Lewiston, Idaho is just about 6 hours from our house in BC. It has become part of a weekend tradition of ours that we do a couple times a year. We are also big fans of Missoula, Montana. Eventually it was bound to happen that our motorcycles would take the trip down the Lewis & Clark Highway that runs between these cities. The first time we ventured along Highway 12 it was just me and the wife on our Sportsters. We were heading on an extended trip to Arizona. For us extended means taking the long way and more times than not the real long way. That is what we did on this day.
We left Lewiston, after a hot dog at the local Harley-Davidson dealer and a bathroom break. Did you need to really know about the bathroom break? Probably not, but since just 6 miles out of Lewiston Eye pulled up beside me and screamed “I gotta go pee, stop at the next chance I just couldn’t leave it out of the story”. I never even realized I was heading down one of the more historic roads in the USA, in a very historic area.
There are historical markers where Lewis & Clark crossed the Lolo Pass Summit in 1805. A second marker is at White house Pond where Lewis & Clark crossed the Lolo Trail in 1806. Another historical marker commemorating the Lewis and Clark Long Camp of 1806 and of the Asa Smith mission of 1839 to 1841. This history doesn’t stop there though, where the Clearwater River and the Clear Creek forks is where Captain Whipple carried out an unprovoked attack against Chief Looking Glass on July 1, 1877. The attack destroyed their village, and also caused them to join Nez Perce. Near Greer, where Highway 12 intersects with SH-11., there is a historical marker where a ferry once crossed the Clearwater River during the Gold Rush era.
The road itself, mainly built along the Clearwater River and Lochsa River banks, was originally designated as Route 9 in 1916. Construction began in 1920, by the late 1930s federal prison labor was being used to construct the highway. World War II brought internment camps and for the final 2 years of the war. Labor from the Japanese internment, Kooskia Internment Camp, was used to continue working on the highway. It took until 1962 to complete the Lewis & Clark Highway which was then re-designated as US-12.
Idaho has many scenic roads to ride. Yet, no other road has ever made me call Cal and say “I will be back in Lewiston in 10 days. You need to meet us there so we can ride the Lewis & Clark Highway together.” Leaving Lewiston you are riding along side the Snake River for a short time. Then before turning east in which you start on the south bank of the Clearwater.
There is a very nice rest stop in Lenore that has a historical marker for the Lenore Tram. We grabbed a drink at the store across the street from the rest stop and enjoyed the quite rest stop. We should have refilled with gas here, as the Sportsters only got about 100 miles out of a tank. Gas went up in price the rest of the way. We ended up not being able to get premium gas when we finally did get gas, something the Sportster hated. The road eventually crosses the Clearwater near Kamiah. Your ride continues along the north banks of the picturesque Clearwater river.
We entered Lowell and took a quick break stretching our legs and talking to about a quarter of Lowell’s population of 23. After leaving Lowell, Highway 12 turns North East and runs along the north bank of the Lochsa River and up through the Bitterroot Mountains. The river was as crisp and clean as the Clearwater River was. If I didn’t pay attention I would likely not have even realized we had changed rivers.
We got gas at the Lochsa Lodge Country Store. This would be one of the scariest moments we would encounter in our motorcycle lives. Eye was gassing up her motorcycle when the gas nozzle slipped and she got gas into her eyes. Yea I know it hard to keep track of which eye I am talking about. It was burning Eye’s eyes so bad, that Eye was withering in pain. After more than 30 minutes of continuously flushing Eyes eyes out, Eye started to feel better. Her vision returning to proper levels to allow us to carry on.
The final stretch into Lolo, doesn’t dazzle you like the rest of the trip does. It doesn’t disappoint you either. Maybe it would be different if Lolo was your starting point and not your finishing point. The ride along the Clearwater is hard to match. You need to watch for tourists that struggle with winding roads during the summer months. Just like you do in most mountain areas. Get gas often, especially if you like Premium for you bike as it is not readily available everywhere. Take some water or pop and stop along the river. There ar many places you can pull over and enjoy the scenic views. You will never regret riding the Lewis & Clark Highway. Ride it enjoy it remember it.