Many forest fires are burning in Idaho and Montana and my route goes closer to them. As the smoke gets thicker I wonder, should I keep going? This is a beautiful valley but can hardly see the mountains on either side. The sun is reddish through the haze of the smoke. Ash rains on my tent. The eyes burn a little. I take some time out to assess the situation and decide to change my route and head east from Lost Trail pass about 50 miles from here instead of south. This puts me on the Nez Perce trail rather than Lewis & Clark. After experiencing the Lolo trail, it seems right to explore the Nez Perce more.
The reroute means I slow down the mileage to syncronize with my friend Anna who will meet me on the weekend and explore Big Hole Battlefield with me. So the bike gets a bath & tune up at the shop and I enjoy the small town parade which celebrates the ranching west with lots of horses, tractors and small town cheer, the county fair, and attend Shakespeare in the Park with my host.
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| a nearly full moon rises blood red through the smoke |
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