WWR Day 4 Troy to Noxom

WWR Day 4 Troy to Noxom Two Rivers RV
Sat July 27, 2019

Distance 45.7
Start elevation 1880
End elevation 2250
High point 2450
Low point 1880
Climbing maybe 1000'
Ride time 4:4
Total time about 5:35
Days bike camping: 3
Contiguous days riding : 1

We said good bye to the Kootenai River RV park and their freindly hosts and continued south. Avoiding US Hwy 2 by taking the back road a few miles to Troy proper,  I crossover an old one lane Bridger, with it own resident eagles in nest.

 Crossing town I get side tracked by the ever present trains, but continue on on a nice bike path around town. But no escaping US 2, which I follow for a couple miles before catching the peace of Lake Creek Road back road. Very pleasant country following the mellow valley up through cabins, homes and homesteads.

Eventually route leave the valley to a higher bench where it is drier, dominated by lodgepole with less firs and cedars.
The road is still paved and heading for a bigger climb when I realize I missed a turn.
And a remarkably over grown 2 track is the apparent route. It is easy flat riding and a straight smooth road through managed forest when the road suddenly ends at a well treed berm, with Keelen Creek murmuring just beyond.
A bit of bushwhacking reveal a sizable creek 20' across and littered with bowling ball sized boulders. Sheesh. I double check my maps, yep this is the route on 2 devices. What the heck? More examination shows a possible road alternative, a bit convoluted though.
What the hell, I have water proof Keen sandals for just this eventuality. I swap out my shoes and through the woods and water I go. It is knee deep on me, and I go slow and cautious - No sense slipping up here, getting wet, or worse.
After across, time for a break for a jolt of calories and dry me feet off, it is a lovely creek after all.

I restart and the road quickly continues and same straight vector, ancient tarmac forlornly giving it up to the Earth.

 Half mile later I am on the paved road. Again WTF. I mean I did have any issues, but incurred a bit of delay. Perhaps the routes authors wanted a little warmup or training feature. Or perhaps the roads are private? But a sign indicated US 2 one way and Spar Lake the other. I dunno.

But I did it

I follow the paved road and back onto some logging roads heading down toward Hwy 56,  which end at Noxom area for me tiday.
I gain the Hwy at 20 miles and have 25 miles to go.
Turn on my blinky light and start hwy riding.
I soon pass over the indistinct high point between Lake Creek and Bull River drainage, and then past Bull lake. The riding is straight forward rolling highway, traffic is moderate on the Sat. and I make good time.

I am following along the Cabinet Mountains, steeply reach a couple few thousand feet above.

I choose not to do the on route loop into the Cabinets, it is a 1200' climb and just rejoins the hwy a few miles down the road. Figure 45 miles will be enough for me today.

I reach the campground and Glenda. Richard, A friend recently relocated from Durango to Cor D'Alene meets up with us, generously towing his raft, which is tomorrows activities.

I do run into a strange looking bikepacker,
Nick named Treebeard.
Maybe he should try out for ZZTop