The ups and downs of STOKR
(From left to right) Calgary bicyclists Ted Hincks, Wayne Dowry and Sam “Henry” Edney decide which treat to snack on for lunch along the route’s pie stop, Saturday. (Luke Hollister/The Western News)
Bicyclists rides alongside highway 2 at the Scenic Tour of the Kootenai River fundraising event, Saturday. (Luke Hollister/The Western News)
A bicyclist rides out of Troy at the Scenic Tour of the Kootenai River fundraising event, Saturday. (Luke Hollister/The Western News)
Bicyclists ride out of Troy at the Scenic Tour of the Kootenai River fundraising event, Saturday. (Luke Hollister/The Western News)
A bicyclist rides out of Troy at the Scenic Tour of the Kootenai River fundraising event, Saturday. (Luke Hollister/The Western News)
A bicyclist rides uphill out of Troy, headed to Yaak River Road, at the Scenic Tourof the Kootenai River fundraising event, Saturday. (Luke Hollister/The Western News)
A bicyclist crosses over the Yaak River at the Scenic Tour of the Kootenai River fundraising event, Saturday. (Luke Hollister/The Western News)
A bicyclist heads toward Yaak River Road at the Scenic Tour of the Kootenai River fundraising event, Saturday. (Luke Hollister/The Western News)
A bicyclist heads toward Yaak River Road at the Scenic Tour of the Kootenai River fundraising event, Saturday. (Luke Hollister/The Western News)
A bicyclist heads toward Yaak River Road at the Scenic Tour of the Kootenai River fundraising event, Saturday. (Luke Hollister/The Western News)
Bicyclist ride down Pipe Creek Road at the Scenic Tour of the Kootenai River fundraising event, Saturday. (Luke Hollister/The Western News)
Bicyclists speed down Pipe Creek Road at the Scenic Tour of the Kootenai River fundraising event, Saturday. (Luke Hollister/The Western News)
A bicyclist speeds down Pipe Creek Road at the Scenic Tour of the Kootenai River fundraising event, Saturday. (Luke Hollister/The Western News)
A bicyclist hangs out before heading to the Libby Dam at the Scenic Tour of the Kootenai River fundraising event, Sunday. (Luke Hollister/The Western News)
A bicyclist speeds down Pipe Creek Road at the Scenic Tour of the Kootenai River fundraising event, Saturday. (Luke Hollister/The Western News)
Dozens of bicyclists, escorted by police cars, head to cross the Libby Dam at the Scenic Tour of the Kootenai River fundraising event, Sunday. (Luke Hollister/The Western News)
A bicyclist cruises down highway 2 at the 98 mile Scenic Tour of the Kootenai River fundraising ride, Saturday. (Luke Hollister/The Western News)
This year, the Scenic Tour of the Kootenai River brought 356 people from all over to help raise money to build houses in Lincoln County, Saturday.
Riders took to a 98-mile fundraising ride starting in Libby and circling up to the Yaak and back. Bicyclists battled up hills on the Yaak River Road and zipped through corners down Pipe Creek Road.
On Sunday, organizers held the yearly Mother’s Day raffle before a police escort to the Libby Dam. Bicyclists got to ride over the dam.
Susie Rice, a STOKR organizer and Kootenai Valley Partners Habitat for Humanity board member, said in an email that attendees raised roughly $38,000.
Also, the Montana Department of Transportation helped a lot with the event by doing a second road sweep to rid shoulders of debris for the riders, she said.
Organizers let riders start whenever they wanted during this race to ensure the safety of other participating bicyclists by eliminating a huge mass of riders, she said. Organizers first implemented the changes at the 2018 STOKR event.