TransAmerica Trail #3 - road closed due to fire - Aug. 2013

[CMajernik]

West of Lolo, US 12 is closed due to the Lolo Creek Complex fire between the town of Lolo and Lolo Pass. Here's a link to more information: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3683/

[dmorse1]

Thank you for the information.  I'm trying to help my friend who is biking the Transam westbound, he'll hit Lolo in a couple days.  What would you suggest is the best way around?  Looks like going more South from Dillon, MT to Boise, ID might be an option, but is there something easier up near Missoula to bypass the fire and road closure west of Lolo?  Thank you.

[CMajernik]

Tell him to check with the website before he makes a decision as to what to do. They want to get the highway open again as quickly as possible and conditions change daily. There are two ways to get around the road closure, and neither of them are short. One is to come to Missoula, then follow I-90 northwest to Mullan, ID. This will include some frontage road riding and some interstate riding. In Mullan you get onto the Trail of the Couer d'Alenes, a 70+ mile paved rail trail to Plummer, ID. From Plummer, take US 95 south to Lewiston, then to Grangeville where you reconnect to the TransAm. The other is at Lost Trail Pass, go south on US 93 to Challis, ID. At Challis take Hwy. 75 south, then Hwy. 21 west to Lowman. At Lowman, take the Banks Lowman Rd. west to Banks. At Banks, head north on Hwy. 55 to New Meadows where you reconnect with the TransAm.

Idaho has a bicycling map. Here's a link in pdf format: http://itd.idaho.gov/bike_ped/BikeMap2010.pdf

[CMajernik]

US 12 west from Lolo is now open.