Northern Transcon Day 6 - Sandpoint ID to Thompson Falls MT

Breakfast was cut short about 10 minutes this morning due to thunder and lightning in the distance.  Most riders put on a rain jacket and started out in light sprinkles and threatening skies.  We missed the worst of the storm however, as it really dumped a lot of rain in Sandpoint half an hour after we left.

Although the sky remained overcast and somewhat dark all day, we enjoyed a good tailwind and moderately rolling terrain, along with beautiful scenery along Lake Pend Oreille.  A good rain came through Thompson Falls while eating dinner, it cleared up for about an hour, and now it is thundering and raining again.  Forecast is looking good for tomorrow's 105 miles to Missoula.

There was no welcome sign as we crossed into Montana - just a change in the road surface from pavement to hard pack dirt.  This continued for almost four miles, and then the following pavement was even rougher.  None of this was really a surprise, as the PAC Tour rider info packet said to be prepared for a few short sections of gravel or rough pavement.

Sandpoint Idaho

Sandpoint area has some bike trails, but the one we tried to use had many sections of pavement completely taken out, making it unusable for the present

Pack River Idaho

Lake Pend Oreille - popular recreation area

Lake Pend Oreille.  Threatening skies followed us all day.

Clark Fork River, Montana