Le Tour de Koocanusa rides through Libby
<p>Libby's Jonathan Graham 2.8 miles into his 83-mile ride.</p>
<p>Carol Kemp of Chula Vista, California aboard her Rivendell Sam Hilborne approaches the turnout on the Forest Development Road overlooking Libby Dam.</p>
<p>Tour participants await the 8 a.m. start of the fourth annual Le Tour de Koocanusa atop the David Thompson Bridge below Libby Dam Saturday. In all there were 122 registered riders for this year's tour.</p>
Abigail Geiger
Reporter
The fourth annual Le Tour de Koocanusa pedaled through Libby last Saturday, and showed its maturing strength through 122 eager participants.
Dejon Raines, the founder of the 83-mile highway tour that rims Lake Koocanusa, said she started it four years ago because of her personal love of bike riding. She’s a member of Libby’s David Thompson Search and Rescue, and she thought having a yearly bike ride would be a good fundraiser.
When she came up with the idea, Raines brought the idea to the search and rescue board. The group has active members, and Raines knew it would be a good exercise for the group.
However, the tour is only about 5 percent locals. The rest are from out of town, many from Canada. Each year, Raines said, the tour has attracted about 100 participants, and this year peaked with 122.
To get the word out for the event, Raines starts early in May by contacting previous riders and asking for help by sending a flyer that can be pinned up where the riders live. It’s a grassroots ride that way, she said.
Raines said since the tour has started, a few things have been fine-tuned. Now, riders are given a T-shirt. However, Raines said the ride is essentially the same it was in its first year, inspired in part by the Scenic Tour of the Kootenai River (STOKR), another bike tour.
Raines said since the event is a tour, competition isn’t the aim and there’s not technically a “winner.” That way, the tour lets each rider ride at his or her own pace – mentally and physically.