Day 16 August 18 St Regis to Alberton

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With the guilt of camping without permit last night, we quickly packed and left the campsite in the morning without cooking breakfast. The original plan was to reach Missoula today. But the steep hills forced Peter to walk a lot and it quickly became clear that we couldn’t make it.

We stopped at Superior to refuel and met two local fellas there. One offered us beers which we’d love to accept if we didn’t have to ride the rest of the day. The other was Ed. He had done bikepacking trips but enjoyed riding his beach cruiser in the summer. We discussed camping options between here and Missoula.

We continued and were surprised that we were on the official GART (Great American Rail Trail) through a pine forest. The surroundings were beautiful and quiet with only bird chirps and remote dog barks. The entire ride today was along the St. Regis River, Clark Fork River, and I-90. Fishing and rafting are common along the rivers. There are many “fishing accesses” with parking spaces, tables and toilets. But overnight camping is not allowed. Just as we started to think about refilling our water bottles, we came upon the Zoo Town Surfers HQ next to the Clark Fork with a restroom, tap water, tables, and a flat lawn. A perfect campsite. No one was around. We served ourselves with water and used the restroom but puzzled why we didn’t know about this.

US Old Hwy 10 (well paved) continued to a private property that doesn’t allow anyone to pass. The property owner mysteriously showed up on his ATV with his dog (Peter thought he saw us on his security camera). He absolutely refused to let us through. He said he was fed up by RidewithGPS and Google map that repeatedly sent riders to his property. Can’t blame him. Our only option was to ride on I-90. It turned out to be not bad at all. The shoulders are wide and smooth without debris. The traffic was light. Most drivers were cautious and moved to the further lane when passing us. It felt safer than riding on some local roads without shoulder and with heavy traffic.

Camped at Water Edge near Alberton. A nice place with a campground, bar/restaurant and casino by the Clark Fork River. Food at the restaurant was super. Trains ran through the night across the river from the campground. My earplugs saved my sleep that night.