Interactive Map: click on the map
Photos: at the bottom of the page
Video 2: Riding on trail next to Frontage Rd
We continued to ride along Clark Fork. I met Nate who was on his way from New Jersey to WA. We exchanged information of the route conditions ahead of us. He shared with me his digital route maps which later turned out to be very helpful.
I took a rest at a fire station. A firefighter let me in to use the bathroom. It is a complete living suite with a kitchen, a living room, a full bathroom and bedrooms. Some riders said they always stayed at fire stations.
Missoula is a magnet to cyclists. The Adventure Cycling Association (ACA) headquarters is there. ACA has been one of the main forces to promote national networks of bike trails to encourage more people to make bike tours to see the country and enjoy nature. Most cross- continent bike riders consider the routes recommended by ACA. ACA had, however, been struggling financially in recent years. Its incomes are from membership fees, sales of their bike route maps, and charges for guided bike tours. Their traditional bike routes are mainly on paved roads. Recognizing the increasing popularity of gravel and mountain bikes, they started to explore unpaved bike routes. Their HQ is in a nice building. But they had decided to sell it and move to a small space because many of their staff work remotely and they don’t need the current space to host their local staff.
We visited the ACA HQ. They weighed my bike + bags. They were 84 lb – in the middle of the range of all who passed here (40 – 115 lb). They took a picture of Peter and me together, which was posted on their photo board that shows all cross-continent riders who stopped there. There are many.
Chidong Zhang's WA2MA Bike Trip 