I survived the Trail of the Coeur d’Alene! This was a great ride - well worth the travel time to get there! I plan on doing this trail again!
There was a total of five couples that went on this trip. Our initial caravan consisted of two vans carring between us: four couples, two tandems, four bicycles, and one trike (my wife also brought her hybrid bike to use on the Hiawatha trail). Our last couple for this ride would arrive via car and meet us at Coeur d’Alene later in the evening.
We arrived at Coeur d’Alene Wednesday around 5:00pm, checked in and settled down for the evening. Coeur d’Alene is a quaint “touristy” town, with many small shops, good food, lots of things to see…
When I checked over every thing, I found that I had left my tools at home (oh joy!) and all I had with me was a small allen wrench set and items to fix flats. This was “supposed” to be an “unsupported” ride, anything we needed we should bring with us. Luckily, two of the small towns along the trail have bike shops. My wife and another in my group ended up needing to use these shops!
I brought my Burley Nomad trailer to test out as I had never ridden with a trailer. I found that the trailer tracked well behind my Micro and I could travel quite quckly with it. I had plenty of room for clothes, food, tubes and tires! Now that I’m back home, I will be setting up the Nomad for “self supported” camping - my intended purpose for the trailer.
Thursday, we packed up the vans with the bikes and my trike and drove to Plummer where the trail “begins” (we left the car back at Coeur d’Alene, easier to pack up two vehicles versus three). I was quite impressed that there was an area to leave our vans for the few days we would be on the trail.
With our bikes unloaded, panniers packed and trailer setup, our group rode to Wallace - 66 miles, and I was pulling the trailer! The ride to Wallace was very beautiful and uneventful. All of us arrived with hardly a problem!
Thursday’s Ride:
On Friday we left Wallace to return to Plummer. I pulled ahead of the group and made my way pulling the trailer. Four hours later I’m in Plummer at the trail head and waiting for everyone else. I called my wife to check on her status and found out that she and the rest of the group had stopped at a bike shop in Harrison getting repairs. My wife needed a wheel trued, and one of the tandems needed a tire (they had a blowout).
After I had packed my trike and and changed my clothes, I decided to take my wife’s hybrid to catch up to them and ride back to Plummer with them (hey, it was there, it fit, and why not?). At mile 10 of the trail, I received a message from my wife saying to come pick her up with the van!
20 miles round trip on the hybrid - I’m so glad I ride a trike!
When I returned to the van, I loaded up the hybrid, and waited for one of the couples to return.
Once the other tandem arrived, we loaded it up on the other van. Our little caravan then proceeded to Harrison - no easy task - as there isn’t a direct route - an hour and a half later (cars can not ride on the trial, you have to go AROUND to get to some of the towns!) We arrived and packed everyone up and proceeded to the next part of our trip: Kellogg to spend the night and ride the Hiawatha trail on Saturday!
One of the couples wasn’t riding in the morning and their car was the one left in Coeur d’Alene. My wife and I drove them back while the over van went to Kellogg.
After the drop off at Coeur d’Alene, we returned to Kellogg, had dinner and went to bed! (for being a bike trip, I spent almost as much time driving as riding!)
Friday’s Ride:
Saturday morning is an early start! 6:30 breakfast, 8:30 check in for the Hiawatha trail.
The group left for Mullen where the Hiawatha trail starts, I opted out of this ride and decided to ride from Kellogg to Plummer and back again.
I started at 8:30am and rode 110 miles round trip! I spent just over 5 hours, and averaged 20.9 mph! When I returned to Kellogg, not more than 15 minutes later, the rest of the group arrived (perfect timing!)
After everyone regroups, vans repacked and ready to go, we all head back home to Newberg! For my wife and I, it’s Newberg Oregon via Tacoma Washington - to pick up our daughter.
Lets just say, the time away from home was good, the riding was fun, but I am so thankful to be back!
