07.20
Connectivity has been hard to come by, and I don’t have a lot of time this morning, so this will be a quick update on our adventures so far.
Geoff & Matt arrived in Missoula by truck and bike. My dad, brother, and I arrived by plane in the afternoon.
7/12/2010
We were picked up at the airport by the guys from the local Harley dealer. They had been holding our bikes since the shipping company dropped them off a week earlier. While my dad waited for them to finish putting on his wind screen, my brother & I went to get gas and a new set of headphones. The GPS paid for itself on the first day. If you plan on moto touring in an area you don’t know well, I highly recommend one.
After the Harley dealer we all met up at the Super 8 Motel in Missoula, got settled, then headed out for dinner.
The Hells Anglers in Missoula
Our outfitter Casey Hackathorn met us at the restaurant and talked us through our trip while we finished eating.
The next morning, Casey, Jeff, and John met us in the parking lot of the Super 8 and we followed them & their boats to a fly shop on the Bitterroot river. The owner was nice enough to let us store our bikes in a garage for the 3.5 days we’d be floating down the river.
On the ride to the shop, we passed a beaver that had been killed by a vehicle. Not sure why beaver roadkill struck us, but we’ve been talking and joking about it since.
Matt Hoover & I paired up with guide Jeff Lucas, and while our first day of fishing wasn’t stellar, we had a great time with Jeff.
After a day long float in rafting type boats (my first time in anything other than a Hyde-style boat) we pulled up along the banks to camp.
Russell, his dog Austin, and Taylor, our swampers, had floated down ahead of us in their two boats and set us up with an amazing camp. We ate remarkably well, then had drinks and sang cowboy guitar songs by the campfire.
Russel, Austin, and Our Camping Gear
Here are some photos from our first day.
Rob, Casey, & Geoff
Bitterroot Mountains
Matt's First Cutthroat With Jeff
3 Boats in the Bitterroot
You can see all the photos from our trip on my Flickr page.
I’m out of time.
More to come when I get back to an internet connection.
Mike
Do you have Jeff Lucas’ contact info? I am heading to the Bitterroot and I would like a guide that comes recommended rather than rolling the dice.
Thanks
Hi Nathan,
Here’s the info:
Jeff Lukas Guide Service
(406) 546-8406
royalwolf76 @ gmail . com
I spelled his name incorrectly in the post above, but the rest stands.
I’ve been lucky enough to fish all over the west with nearly 25 different guides and Jeff & Casey would be at the top of my list to call again if/when I make it back to Missoula. Can’t recommend these guys highly enough.
If Jeff is booked, call Casey Hackathorn – (406) 728-7766