A ribbon-cutting ceremony and celebration of the completion of the final segment of the Bitterroot Trail, the 50-mile bicycle path that stretches from Missoula to Hamilton alongside Hwy 93, will take place Saturday, July 16 in conjunction with the Montana Bicycle Celebration which marks the 40th anniversary of the U.S. Bikecentennial cross-country ride. MT Department of Transportation crews have been furiously working this spring to complete the Missoula to Lolo segment of the Bitterroot Trail. The ribbon cutting will take place at 12 noon at Travelers’ Rest State Park in Lolo.
Cyclists can register to ride the trail starting at 9 a.m. at Travelers’ Rest. After the ribbon cutting, officials representing the different stakeholders will give short speeches. Groups represented include elected officials, Salish Pend d’Oreille Culture Committee, Montana Dept. of Commerce, Montana State Parks Trail Program, Federal Highway Administration, Bitterroot Trail Preservation Alliance, L2M Trail Committee, and Adventure Cycling Association.
Following the ceremony, Boy Scouts will lead the group out of the park to the Bitterroot Trail with cyclists from the 1976 Bikecentennial following the Boy Scouts. Volunteers will then count cyclists off by 20 with one-minute gaps between groups heading out to ride the trail. Hundreds have already registered for Saturday’s ride.
Other activities on Saturday include a bicycle expo at Silver Park in Missoula and a Bike & Brew festival sponsored by the Stevensville Main Street Association at 2nd and Main in downtown Stevensville with children’s activities from 2 to 3 p.m. and music, food, beer garden and fun from 2 to 8 p.m.
Register to ride the paved Bitterroot Trail on Saturday, July 16 (with options of 10 miles to 100 miles). Registration is free, but required, and includes water, snacks and support along the trail. Everyone who registers will be entered to win a Raleigh kid’s bike. An optional shuttle, for a nominal fee, is available for those who want to ride one way. More information about the Montana Bicycle Celebration is available at www.adventurecycling.org.