying at the hotel and area RV parks. I've never seen so many trikers at one event. This year's Tater TOT was the biggest non-industry triking event to date, anywhere. I found this to be very hopeful and exciting for the future of trike riding. Everyone seemed to have a good time, and I expect next year's numbers will be similar. 

Video of Triking with Friends After Tater TOT

I was also lucky to have many good friends at the event. A group of us stayed a couple of extra days at Tater TOT. I recovered from my illness enough to do a group ride. The weather was fabulous. We all drove our trikes to the Medimont trailhead of the Trail of the Couer d'Alenes and did a fantastic ride to Harrison and back. This is such a beautiful section of the trail. We saw lots of wildlife, including moose. I can see us making this ride a tradition to include in future Tater TOTs. 

Flowers next to the trail

Finally, I felt recovered and started thinking about where to go next. Where to go next is one of the hardest decisions I have to make traveling in my RV. There are so many beautiful places to go. I can drive in any direction for 2-5 hours a day. 

I knew I wanted to continue exploring a trike route for next summer's trike tour. My only requirement is developing a route that will get me to the Recumbent Retreat on the Oregon Coast in September. The Recumbent Retreat is always the weekend after Labor Day. My timeline is leaving Tater TOT the 3rd week in June and being in Portland the week before the Retreat to visit friends. These guidelines offered me 2 obvious directions. 

I could do a nice loop riding east through the big National Parks of Glacier, Yellowstone, and the Tetons. There are so many gorgeous places in this area. Many of them are included in Adventure Cycling route maps. Doing a bonafide bike route with actual maps would be very convenient. 

The other idea is to ride directly north on Highway 200 through Sandpoint, Idaho, continuing on Highway 95 in order to cross into Canada. This route puts me at Lake Louis, Banff, and a wonderful loop through Jasper. I also have friends near these beautiful parks in Alberta, and it would be fun to visit them. From there, I could take the TransCanada or Crows Nest Highways west through the Canadian Rockies to Victoria, British Columbia. Once I reach the Pacific coast, I would head south back into the US, riding the Olympic Peninsula in Washington before crossing into Oregon to visit friends in Portland. I have ridden from Portland to the Recumbent Retreat many times and know both routes well. 

River view from Thompson Falls State Park

The big question was which route did I want to explore now. I decided to first drive north to the Canadian border to see what the route looked like and determine if it is safe for cycling. There are many blogs and YouTube videos that describe cycling around Lake Louis, Banff, and Jasper, as well as across Canada heading west. I felt confident this would be a doable route if, for whatever reason, the route around the national parks in the US didn't seem appealing. 

From the Fairbridge Inn leaving Tater TOT, I could ride the Dobson Pass route over the hill and down to Pritchard. Instead of riding back to the Trail of the Couer d'Alenes, I could ride over Thompson Pass into Montana and Thompson Falls. I drove this route and camped at a lovely State Park on the Clark Fork River in Thompson, Mt. From there, Hwy 200 will take me north to Sandpoint, Idaho, and then the Canadian border. I spent a few days in Sandpoint, ID, at a city RV Park. The location was fantastic. I could walk to City Beach Park, the Pend Oreille River as well as all the downtown shops. Unfortunately, elevated train tracks also run next to the RV Park. The long freight trains horn every 2 hours as they pass. They are so close that my trailer actually shook as every train passed. 

Kelly and Jacinto in Newport, Washington

While I was camped in Sandpoint, I heard from two friends who were cycle touring nearby. I drove 30 miles across the border into Newport, Washington to meet Kelly and Jacinto at El Pueblo Mexican restaurant. They had been on a two-month tour and seemed to be having a great time. We talked about bike routes and they shared informative insights and experiences when they heard my plans for next summer's trike tour. After talking to them, I felt confident that the route into Canada would be an excellent tour. 

Once I verified the safety of the route to the Canada border, I decided to go east into Montana and explore the route into Glacier, Yellowstone and the Tetons. 

The drive through Glacier and Yellowstone is stunning. Unfortunately, these famous and popular national parks were all booked up, and I'll have to return to explore them when I have more time to plan a proper trip. I ended up in Great Falls, Montana, and stayed at the local KOA campground, which was very nice.  Unfortunately, wildfire season was also starting up. The air quality was deteriorating, and the area was also experiencing the year's first heatwave.

Grand Great Falls and dam

White pelicans on the Missouri River

Bike Path sign

Great Falls

I spent a few very warm days in Great Falls to ride the Great Rivers trail on the Missouri River. Even though temperatures were in the high 90s, this path is excellent and is well worth checking out. The paved section is a loop ride on both sides of the river. Riding can be extended on lengthy unpaved gravel-riding trails. Great Falls is a lovely town that is crowded with tribal casinos. Aside from Las Vegas, I don't think I've ever been in a town with so many casinos. The city isn't very big, and I wondered how many people there are to keep them all in business.

Video from River's Edge Bike Path, Great Falls, Montana

Again, deciding where to go next took a lot of work. Following the ACA bike route would put me in areas experiencing active wildfires. The air quality was deteriorating in eastern Oregon, Washington, and South Idaho. Looking further afield into Utah and Colorado, a significant heatwave engulfed most of the western US, with temperatures in the triple digits over vast areas. The only area that was smoke-free and had reasonable temperatures was the Pacific coast.  I decided to head to my sister's house in Crescent City, California. 

Hiking trail along the Clark Fork River, Drummond

From Thompson Falls, Montana, I drove to Drummond, Montana, which, like Thompson Falls, is on the Clark Fork River. I found a very simple city park that has 3 sites with electricity. I chose one that had tree cover for shade. The price was right at $20/day. There was a lovely walk to another park with a hiking trail along the Clark Fork River. I really enjoyed my stay in Drummond. I spent many days hoping to outlast the hot weather, but the heatwave was entrenched with no relief in sight. Drummond is on Hwy 12 on the way to Lolo Pass and at a higher elevation. This offered some relief from the heat but not much. I decided to skedaddle to Crescent City, taking the lovely drive on Hwy 12. 

I booked an overnight stay with a BoonDockers Welcome host in Kooskia. Boondockers Welcome, like Harvest Hosts, is always an unexpected experience. Boondockers Welcome hosts don't charge to stay unless guests take advantage of services or other amenities. This host's home was many miles through a deep canyon from Kooskia, Idaho. It was gorgeous. The host had an RV pad for guests, and I decided to pay the extra $10 for electricity. They also offered wifi, which was good because there was no phone service in this remote location. 

The next day, I made my way back through the canyon to Kooskia and drove down Hwy 95 and the gorgeous Salmon River to visit friends in Boise, Idaho. There was lots of construction that required lengthy stops, making the drive long and exhausting. 

I very much enjoyed visiting my long-time friends for a few days even though, this time, the air quality was dangerously poor, and temperatures were uncomfortably high. Having poor air quality really limits activities. This combination of bad air and high temperatures is extra awful. My friends escaped to Portland, and I started driving to Crescent City. 

On the way, I made an overnight stop at Klamath Falls, Oregon. This is a very convenient KOA off of I-5. From here, it was a day's drive to the cooler coast and my sister's house in Crescent City. I feel fortunate to be able to park in front of my sister's home at a moment's notice.

Battery Point Lighthouse, Crescent City

Even though this stop at my sister's wasn't expected, I did manage to complete my goals for what I had hoped for from the traveling I did. What I wanted, foremost, was to explore roads for next summer's trike tour to find a route I felt would be safe. What I really wanted was to avoid my last tour's uncomfortable and high traffic roads. I drove the exact roads for next summer's tour, in the season I would be riding. Because of the wildfires and extreme heat I experienced in Idaho and Montana, I made a decision to take the tour route option into Canada from Tater TOT. I'm excited about this tour. It is going to be a 'real' cycling tour route.  I'll be talking about this tour a lot as I continue planning for the departure in May of 2025.

I'll be in Crescent City for a few weeks before heading to Portland to visit friends before the Recumbent Retreat. My sister and I will be getting out our cameras and doing many local hikes in this gorgeous area of the northern California coast.

More 2025 Trike Tour Planning while riding with Friends in Spokane and the Tater TOT Rally

Spokane triking gang

I had a very relaxed time cycling with the Spokumbent group while staying with friends Robin and Chris. I had talked to Robin and Chris about my trike tour plans for next summer. So far, the route to Wenatchee, Washington from the SoCal desert is terrific. Part of my plans for next summer's tour is to return to the Spokumbent Retreat and then continue riding to Tater TOT. The distance between Wenatchee and Kellogg, ID is 265 miles. There is just enough time to cycle between the 2 events and be relaxed. I talked to Robin about route ideas, and she suggested driving Hwy 2 from Wenatchee toward Spokane to see if it would be safe. I was thrilled to see Hwy 2 is an excellent road for cycling with a wide shoulder. Interestingly, when I put cycling directions into Google Maps, a completely different route comes up. I'll have to look closer at this other route to ensure all the roads are paved before altering my plans. 

Google Maps suggested cycling route from Wenatchee, WA to Kellogg, ID

As the Spokumbent Retreat was winding down, my thoughts turned to where to go for the following week. There was a week between the Spokumbent Retreat and Tater TOT and the 2 events aren't far apart. I learned there were others at Spokumbent in the same predicament. They had made plans to ride the trails around Spokane, Washington while camped in RVs at the local KOA. This sounded like a splendid idea and I decided to join in the fun.

Monster wagon at a Spokane park

Triker gang parked on a bridge

Paula's reflective sunglasses

I drove my trailer into Spokane and met up with 3 other RVers who were also on their way to Tater TOT. We spent 3 nights there and rode the local trails. The weather was perfect and the bike paths are very nice. On one of our rides, we met up with Herb, a local Spokane triker who was also at the Spokumbent Rally. He lead the group on a terrific ride all through Spokane and even picked out a nice restaurant we could stop at. We discovered there is wonderful cycling in Spokane. 

Gathering at the KOA

From Spokane, I had a reservation to park at a Harvest Hosts alpaca farm and spend the night. The owner took me on a nice tour, and I bought a wool hat to keep me warm while touring. The alpacas were beautiful. The farm was actually very close to the KOA I had stayed at, and I could hear the same trains rumbling past.

I headed to Kellogg, Idaho, to attend the Tater TOT Rally. I didn't take the direct route on I-90 but backtracked on Hwy 2 to Reardon to continue checking out the cycling route for next summer's trike tour. I used Google Maps to plot a route from Reardon to Cheney into Plummer. From Plummer I can pick up the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes to Kellogg. There were a couple of turns that I bypassed because the roads weren't paved, but the route is beautiful and very lightly traveled.  I have to say, so far, the cycling route I'm making plans to ride next summer is terrific and I'm getting excited.

Once I made it to Plummer, I was able to get on I90 for the quick drive to Kellogg where I had a reservation for 8 nights at the Crystal Gold Mine RV park. Even though I was arriving a few days early, there were already lots of trikers attending Tater TOT set up in their RVs. 

Short video from Tater TOT

This year's Tater TOT was very special. The weather was perfect and the event felt energized. There were more than 150 trikers which is more than I've ever seen at any event. Tater TOT is an event that has always prided itself on being unorganized. For many years, the Fairbridge Hotel has been the headquarters for TOT. One thing necessary to keep TOT going year-to-year is negotiating a price for a block of rooms and then notifying everyone of the dates. 2 years ago, many of the regular attendees boycotted the hotel because the prices went up. With trikers scattered in other hotels and AirBnBs, the event started to feel like it was falling apart. Attendance had also suffered greatly due to Covid. Even before Covid, Tater TOT had become a time when people got together to ride with friends rather than be part of the larger group. It had become cliquish. Because there was next to no organization, new people tended to feel left out. I would argue they were left out. 

A year ago, Janet Buckwalter of Stein Trikes decided to take a leadership role. She did a fantastic job and brought much-needed organization and attention to the event. She went, in person, to the Fairbridge hotel management to negotiate a price for a block of rooms. Then, she communicated clearly and regularly through emails and Facebook posts whenever there was new information. She followed up on any suggestions as well as answered all questions to make Tater TOT more successful. This was like a shot of adrenaline in the arm for the event. I think everyone had a really good time. There aren't many triking events and I am thrilled that Tater TOT is growing again. Janet has also accepted the organizational role for next year again. The dates for 2025 are June 22 - 26. You can find more info or ask questions on the Facebook Page for TOT.

My Tater TOT wasn't the best because I got sick with the flu. It wasn't Covid or food poisoning. No one else got sick, so I don't really know what happened. I rarely get sick which made this quite surprising. I was able to ride for the first 2 days, and then I was down for the next 2. I did a lovely ride with a group that stayed an extra day. I'm already looking forward to being there next year. Since I'm expecting to be touring next year, I'll be staying in the hotel instead of my RV.

Ivy puppy

Friends Barb and Patty at the Center of the Universe

Happy drone flying

My current predicament is where to go next after Tater TOT. I want to continue exploring a touring route for next summer's trike ride. My big question, at the moment, is ... do I want to stay in the US for the tour or should I cross into Canada? Stay tuned.....

2025 Trike Tour Planning and Spokumbent Retreat 2024

 

Reflective heron flying

Mt St. Helens

Scenic overview high above the Columbia River

After a wonderful week in Portland, visiting friends, I headed north into Washington. I had 2 objectives. Since leaving the desert, I had been traveling north on Hwy 395 to see if this would be a good trike touring route. The route goes along the eastern sierras in California, Oregon, and Washington. It has very little commercial/semi-truck traffic with a wide shoulder, and after what looks to be the 1st 3 days of riding, the scenery is terrific. I was thrilled to see this road is fantastic for cycling, and I am busy plotting a tour for the summer of 2025. Portland won't be on my tour, and so I drove east toward Pendleton, Oregon, where I would restart the route north. Hopefully, the route will continue to be as inspiring as it has been. 

I have seen only 2 small sections that have me concerned. There are 2 days of riding in the desert when I get on Hwy 395, where there is nothing but shrub bushes and grasses. For the 1st 2 nights of touring, I can see very run-down motel options, but there will probably be 2 nights of stealth camping. I'm not a huge fan of stealth camping only because I have difficulty sleeping. My imagination always hears animals rummaging outside my tent at night. I saw many dirt roads that turn away from Highway 395 where I could ride 1/2 mile, or more, to put distance between me and the highway traffic noise. I saw some water tanks and small electrical grid buildings I could use as shelter. This will be especially helpful if there is wind, and this area, typically, gets a lot of wind. 

I expect the trike tour to start in early May of 2025, and there may be higher temps than over the winter months. However, when I drove this section in the middle of May, temperatures were very reasonable. The topography is interesting, and once I get to Inyokern, Lone Pine, and then Manzanar, where the historic Japanese Internment camps from WWII are located, there is moderate climbing, and lava rock formations become visible. The ride is stunningly beautiful from here, with creeks and lakes and plenty of bonafide camping opportunities.

The 2nd not-so-great section is a 60-mile stretch from Lee Vining to Coleville. This section is actually part of the Sierra Cascades Adventure Cycling Route. It is, in fact, a state biking route with signs letting traffic know to expect bikes. As Highway 395 winds its way next the Swaugher Creek, sometimes the shoulder disappears. The only parts I'm worried about are uphill sections where my speed will be slower. Sometimes, a metal guard rail prevents bikers from any chance of getting off the road. This also happens during downhill sections but, in those sections, I can ride at traffic speeds and take the lane. Posted speeds on this winding part of Highway 395 will be slower, but many blind turns were scary to negotiate even while driving. This section will be stressful on the trike. I plan to get an earlier start to miss the heavier trafficked times of the day. Even though the traffic will be something to watch, the scenery is breathtakingly beautiful. This area is the gateway to Yosemite, and the whole route is gorgeous. Otherwise, the rest of the route, all the way from the desert, feels safe for cycling. It has fascinating histories to explore, with many drone and photography opportunities. Small towns dot the way for supply refills, motels, and camping options. Hwy 395 has everything a touring cyclist could ask for. I am much more excited about this tour than my last tour across the US.

I drove north from Goldendale in Washington to Wenatchee, mainly on Highway 97, and I loved the drive. There were very low-traffic roads through farmland. Unfortunately, there were few camping opportunities, and I had to climb up a steep, unpaved road that I didn't think would be fun on my trike. It wasn't fun in my truck pulling a trailer. I'll change this route for the tour to follow Highways 240 and 28 west of Richland, past the Hanford Reach National Monument, and along the Columbia River into Wenatchee. 

Street corner near Robin and Chris

View from Chris and Robin's beautiful home on the Columbia River

Video cycling with Robin, Chris, and Ryan on a hand cycle

Attending the Spokumbent Retreat has been on my bucket list but, unfortunately, I could not find a campsite. There are 2 state parks on the trail and an RV park in town. All were full during the event. I was very fortunate that my friends Dave and Edna called Chris and Robin in Wenatchee, out of the blue, a month before the event. They were driving to Canada and decided to stop in and say 'hi'. Edna mentioned that I wanted to go to Spokumbent but needed a place for my RV trailer, and Chris and Robin offered to let me park at their home. You just never know what will happen next, do you? They have a beautiful home right on the Columbia River, and my trailer fit like a glove. I really enjoyed getting to know Robin and Chris better. They are big into cycling and ride almost everyday all year. We did a few very fun rides together. Robin and Chris didn't know about Spokumbent and we were able to enjoy the weekend riding with the group.

Nest at Chris and Robin's home.

Most of the attendees

Regroup at the Pipeline Bridge

Video of the Spokumbent Retreat 2024

Spokumbent is a newer event put on by the Spokumbent Cycling Group. This is a very active group from Spokane, Washington. I've known most members from attending Tater TOT in Idaho and the Recumbent Retreat in Oregon. It was wonderful to meet up and ride with this group at their event based out of Wenatchee Confluence State Park. The park has direct access to the Apple Capital bike trail and also an easy ride into downtown. There were about 25 trikers in attendance, and I had a great time. The trail goes along the Columbia River through farmland and cherry orchards with lots of wildlife sightings, such as eagles, cardinals, osprey, deer and marmot. Dates for next year will be posted soon, and the event is expected to be held at the same state park. Check the Spokumbent Facebook Group Page for more info. I'll make this event part of my trike tour next summer! I hope to see y'all there!!

Spring Driving to Crescent City and then North to Portland

 

Panorama out the trailer door

View from Lone Pine, CA on Hwy 395

I have been very busy traveling and am, finally, getting around to updating my travel journal. I love my blog and have kept it since I first started trike touring in 2007. At the moment, we are deep into summer and I am traveling with my RV. Over the last 2 months, I have met up with lots of fun people, family and friends. So much has happened that I am going to do a few journal posts to get caught up.

I left the oasis in the desert of Southern California as temps started to rise to escape the heat. I really appreciate Joni's hospitality and friendship. She generously lets me park my RV for a few months during the best time of year in the desert, especially for cycling. I love riding with my local triking friends as well. Harry, who owns the bike shop, TriABike, offers regularly scheduled rides in the area. Church, where I am parked, is a 6-mile ride to the bike shop, and I love meeting up with new people and local riders. Some are on uprights, and some are on trikes. Some with e-assist and some without. This winter was much cooler than usual in the desert. It was also so windy that many of our rides were canceled. The dust in the air was a bigger issue than the actual wind. Sometimes, the air quality was very unhealthy. 

With spring in full swing, I left southern California. Essentially, the summer months will be spent traveling between 3 triking events. First will be the Spokumbent Retreat in Washington, then Tater TOT in Idaho and the summer will wind down with my favorite event in Oregon, the Recumbent Retreat. I will be writing up a few blog posts to cover all of it. As usual, my travels typically seek places to ride my trike.

My RV trailer is a Nash 17k that I bought new in 2019. Hard to believe, but the Ford F150 truck and trailer are almost five years old. They both have been a terrific investment. It is my first RV, and has only 17 feet of living space. I still love it. I continue to be surprised at how comfortable I am in such a small living space. It's like a cozy little nest. The other thing that surprises me is that I still haven't done anything really stupid. Knock on wood, this continues to be the case.

Parked in front of sis's place

Fun with Taryn and Tracey, friends from high school

From the desert, I had tentative plans to stop at the Bristlecone forest, Yosemite and Redding to ride the wonderful trail to Shasta dam. There had been a late spring storm that dumped lots of snow in the Sierra Mountains. The roads to the Bristlecone Forest and Yosemite were still closed when I arrived in the area. I continued on to Redding as a heatwave approached. I drove up Hwy 395 to Susanville and then cut across Shasta National Forest with lots of snow on the side of the road at higher elevation. Redding had it's first heat wave of the summer just as I pulled into town. With temps near 100 degrees, riding the trail was out of the question. This is a terrific trail with a short riding season. Since the central valley was so hot, I decided to head to the coast to visit my sister. She was having high school friends visit and I knew this would be a fun time.  I ended up spending 3 weeks with my sister. We both love taking photos and went on lots of hikes. She lives in Crescent City, which is on the coast and surrounded by redwood forests. 

fluffy flower

Osprey with flounder catch

Battery Point Lighthouse Crescent City

I also enjoyed the pickleball scene in Crescent City. There are indoor courts at the fairgrounds, and they offer drop-in times. Everyone was very inviting and patient with me as a newer player. I think this is typical of pickleball courts and the reason I picked up the sport. One of the downsides of RV life is all the sitting—sitting while driving and then sitting at the campsites. I find all the driving, especially solo, to be very exhausting.  By the time I get set up in a campsite, I am ready to relax and unwind even though it feels like all I have done is sit for a few hours. With this trip, I wanted to see if I could shorten the driving time so I would have more energy for pickleball and, possibly, short hikes to break up the day. Unfortunately, I did not accomplish this goal with road closures on the drive north on Hwy 395 and then the heat in Redding. Hopefully, I can shorten the daily driving time and this will change. I have pickleball paddles, balls, and shoes in the trailer. I look forward to finding courts and people to play with as I travel. 

Ready for Pickleball in Crescent City

I love the logo

After visiting my sister, I went to Florence, Oregon, to stay at the home of my very dear friends, Connie and Bill. I just love these people and am always giddy at the thought of seeing them. Bill is over 80 years old and rides his trike, Penny, daily. We had a fabulous time, and I thoroughly enjoyed catching up with them.

Reflective heron

Plover

Cat's ear

Wine tasting in the Willamette Valley with tennis friends Diane and Jana

From Florence, I drove to Portland and was able to park my trailer at friends Dave and Edna because their trailer was in the shop. Nothing like timing. I lived and worked in Portland for over 20 years and know lots of people. I got together with tennis and other friends for over a week. I stayed with my friend, Diane, who just moved into a new home with a view of 4 mountains. I went to many wonderful restaurants with friends, wineries, and the Japanese garden, as well as doing a few rides with my 'Portland Posse' recumbent buddies. The weather was terrific, and the time in Portland went quickly. 

Video of Ride with the Portland Posse

From Portland, I slowly made my way to Wenatchee, Washington to attend the Spokumbent Recumbent Retreat. I will talk about that in the next blog post. Stay tuned....