Hi Alden-
Sorry that you had a hard time route-finding on the Missoula Spur. It is a challenging route for most riders, but especially northbound from Missoula. Can you tell me how you were navigating? Print map? GPX data or mobile app? During mapping, we realized the detail limitation of our print map scale to help with winding through that web of old logging roads. Therefore we made sure to add a recommendation to use our digital data on a device as a supplement to print maps-- the ability to zoom into the route line to figure out which direction to bear at a Y, for instance, is invaluable. Attached you'll find this recommendation as it is stated on maps.
As for the overgrown grasses and weeds, many of the lands that the Missoula Spur brings riders through are in a long-term process of ownership transition. The Nature Conservancy, US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management jointly manage these lands, but some swapping between the agencies is occurring. Weed mitigation has happened along the route, but this is not an annual practice, and not enough to weather the land exchanges and current economic climate. This year, for instance, I am fairly certain the weeds were not knocked back with spray so were quite high, as you note. We realized these factors when deciding to map the route but still felt that it offered quite a lot as a bikepacking route in terms of adventure, physical challenge, historic/cultural significance, and potential for future development.
I'm happy to talk more with you about the Spur if you like. Please contact me at ntaylor(at)adventurecyclling.org if you are interested!
Nathan
ACA Cartographer
