Back Road Bikers
Cycling tour showcases local foods, history, culture
Summer Goddard
Cyclists learn about the history of Valley View School at the second stop of the 2024 route.
Summer Goddard
Lunch was served at the Valley View Women’s Clubhouse.
Summer Goddard
Cyclists watch and wait for cattle being moved down Valley View Road.
Summer Goddard
Once the road was again free of cattle, cyclists carried on to their next stop.
Summer Goddard
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A 48-mile bike tour was a feast for the senses as 175 cyclists wove their way through area back roads sampling locally sourced foods and learning about area history at stops along the way.
The scenic ride took cyclists over mostly paved, mostly back roads, to a farm, flower and vegetable gardens and historical points of interest in the Mission Valley.
Organizer Carrie Sood said committee members began planning this year’s event back in January.
“We’ve been doing (the pedal to plate bike tour) since 2018,” she said. “Riding around and looking at people’s gardens and farms is a wonderful thing.”
“It’s really fun and it’s all kinds of people – both old and young,” she continued. “There’s a group of women from Missoula who’ve been participating since 2018.”
This year’s annual Mission Mountain Area Pedal to Plate bicycle tour began and ended at Diamond S Campgrounds in Ronan. Cyclists who rode traditional bikes hit the road at 9:15 a.m. while those on e-bikes started about 15 minutes later so that all ended up at their first stop - the Three Chiefs Culture Center in Pablo - at about the same time. Frybread with local honey and cheese was served to refuel riders as they learned about the culture and history of the native Salish, Kootenai and Pend d’Oreille Tribes.
Lake County Superintendent of Schools Carolyn Hall spoke to riders at the next stop, the rural Valley View School, about the school’s history. Valley View School sixth grader Ari Kamarainen, who serves as his class mayor, helped to guide tours of the 114-year-old school.
Following a locally sourced lunch of lentil soup and bread at the Valley View Women’s Club, riders continued to the Seli’š Ksanka Qlispe’ Dam overlook. There, cyclists learned about the SKQ Dam, its history, cultural significance of the site and how it was purchased back by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Rob McDonald, communications director for Energy Keepers Inc., the entity charged with managing the dam, described the site as a spiritually powerful place of historic, cultural significance for tribal people. He explained there were natural waterfalls at the site prior to the dam’s construction.
“This has always been a place of power,” McDonald said. “The tribes gathered here regularly.”
He noted that the dam overlook area is one of the few places a person can see the reservation’s boundaries in all directions – to the north, south, east and west.
Cyclist Peggy Schmidt, who’s participated in the Mission Mountain Pedal to Plate the last three years, especially enjoyed this year’s tour. “This is the best route yet,” she said. Friend and fellow cyclist Candy Hartman said she appreciated the historic and cultural information shared at the stops.
After the SKQ Dam, three gardens, some privately owned and the other community tended, were the next three stops for riders. Locally made fudge and fresh fruit popsicles among other locally sourced snacks were offered to riders.
Dinner for 204, planned by a chef from Hot Springs, waited for riders at the final stop as they returned to the Diamond S Campgrounds in Ronan. Local beer from the Ronan Cooperative Brewery, live music and a farmers market were also offered.
Follow the Mission Mountain Area Pedal to Plate on Facebook to stay up to date on plans for next year’s event.
