Friends of the Coeur d'Alene Trails

• Vancouver B.C. Bike Show
  (hooked up with Vancouver Adventure Show)
       March 3-4, 2012
   
  
• Cascade Club Seattle Bicycle Expo
       March 10-10, 2012
   
  
• Pedal Nation, Portland PDX Bicycle Show
       March 24-25, 2012
   
  
• Trade Show report by Jon Ruggles as published in the Shoshone News-Press, April 4, 2012.
   
  
• Bridge the Years and Ride the Wall in Enaville; this 14^th annual 13-mile bicycle ride and BBQ on the longest day of the year to benefit the Fuller Center for Housing.
   
  
• Silver Spokes Bicycle Jam
  • Thursday July 5
    • (informal) Family Bicycle Rides on Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes, Route of Hiawatha, and other local trails. Fun Rides for all skill levels.
  • Friday July 6
    • Pedestrian Fair, Tots on Trikes, Bicycle Safety Rodeo, Wallace
    • Time Trials, USCF sanctioned, Wallace to Silverton, evening
    • tricycle race for kids over 21, late evening
  • Saturday July 7
    • tricycle race for kids under 6, 9:00 AM
    • Kids/Family Triathelon in Kellogg, 9:00 AM
    • Dobson Pass Hill Climb, USCF sanctioned, 10:45 AM
    • Downtown Criterium Races, USCF sanctioned, cash prizes, 4 - 7 PM
    • bicycle and food vendors in downtown Wallace all day
    • Live music, street dance, evening
  • Sunday July 8
    • Downhill Race series at Silver Mountain

  The 2011 Silver Spokes Wallace Omnium combined contestant placement in a

  • 2.5 mile Time Trial,
  • 5 mile, 1300 foot Hill Climb and
  • up to 60 minute Criterium
  to award CASH PRIZES and medals.
  The Omnium part of the Silver Valley Silver Spokes Bicycle Jam was held under USA Cycling Permit under cool weather conditions. The event was sponsored by the Coeur d'Alene Velo Racers Cycling Club, and produced by the Friends of the Coeur d'Alene Trails as a fund raiser.

The Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes
is a year around recreational opportunity. The Trail, and the restrooms and wayside rest stops along its 72 mile length, are routinely cleaned.

Several of us rode the Trail between Wallace and Mullan during April. There is some small tree trash on parts of the Trail, but it is certainly rideable. Roller bladers should use caution. Avista has a crew trenching conduit along the Trail in a well marked area. There may be some weekday delays where they are working. They are sweeping the Trail when they are done, so that part of the Trail is the cleanest. A new and unusual video called "Wallace to Golconda by Dog" shows both the physical and aesthetic aspects of this section of Trail.

Please call Kathleen Durfee, Old Mission State Park Manager, at (208) 682-3814 for more information about specific parts of the Trail, administrative questions or concerns.

Remember that State Parks and Recreation only manages the Trail from Mullan to Harrison. For information on conditions between Harrison and Plummer you need to call Dean Chapman, Trail Manager at (208) 686-7045.

Remember that there is a lot of great riding at lower elevations in this area before and after the Route opens. One exceptional ride follows Loop Creek BENEATH the trestles that define the Route. The Pearson-Avery Figure 8 ride is another possibility that might involve overnight camping beside the North Fork of the Saint Joe River. Both rides would begin near the Pearson Trailhead on the other side of Moon Pass from Wallace on Forest Road 456.

IF you have the free program Google Earth installed, then you can, by downloading wallace2pearson.kml, fly above Forest Road 456 from downtown Wallace to the Pearson Trailhead, observing several hiking/bicycling trailheads and possible casual campsites along the way. You may also open or save pearson2avery.kml, which shows the scenic Alternate Milwaukee Road signed last summer by the Friends.

one of the tunnels on the Route

     As of March 7, 2012, the EIGHTH edition of 20,000 Recreational Trails of the Idaho Panhandle maps are now in distribution. This is the same quantity as the seventh edition published in 2010. These 17" x 22", 20-panel color brochures (with a forest green front panel background color) are similar to the seventh edition brochures in that they provide information on the former railbed of the Old Milwaukee Road, which we are working to enhance as a multi-use recreational road and bike trail along the breathtaking St. Joe River. Our interest in promoting the Old Milwaukee Road from the East Portal of the Taft Tunnel to Saltese, Montana, is also indicated. We are continuing to work with Lolo National Forest personnel to make this a safe, multi-use recreational trail.

In fact the only two things different between our seventh and eighth editions is the addition of Route of the Hiawatha information to the back panel (replacing information about our organization), and a new set of hospitality sponsors. We welcome the Hiawatha concessionaire (Lookout Associates, LLC) to our publication and suggest that you visit ridethehiawatha.com for more information on this crown jewel of America's Rails-to-Trails.

The current edition includes information on 26 hospitality providers along the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes and the Old Milwaukee Road. A complete listing of these sponsors organized by town will be found on our Sponsors & Associates page. Here we welcome back Silver Mountain Resort and these new advertisers:

• Moose Creek Grill and Hill Street Depot Brew Pub in Kellogg
• Smoke House Barbecue & Saloon, Stardust Motel, and Wallace RV Park in Wallace
• Calder Store in Calder (on the St. Joe River)

However, we do include a membership form with each map in the hope that you will return the favor by joining us as we work to build a unified 185 mile bike loop that includes the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes (paved for bikes and blades), the Northern Pacific railbed (dirt for multi-use), and the Milwaukee Road railbed (mostly dirt for multi-use), which includes the Route of the Hiawatha (dirt for mountain bikes and boots). We have dubbed this adventure the "Bitterroot 300K Loop."

A MILWAUKEE ROAD page has been added to this website. It features our work to incorporate the Milwaukee Road railbed as part of an 185 mile loop that promises to gain worldwide attention for the variety of scenery and topography that it encompasses. Google Earth animations have been added to this new page, so a bird's eye view of the entire loop is available for study and day dreaming.

    Photo Trail for the Old Milwaukee Scenic/Alternate Trail between Pearson (lower trailhead for the Route of the Hiawatha) and Marble Creek on the Saint Joe River, 24 miles away.

As stated on our map, any group wishing to host a special event on the trails must have authorization from proper authorities. Start by calling the Idaho Parks and Recreation office at the Cataldo Mission, (208) 682-3814. They will direct you to Forest Service or Tribal authorities if required by your event's location.

The Route of the Hiawatha continued to grow in popularity in 2010. "July riders totaled 11,321 and August attendance surpassed even that record with 12, 263 riders." (Shoshone News-Press, September 7, 2010). However, now that the Route is closed for the season, remember that you may bike and hike for free up Loop Creek, beneath the trestles, as soon as the snow disappears in the spring and as long as weather permits in the fall. You may also freely travel from the East Portal to the town of Saltese, Montana, also on the Milwaukee Road railbed. Or, you may ride free from the East Portal west on the Northern Pacific railbed to Lookout Pass, where you have the choice of two routes down to Mullan and the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes. Finally, you may continue on from the Pearson Trailhead to Avery and the St. Joe River following the Milwaukee Road railbed south.

We are working with the national Rails to Trails Conservancy to place signs along the rest of The Old Milwaukee Road from the Pearson trailhead to Avery and beyond. This is the initial part of our effort to complete a 185 mile bike loop in our region.

This fun 22 mile bicycle ride on fairly flat terrain followed both dirt roads that connect Pearson (the lowest Route of the Hiawatha trailhead) and the town of Avery. A map of the Pearson Avery Figure Eight, complete with milepost commentary and photos, is now on our Other Trails page.

The riders stayed at the North Fork (of the St. Joe) Campground. To get there from Wallace, follow Forest Road 456 over Moon Pass, and travel past the Pearson Trailhead. There will be TWO trestles that you must pass over before getting to Avery: one over Big Dick Creek, and the other over the North Fork of the St Joe River. Take the ramp at the south end of the trestle over the North Fork. The campground is ½ mile downstream, near Milepost 24. It is well marked, as shown by the picture. If you are coming from St. Maries, take Forest Road 456 in Avery, but do not cross the first trestle, take the ramp instead.

This beautiful and isolated route between Pearson and Avery may be seen from the air... IF you have the FREE Google Earth program installed.

See
• July 2004 News for details on how this will extend the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes experience from Mullan to Lookout Pass, from 72 to at least 81 miles!
• August 2004 News for elevation information and photos of the route
• September 2004 News for photos of an alternative route for experts only
• Fall 2004 News for progress report through winter 2004
• Completion Report due out soon!

In August 2005, Zanetti Bros. helped us pour a cement pad for an interpretive sign beside the new restroom at the Stevens Lake trailhead.

Located about a mile below Lookout Pass, this is one of two tables that we have placed at scenic spots along the historic railgrade. Notice the cement pad waiting for an interpretive sign during a September sunset.