North Idaho Bike Vacation- Rail Trails

[user 135]

This is my third trip up to North Idaho to ride some great Rail Trails. My family and I camped in a tent and rode for 3 day with a couple of days for other excursions. The area around Couer d' Alene, Idaho and the Silver Valley are rich in history especially mining. The Lucky Friday mine still produces the most silver in the US.

Previous Trips
170 mile loop viewtopic.php?f=10&t=30761&st=0&sk=t&sd=a&hilit=cda
Family ride of Hiawatha http://ratrodbikes.com/forum/viewtopic. ... =+Hiawatha

We start out Monday riding from a Harrison,ID on the Trail of the CdA down to Heyburn State Park an back for about 15 miles. We crossed the Chatcolet Bridge a span of 3000 feet

On Tues we rode from Cataldo to Enaville with slight trail detour for about 12 miles. Not many pics though. We did see lots of catapillers and chipmunks on the trail.

On Wednesday we did a little site seeing. We first started off at the oldest building in Idaho. TheOld Mission in Cataldo.

Then off to Wallace, Idaho for a silver mine tour and few other items.

We did not take them on the Bordello tour though. :mrgreen:

Then on Thursday we went on the Trail of the Hiawatha. This is nice easy ride of 15 miles down with a shuttle back to the top. The first tunnel is 1.7 miles long which you do twice as the shuttle does not go through it. You need some big lights to see well in the tunnel. The trestles were fun to ride across as the boys would through rocks off in the middle of each one.

 

[OUTLAW]

now thats a trip we want to do. did you camp out all the time or what? as soon as I get our rails to trails bikes done then we will do that trip. also, would like to do a few more.
you guys look like you were having way to much fun. nice pic's.

Outlaw

 

[user 135]

now thats a trip we want to do. did you camp out all the time or what? as soon as I get our rails to trails bikes done then we will do that trip. also, would like to do a few more.
you guys look like you were having way to much fun. nice pic's.

We did tent camp for 4 nights in 3 places. Good camping spots are scarce so you are forced to stay in RV parks which are not too bad.

Thanks we did have a great time.

 

[aka_locojoe]

Looks like another great trip. Route of the Hiawatha probably still my all time favorite rail-to-trail. Does the shuttle run on the trail? We never encountered it. I assumed it took the long way around.
How old are your boys? How do they do on rides like these? Physically and keeping them interested?

 

[user 135]

Randy, The shuttle runs on only 3 miles of the trail (1 tunnel). My boys are 8 and 10. They ride a 24"(8yr) and 20"(10yr) MTB. They do well with lots of stops and good supply of snacks. One of popular stops on the Hiawatha was throwing rocks or spitting off the trestles.

 

[Rat Rod]

Man...envious on several levels...

1. Awesome scenery
2. Guts to get out there and ride that long with the family
3. Great weather up there!

Love the fact that your wife was in a cruiser too. :wink:

 

[user 135]

Man...envious on several levels...

1. Awesome scenery
2. Guts to get out there and ride that long with the family
3. Great weather up there!

Love the fact that your wife was in a cruiser too. :wink:

Steve, Thanks.

1. North Idaho is a fav of mine.
3. Weather was perfect 85 degrees. :mrgreen: :mrgreen:
2. The kids are pretty good at 15 miles. If I had the Xtracycle, I would of done that this year. But I don't think it would of fit on the Hiawatha shuttle bus. The Xtra would allow me to tote a kid and bike when they get tired. Next year, I want to bump it up to 20-25 miles and include some overnite camping via bikes.

Funny you said something about the cruiser of my wife's. I have/want it sold to a friend ,but still in my possession. She has the 1950 Schwinn Hollywood with springer/tank plus the Japanese ladies bike. I am going to find her a MTB/hybrid that would be more appropriate for dirt roads.