Gibbons Pass
The combine Beaverhead/Bitterroot ranges reach north from
Idaho's Snake River Plain, almost to the Canadian border
near Lake Pend Oreille. Over this distance the character
of the range changes several times. South of Salmon a
steep rocky skyline forms an imposing backdrop of peaks
from the Lemhi Valley. By the time these mountains reach
Gibbons Pass to the north, they are a big bulk of green,
densely forested hills. The continental divide, which has
faithfully followed the ridge line of these mountains,
takes its leave from the Bitterroots and heads east along
the more rugged Anaconda Range. A little further north the
Bitterroot Range also shows off another rugged side, the
rocky escarpment west of Hamiliton.
Gibbons Pass is also one of the most historic passes in
Montana. It's not just the Lewis and Clarke story, which
seems like to be documented with tablets at every turn of
the road. The pursuit of the Nez Perce Indians by Captain
Gibbons also started its tragic turn here. Furthermore the
pass was the main route of traffic prior to the
construction of US93.
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1.(00.0km~00.0mi, 1351m~4432ft)
START-END WEST: Sula, jct US93 - East Fork Rd
2.(03.1km~01.9mi, 1394m~4573ft) turn left onto
FR106, Camp Creek Rd
3.(05.9km~03.7mi, 1466m~4810ft) stay left uphill on
FR106
4.(17.6km~10.9mi, 2117m~6945ft) TOP: Gibbons Pass
5.(18.6km~11.6mi, 2086m~6844ft) START-END EAST
ALTERNATE: right goes to Trail Creek Pass over
higher point. Profile stays left
6.(31.3km~19.4mi, 1948m~6391ft) turn left onto Mt43
7.(61.4km~38.2mi, 1843m~6046ft) START-END EAST:
Wisdom |
Approaches
From North. When US93 passes through the collection
of houses known as Connor it has no rumble strips - no
shoulder either. The road winds along the west Fork of the
Bitterroot River, accompanied by a wide collection of humanoid
habitat. The structures range from roadside residences to
businesses like the the naughty Moose Restaurant, and log
cabin vendors to small saw mills. The residences too span the
gamut from old shacks to large mansions with equally large for
sale signs. The background is a picture of devastation left
from the last forest fire. It accompanies the rider all the
way to near the top of Gibbons Pass. Sula is a gas station
/bar, reminding the passerby that the next gas station south
is 43 miles away, implying that he should not mind paying the
extra cost that this business charges. Leaving Sula several
neglected tablets tell the story of Lewis and Clarke's meeting
with Indians, here at the junction of West Fork and the
beginning of the northern ascent to Lost Trail Pass.
After about a mile the dirt road to Gibbons Pass turns off
to the left. It is well signed. It parallels paved US93 for a
few miles, then traverses up the slope to the left. As it
gains altitude it enters what is left of the woods, a black
and white matchstick forest. Open views are opener now. The
rocky ridgeline of the Trapper's Peak portion of the
Bitterroot Range starts to appear as background to the stark
shape of naked trees. The various meanders that have been
climbed already make up the middleground of the view. The road
cut for Gibbons Pass can be seen ahead past the next long
detour into an indentation in the hills. Once it is reached,
it seems much higher than it did from below, partly due
to the effort required to get here, and also because the
Bitterroot Crest behind the Hamilton area is now more
completely visible. Finally the road enters green trees, more
than just trees - a thick healthy forest, the views disappear.
At the shallow top, which seems like an average spot in an
average forest, is a whole collection of historical signs
mentioning Lewis and Clarke, Chief Joseph and Capt. Gibbons
line the pass.
From South. (described downwards). This
side has a completely different character, not only because the
area devastated by fire, ends here. There is also very little
evidence that you are on top of a ridge. An ever so slightly
slanted surface leads through open meadows and wet lands. This
must have been a sought after camping area during Indian trail
days. Granted, there is a slight downhill, the bike does roll a
bit faster.
A branch in the road allows a direct descent to the top of paved
Lost Trail Pass. The description and profile continues along the
other option, FR160, the same road number from the start at the
north side. This broad wetland valley finally terminates onto
Mt43, turning left to the town of Wisdom. At the junction are
more Lewis and Clarke as well as Nez Perce informational
tablets.
Tours
Dayrides.
Connor > US93 south > Gibbons Pass >
continuing on FR160 > west on Mt43 > Chief Joseph Pass
> Lost Trail Pass > back to starting point: 63 miles with
3800ft of climbing in 5:2 hours (Vetta MC 1.0 m3:10.9.8). This
includes a very slow descent from Chief Joseph Pass due to a
broken drop out on my Klein Mantra.
History
Lewis and Clarke (<Lost Trail Pass|Lolo Pass>):
After the famous story of Sacajawea guiding the Lewis and Clarke
expedition to the foot of Lemhi Pass, and the great success of
peacefully obtaining horses from Sacajawea's Snake Indian tribe,
a dire geographical realization hit home. It was not at all
practical to descend beyond the Lemhi River to the Salmon and
onward to the Columbia. The canyon of the Salmon is not
navigable and probably never will be as long as there are no big
geological changes. Instead the expedition decided to cross back
over the Bitterroot Range to the east, but not the continental
divide. It makes a radical departure from the Bitterroots at
Gibbons Pass to follow the crest of the Anaconda Range north
eastwards.
Lewis and Clarke hired a Indian guide and together with
Sacajawea the entire group proceeded on horses up the
Lemhi River on a cold, early autumn day. Heading for Gibbons
Pass, the guide lost the turnoff in the dense forest and instead
proceeded up to what we now call Lost Trail Pass. (Three guesses
why it's named Lost Trail Pass). They spent a miserably cold
night and kept on searching for the lost trail. They did not
descend, what is shown as eastern approach in the profile above,
but instead picked up the trail again on Gibbons Pass and
descended towards to today's Sula.
Proceeding down the Bitterroot Valley as far as Missoula, they
were now just miles away from where they had been months ago on
the other side of the mountains. Crossing relatively easy
passes over the continental divide (Mac Donald, Priest Pass or
Mullan Pass) would lead them to the spot where the detour for
the search for horses had begun. Instead they had made a 415
mile loop to the south and cached their canoes just about at the
furthest point south. Retrieving these canoes would also
necessitate a return to this area.
But the expedition did not make the same mistake
a second time. Following the Clark Fork from today's Missoulla
would have lead them over another long detour to the Columbia.
Instead they hired a Flathead Indian guide to lead them across
Lolo Pass.
After having spent a relatively comfortable winter at the mouth
of the Columbia river, the group split up on the return trip.
Using their newly discovered geographic knowledge, Lewis and
nine soldiers headed directly east, while Clarke together with
Sacajawea and the rest of the group recrossed Gibbons Pass in
order to retrieve the cached canoes. Rather than descending into
the Lemhi Valley, this time they descended into what is shown as
the eastern approach above, and then continued over Big
Hole Pass. There are two Big Hole Passes in this area. This
is not the rough continental divide crossing, but the today
paved road west of Dillon.
Chief Joseph and the Nez Perce Indians (<Lolo
Pass|Big Hole>): After
the Nez Perce alluded a trap set for them at Lolo Pass, the band
of Indians moved south through the Bitterroot Valley over
Gibbons Pass. They descended over the eastern approach, of what
has recently been named as Chief Joseph Pass (and is also the
eastern approach of Gibbons Pass shown above), into the
Big Hole Valley and found Gibbons and his troops ready to accept
their surrender. Chief Joseph preferred to fight. In the ensuing
two day battle Gibbons lost a howitzer, 2000 rounds of
ammunition and 68 men wounded or killed. Joseph and his band
escaped south over Big Hole Pass.
back to Montana's
passes and summits by bicycle
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