July 27: Part 2--Kootenai National Forest

     The roads I mentioned turned out to be fairly level again.  They all rolled modestly up and down in the river valleys.  First it was the Cabinet Gorge Reservoir--a dammed up area of the Clark Fork River, and then Highway 56 followed the Bull River until I reached the turn off for the Bad Medicine Campground.
     There were a few events along the way worth mentioning.  I was enjoying a nice quiet stretch of Highway 200 just before the Idaho/Montana border when I heard the distant sound of a freight train's horn.  I guess a pack of coyotes heard the sound too because suddenly there was a cacophony of yelping, barking and howling.  Rarely have I heard that in the middle of the day.
     I considered staying at the Bull River Campground near the intersection of Highways 200 and 56 since it was 3:30 p.m., but then I reconsidered and moved on.  Two more campgrounds were only 15 to 17 miles ahead and I knew I could get that far in an hour-and-a-half, tops.  Unfortunately, at mile marker 3 I got another flat tire.  I changed the tube, again no big deal.  What WAS the big deal were the bees and a horsefly the size of a small sparrow that tormented me the whole time.  Twice, it felt like that horsefly took chunks out of my flesh.  Sometimes you get to the point where you just want to throw everything down, punch something, and say "f--- it."  This was one of those times.
     But I persevered and I received a few rewards.  I saw a very small deer run in front of me.  A few miles later, a very large deer ran in front of me.  And I got to enjoy some excellent Cabinet Mountain scenery.
     Eventually I made it to The Kootenai National Forest's Bad Medicine Campground and got the very last site.  I liked it a lot.  It was a small site nestled among a hillside of pines and cedars.  It was perfect for a lone bike rider.  The mosquitos swarmed me upon my arrival but they were no match for my 100% DEET.
     Most sites in this campground had bear-proof containers for your food, but this one did not.  The campground hosts, two women living together in a camper for the summer, offered to take my food with them for the night and deliver it back in the morning.  They were super-friendly.
     I grilled up a couple of pork chops purchased in Clark Fork five hours ago.  I hope they are still edible.  A bottle of Snoqualmie Reisling from Washington state, made from organic grapes, accompanied my meal.



Signs like this only pique my defiance.