NJ Day 2: April 18, 2019 - The Northwest Passage Scenic Byway

We awake to a new day in Lewiston, Idaho. Today's agenda has one item: to drive to Missoula, Montana, via US 12. This road will take us along the Clearwater River, then up and over the Bitterroot Mountains via Lolo Pass. This is pretty much the same route that Lewis & Clark took in the middle of their exploration of the Northwest in the early 1800's. They went west over this route and then followed the Columbia to its mouth. Then they reversed course and came up this route on their way back east.

We have a leisurely morning, rising to the sound of improving infrastructure in Lewiston (lots of earth-moving equipment below our 4th floor overlook). We buy sandwiches at Jimmy John's (Wayne) and Subway (Amy), then get a full tank of gas at Standard and coffee and pastry at Starbuck's.

Fortified, we head north out of Lewiston (after many detours due to the road construction going on in the downtown area). After a few minutes, we are out of the city limits and heading past the Clearwater Casino and into the lower Idaho Panhandle.

For dozens of miles, we follow the Clearwater River.

Clearwater River flowing West

We gently rise following the river as it flows west out of the mountains.

The scenery is so beautiful. It isn't as dramatic as the North Cascades Highway or the Road into Yosemite Valley. It is just so calming. The word Serenity comes to mind.

We continue up the river as we listen to a Steve Berry novel on CD. A little discordant, as the novel's action takes place in Vienna, Orlando and Jamaica while we are enjoying the best of Northern Idaho. We continue along Highway 12. About an hour and a half out of Lewiston, we hit our first hitch. There has been some serious rainfall in this area in the last month or so. We queue up behind a half dozen vehicles waiting to pass through a one-lane section of road. Workers are clearing a mud slide that must have occurred very recently. After a 5 minute wait, we are allowed to proceed up the road. Eventually, we come to Lowell, ID. Here we turn north to follow a feeder river of the Clearwater, the Lochsa. We continue to head up-river, but now the water has more turbulence.

The Lochsa River East of Lowell

We are now climbing up the mountain at a faster rate. After another hour of climb, we stop to enjoy our sandwiches at a spot along the river.

The View at Lunch

Refreshed, we get back on the highway. This driving is so peaceful at this time of year. There are very few cars to share the road with. There are a few cabins built along this road, but most are not occupied at this time. There are so few people around that it seems like pristine forest for most of the drive.

Eventually, we leave the water and head more directly up the mountains toward Lolo Pass.

The Ranger Station near Lolo Pass

Snow is abundent, but the air is warm. The surroundings are breathtaking.

We finally crest and then head down US 12 toward Lolo and Missoula. After another half hour of driving, we find ourselves back in civilization. Though we have to wait for many stop signals, we easily find our motel for the night, the Courtyard Marriott Missoula, and settle in.

We enjoy the indoor pool (very humid) and then relax in our room before venturing out for the strenuous 100 yd. walk across the parking lot to The Montana Club, our restaurant for dinner. Amy has the Chicken Salad and I have the Pork Chop. Both are fine. We head back to our room and agree that this has been a most rewarding day.

We are using "1,000 Places in Canada and the USA" as our menu for this road trip. Today's scenic bypass gives us more confidence that Patricia Schulz, the book's author, knows how to pick 'em. We live in a beautiful country.