Idaho’s Lolo Pass
Seven
reasons to ride it - and Lolo is just one of them
Perhaps you’ve heard of Lolo Pass that
sits atop the Bitterroot Range as a dividing line between Idaho and
Montana. Perhaps you’ve even ridden up to it. But do you know about
the six other twisties that are on the way to and from the pass on
the Idaho side? It’s time for you to meet Lolo and the Boys.
Lolo Pass
The origin on the name Lolo is one to
ponder. The official word is it is a native American interpretation
of the French name Laurent. Other meanings include "Low Rider" and
"Crazy." The later becomes a possibility when you consider Lewis and
Clark’s dislike of having to cross the pass on two separate
occasions.
But
in 1960 that all got a lot easier when the US Highway
Department
completed a riverside route along the Clearwater River up to Powell
and then 13 miles to the top of the pass. On a bike this is
considered to be a must-do ride and the teaser lies just outside of Kooskia (koos-kee) with the infamous "Winding Road Next 99 Miles."
That number alone should get you thinking about fuel, an
issue easily resolved, even for low range bikes like a Sportster. Gas up in Kamiah (kam-ee-eye) or Lowell and then in
Powell at Lochsa (lawk-saw)
Lodge.
The ride up to the pass is a never ending
series of twisties. While fun, you won’t find much rhythm to them.
The good news is there are plenty of broken yellow lines which
provide ample passing zones for the times you
come upon a slow RV
or other
vehicle.
Many riders hit the pass and simply turn
the bike around – thus missing the best part of the trip – the
Montana side! It’s not often you get to ride a motorcycle at 75 mph
legally on corners that were made to be taken at 75 mph, so this
section is not to be missed. You can ride all the way down to the
town of Lolo and continue into Missoula for lunch. A tasty sandwich
at Cafe Dolce does the trick.
For the return trip, consider a stop at
the Lolo Hot Springs Resort and take a dip in the domesticated hot
springs for less than the price of a movie theater ticket. For a few
bucks more you can rent a towel and swim suit, too!
On the way back, gassing up at Lochsa
again may not be a bad idea before heading down the Idaho side. As
long as you’re there, a nice slice of cheesecake at the lodge makes
the afternoon that much nicer as you sit on the outdoor deck and
look across the range.
As you can imagine, this becomes an all
-day trip. That’s why we suggest you consider a few days in a nearby
locale like Kamiah. There you will find the humble Lewis & Clark
Resort which offers motel rooms, cabins, tent camping options, as
well as a restaurant that’s open for three meals a day. As a base
camp, it’s perfect since it puts you in the middle between Lolo Pass
and the six boys.
Keep in mind the speed limit on Lolo/US 12
is dumbed down to 50 mph and law enforcement never seems to be far
away. Not really as fun as that 'next 99 miles' sign looks.
So let’s talk about the other six reasons
to ride Lolo Pass – those six boys! Take the next six sections,
piece them together and you’ve got yet another fantastic day ride.
Grab an atlas and follow along.
Greer Grade/SR 11
On
the west end of SR 11 lie
s a sweet 8 miles of twisties that take you
up to the small farming area of Fraser. Corner after corner of tight
twisties ascend. At Fraser you can work your way back down to US
12, or continue east and north, connecting with SR 7 and riding west
to Orofino.
The map of the Greer Grade at right
tells the tale of what lies ahead for a day of nothin' but great
twisties!
Ahsahka Grade/P1 – Southwick Rd/215
From US 12
,
cross east over the Clearwater
River into Orofino and turn left immediately. Continue up the
Ahsahka Grade on P1. What Lolo lacks, this grade provides in the way
of corners that turn left and right with rhythm. And it continues as
you descend down toward Cavendish. The road swings a hard left and
becomes County 215 taking you out to SR 3. Turn left and ride south
back to US 12, then head west on US 12 for the next boy…
The Spiral Highway
It’s a legendary series of twisties that
take you up above the Lewiston/Clarkston valley looking across to
where the Clearwater merges into the Snake River. Such a road is
worthy of a few passes. We like the up direction rather than the
down which can be so scenic you take your eyes off the road at the
wrong times. The quick way down is to use US 95 to the east. Skirt
the downtown Lewiston crawl by using 128 west and 193 south to get
into Clarkston to take the back way to the next boy…
Tammany Creek Rd
Roll into Clarkston, ride SR 216 south and
ride east across the Southway Bridge back into Idaho. Immediately
exit after crossing, onto Snake River Road and ride south. Keep left
as the road becomes Tammany Creek Road and ascends up the plain
using a nice series of sweepers. Eventually the road makes a hard
right and takes you south, then east out to US 95 along Webb Rd. At
US 95, turn right and ride south to the next boy…
Winchester Grade
Before the advent of US 95, there were
various connectors to get from town to town. Many originated as foot
and
,
later, wagon trails. The Spiral Highway was one such connector
providing access between Clarkston/Lewiston and Moscow. The
Winchester Grade was another providing access to the south of the
region. This road takes you upward several thousand feet onto the
high prairie of Winchester. It involves a nice 8 mile section of
well-maintained pavement full of twists and turns and an ever-expanding view the higher you climb. At the top of the grade,
the
road levels out and carries you to Winchester along a patchwork of
hot tar band aids. Somewhere this section of road must be on a
schedule for repaving. Hey – those first 8 miles were worth it! At
Winchester reconnect with US 95 and ride south toward Cottonwood for
the final boy…
Greencreek Rd
To the north of Cottonwood, turn eastward
onto Greencreek Road and wind your way across this dreamy landscape
of America’s heartland. At the junction with SR 7
,
ride north and
then west onto SR 162. Here you’ll descend back into the Clearwater
Valley along a nice set of corners and be deposited into Kamiah
where a toast to a perfect day of riding is in order!
But wait. You say you still have more
time. For day three of your extravaganza, go explore the roads out
to Elk City and White Bird. The fun never seems to end!
TM/Fall 10
Insight and assistance with this
article was provided by Steve Schiller.
You can purchase your copy of the
informative Benchmark Idaho Road Atlas in the
Sound RIDER! store.
