STOKR Photo Gallery 2
May 18, 2006
Last weekend, 350 bicycle riders from many states came to Libby to ride in the 12th annual Scenic Tour of the Kootenai River, STOKR. The annual spring ride is a fundraiser for the local chapter of Habitat for Humanity to build homes for those in need in Libby.
This year, riders were treated to beautiful weather, with plenty of blue skies and sunshine. Sunday took riders on a scenic 37-mile loop along the Kootenai River upstream to Libby Dam. Since the top of the dam is now closed to the public (a result of increased security after the events of 9-11), those crossing the dam had to present identification to guards before being allowed past the security gate. Once on the other side, riders enjoyed a great spread of food and socialization at the Libby Dam Visitor’s Center. They then returned down the Forest Development Road along the Kootenai River, then along Highway 37 back into Libby.
We took hundreds of photos of the two-day event. This is the 2nd photo gallery to give an idea of the beautiful scenery and fun participants had along the way.
Riders, we’d love to identify you in these pictures! Please send us an e-mail and let us know which picture is you and the names of anyone else in the photo with you. If you were riding with a bike club, let us know which one and we’ll link to your club page. Comments are also welcome about the race and your time in Libby.
In order to preserve the quality of the experience, organizers have limited the number of riders to 350 for STOKR each year. Anyone interested in being on the list for next year can contact Greg & Susie Rice at gregrice@libby.org to get on the mailing list for an application.
Here are some of the comments we heard from bikers at the top of Pipe Creek Pass on Saturday:
Dave Swanson, a dentist in Libby, made it to the top of Pipe Creek Pass with a collection of leg scrapes, bleeding scuff marks and embedded road rocks on his person. The crew at the top asked him what happened. Dave gave a long pause as everyone waited to hear the detailed explanation of his incident. He finally shook his head and said, "well, at least the bike is ok", causing everyone to burst out laughing and kid him about his priorities!
Another rider described the steep Pipe Creek Pass as "a nice little hill" and "good for the legs."
The one we really liked at the top of Pipe Creek Pass, was the rider who answered "How’d it go?" with, "Not bad. I didn’t die!"
The photos on this page are from Sunday's ride up to the Libby Dam and back to town.
Photos by Maggie Craig and Dawn Ballou, LibbyMT.com. Story by Dawn Ballou.
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