The Bicycle Adventure Club - Come Ride With Us!

Selkirk Loop 2023

July 11th to July 24th

Ride Director: Clarice Sackett
Ride Co-Director: Sylvia Williamson
Ride Driver: Kate Gordon
Report by: Karen Hass

Riding the Selkirk Loop 2023 was truly a spectacular experience in all respects. The Loop encircles the Selkirk Mountain Range, stretching from Washington and Idaho, northward into British Columbia. To say this tour was beautiful is an understatement, and every day just seemed to be better than the one before. The riding was predominately along quiet roads with little traffic, and the scenery was gorgeous. The weather was drier than expected with temperatures topping out in the upper 70s to low 80s for most of the tour, and we had only 2 days with significant smoke from the wildfires north of us. The places we stayed overnight ranged from superb, to interesting and “ok”, to chain motels. The leadership team -- Clarice Sackett, Sylvia Williamson, and Kate Gordon -- was superb! They were incredibly well organized and intent on doing whatever they could to ensure the best possible experience for all of us.

We began the tour at the Ruby River Hotel (extremely cyclist friendly) in Spokane, WA with the traditional BAC happy hour and a group dinner in the Osprey Restaurant. The next morning, we headed out on the Spokane River Centennial Trail, a delightful way to get out of the city. We then headed northeast to Priest River, ID where we picked up the Selkirk Loop which circles the Selkirk Mountains. The next day’s ride took us back into WA to Ione where we’d hoped to see the northern lights, but no luck. The following day was the crossover into Canada at Nelway. Word to the wise, leave plenty of time for the Nelway border crossing if you’re a group of cyclists with a luggage van that contains happy hour supplies! We all knew what to expect and how to minimize the delay since our leadership team had done their homework. By contrast, re-entry into the US near the end of the tour was quick and easy, with individuals showing up alone or with riding partners.

Some highlights of the tour included:

-- A boat ride on the Pend Oreille River provided by the owner of the Riverview Motel in Ione, WA, complete with an account of the history and geology of the area.

--A rest day in Nelson, BC, an artsy town with a 70s hippy vibe, lots of interesting shops and good restaurants, including the fantastic Kootenai Cooperative Bakery. This was by far the worst Code Red air quality day of the trip (due to wildfires north of us) which was fortunate since we could choose to ride or just relax indoors away from the smoke.

--Numerous ice cream parlors and brew pubs along the way.

--The climb over the Selkirk Mountains from New Denver to Kaslo, with spectacular views of the mountains behind us.

--Riding along crystal clear rivers and lakes, day after day.

-- A rest day in Sand Point, ID., home of BAC ride leaders Marnie Easly and Woody Sherwood. Marnie led some of us on a leisurely bike tour of the lovely homes and gardens in the older part of town, and Woodie shepherded us out of town when we departed Sandpoint.

--Boat cruise on Lake Pend Oreille, with Woody describing the history and geology of the area.

--Cycling from Coeur D’Alene, ID., our last stop of the tour, to Spokane on a bike path along the Spokane River.

I think it’s safe to say that an excellent time was had by all. Another exceptional BAC tour, and if it’s offered again, sign up quickly so you can enjoy this special area!