Riding south we travel along the shores of “Flat-head Lake”; the largest natural fresh water lake west of the Mississippi. It is 28 miles long and up to 15 miles wide, which translates to 188 square miles. The lake’s sparkling waters and miles of tree-lined shore offer a bountiful wildlife habitat. You will enjoy the ride along this pristine lake.

Arriving in Missoula, we stop to quench our thirst and to add fuel to the Harleys®.

The first inhabitants of the Missoula area were American Indians from the Salish tribe. They called the area "Nemissoolatakoo," from which "Missoula" is derived. The word translates roughly to "river of ambush/surprise," a reflection of the inter-tribal fighting common to the area. The Indians' first encounter with whites came in 1805 when the Lewis and Clark expedition passed through the Missoula Valley.

There were no permanent white settlements in the Missoula Valley until 1860 when a trading post called the Hellgate Village was opened on the Blackfoot River near the eastern edge of the valley. It was followed by a sawmill and a flour mill, which the settlers called "Missoula Mills". With the U.S. Army's establishment of Fort Missoula in 1877, and the arrival of the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1883 Missoula became a trading center in earnest. Until the mid 1970s, logging was a mainstay industry with log yards throughout the city. The saws could be heard over two miles away on a clear summer night. However, by the early 1990s, changes in the economic fortunes in the city had shut down all the Missoula log yards.

Continuing our ride we join U.S. Highway 12 and cross into Idaho at Lolo Pass. This pass is famous as the location where the Lewis and Clark Expedition crossed the summit of the Bitterroot Range on their outward and return journeys in 1805 – 1806. The Lewis and Clark Expedition was one of the most dramatic and significant episodes in the history of the United States. It stands, incomparably, as an epic journey in the exploration of the American West. The Idaho portion of the trail, which is on a tree-lined ridge high above the Lochsa River, represents the most difficult part of the Corps of Discovery’s trek across the western territory to discover a passage to the Pacific Ocean.

We soon arrive at our destination for the evening; Lochsa Lodge. You will have time to relax and enjoy the lodge facilities prior to dinner.