• Welcome Guest! If you are already a member of the BMW MOA, please log in to the forum in the upper right hand corner of this page. Check "Remember Me?" if you wish to stay logged in.

    We hope you enjoy the excellent technical knowledge, event information and discussions that the BMWMOA forum provides. Why not take the time to join the club, so you can enjoy posting on the forum, the club magazine, and all of the discounts and benefits the BMWMOA offers?

    Want to read the MOA monthly magazine for free? Take a 3-month test ride of the magazine; check here for details.

  • NOTE. Some content will be hidden from you. If you want to view all content, you must register for the forum if you are not a member, or if a member, you must be logged in.

Lewis/Clark Trail (93) Vs Lolo Pass (93 In Idaho...

fpgirard

Pascal Girard
Reaching out to my Western fellow riders. We're finalizing our western trip this fall (2 week of sept) and was hoping someone has experience with both 75->21-55->95->12 (lolo pass) in Idaho as well as 93 (Lewis & Clark Trail) could tell me which route they'd choose between the two. The lolo pass route adds about 3 hours to the trip but butler maps shows that it has 3 G1 sections in it - then there's Lolo....

Any advice? Here's a pic of the alternatives - any help would be great - tia

Screen Shot 2013-08-10 at 10.14.08 AM.jpg
 
I've ridden both several times, in both directions. They're different, and both lovely. Can you ride one outbound, and the other on your return?

55 and 95 are fairly scenic, but full of traffic. I found 93 is emptier; it runs along the Salmon River and I think it's prettier.
 
Just came back from a VT to OR round trip and took Lolo on the way out. Major chip sealing happening and we spent a couple of hours total waiting in construction zones, but by the time you ride it should be done and you'd have perfect pavement all the way. The scenery was good, the curves mostly sweepers, and there were plenty of places to pull over and soak in the river. I wouldn't call it a phenomenal ride, but it was certainly an enjoyable interlude to the desert on both ends.
 
*GREAT* feedback

Thanks dbrick & glenfiddich.

Leaning towards 93..... I can't do both as we then head eastward towards home from there. Want to avoid as much traffic as possible - have enough of it here in DC/MD that it's driving me westward.

As an aside note, I noticed GF's name - I'm bringing a bottle of single malt with me - but it's American - Balcones..... Got good reviews in

http://goo.gl/SYup0z

p
 
75/93 is a beauty; one of my favourite rides.

Local aboriginals and environmentalists blockaded Highway 12 last Tuesday, protesting a mega load that was going up to the Oilsands. But according to our local paper, the next load won't be read to ship for a month.

Here's a website to monitor construction and chip sealing on 12:

http://hb.511.idaho.gov/main.jsf

I had one of my most memorable rides on 75/95 after the 2007 Stanley Stomp. It was 28 F when I left Sawtooth Lodge, the rally site, at 7:00 A.M. on Sunday morning. You can see frost on the bike here:



stomp%202006011-L.jpg


There was a beautiful golden light in the Salmon River Canyon that morning, I had the highway to myself, and with a generous speed limit of 70 mph, I motored along at 80, just right for the overdrive on the RS.

I should be there this weekend. :(
 
Last edited:
Nuff Said

That does it - it's 75/93..... Thank you all. I will try and post pics/status of our Motorrad 2013 ride.

Don't you love those frosty mornings that promise a great day of riding? We have those in WV and they're memorable.

If anyone is interested in joining us for all or part of the ride - about a dozen riders from all over the country, ping me. We leave SLC on 9.14 and do a clockwise route:Screen Shot 2013-08-10 at 8.13.55 PM.jpg
 
Rode Lolo a week or so ago. Chip sealing operations are done, but there were still stretches where the gravel was still an issue. I'd give the HWY 12 Lolo road a 7-7.5 out of ten on a good day.
 
Well we had a gorgeous day here in DC - can it be August? It was cool and clear. Here's a pic of my riding buddies at Lost River WV..... looking lost.... A fitting end to this thread - thank you ALL for your feedback. You literally made my day (at least Sept 15th).....IMG_20130811_105720.jpg
 
Have a great ride.

It just came to me that I did ride the 95/55 a few years ago, between Grangeville and the Banks Lowman Road, but remember hardly any of it, except that it was really busy. :D
 
Last edited:
Forget Lolo try St. Joe River Rd from St. Maries, Id to St. Regis, Mt. Great ride, more scenery, more corners than Lolo. Unfortunately will have 10 miles of GOOD gravel road from ID-MT border to St. Regis. Seen many road bikes do it. Piece of cake if on a F or G series.
 
Highway 12

Highway 12 is one of the best rides in the Lower 48 in my opinion. Just beware that services and places to eat/sleep are very limited. Plan ahead and check your equipment. Cell service used to be the exception in that canyon. I can't speak to road conditions as it's been two years since I was up there. Neither route will be a disappointment though.
 
55/95 traffic

PS - I used to drive this all the time to Moscow, ID - 55 is busy on Fridays and Sundays up to McCall, ID as everyone from Boise makes a weekend run up to Cascade or Payette lake. Once you pass that going north, there is minimal traffic on the remainder of 55 and the section of 95 most any time.
 
Hi fpgirard,

You are beginning to understand why a single trip out west is just not enough. I have the very same problem, and I live out here...

Regards, Marty
 
Western Trip

Thanks all for great advice. Marty is right - this is my first trip out west and it's like being in a candy shop..... I can't seem to fit all the roads I want to do in a single outing..... We're leaving out much of Colorado and not even doing southern Utah which I heard is nothing short of spectacular. I'll need to return....

I did buy the Butler maps and been jonesing for routes that hit the best roads. And now I'm toying with advrider routes COBDR.

Just put a new tires this week, did all the fluids, packed a thousand times in my head and at least 3 times for real. September 12 can't come fast enough.

Pascal
 
I just noticed you're going to be riding 89 southeast of Great Falls. One of my favourite places to stay is Bob's Motel in Neihart, in the Lewis and Clark Forest. It's pretty basic, with reasonable rates, but it has a nice bar on the lower level, where all the locals go to hang out - a very interesting place.

september08%20001-XL.jpg


If it's raining, Tony, the owner, will let you park under the staircase, around the back.
 
Next time

We're now up to 17 people coming in from all over the place. I'll give Tony a call and see if he handle 17 riders but I'm thinking that I'm saving this for trip #2. We've also moved the trip from Great Falls to Helena which will gives us more time in YP and Tetons mid-week.

Will probably break the riders into a few groups. I led this same group for the Eastern trip we did last year from Chautauqua NY to Barber Museum via BRP, Back of the Dragon, and WV routes that I know well and are gems...... It was too much as a single group for me - I was exhausted afterwards managing that many riders....

After this trip, I'm gonna stitch a week's ride out west.........
 
Tony should have lots of room in September. BTW there's a restaurant there too. I always stay at Bob's when I go to the Beartooth.

A final tip: you're going to be riding through the "Mid Continent Fuel Gap" between Great Falls and Harlowton (on Hwy 12) so make sure all your guys gas up at the latter when heading west. If one of your people get low, there is a big Sinclair at White Sulphur Springs, and it's only a short backtrack from 89 to there. I've had a couple of close calls with low fuel in that section.

Also, regular is available from Tony, and at Monarch, just north of there.
 
Fires everywhere

Keep an eye here:

http://www.inciweb.org/state/27/


Right now, Lolo Pass road on the Montana side is completely closed and evacuating. The town is at risk. Hwy 93 is a mess due to diverted traffic and fire fighting traffic. There is no possbile detour; the guidance simply is Take Alternate Route.

Beartooth Pass is closed due to fire, too.

Yellowstone has fires at Gardiner.

You might be a few weeks out, yet, but your intended landscape is changing before you leave.
 
Back
Top