International Travels

After the success of our 3 day bike tour on the old rail bed from Castlegar to Christina Lake we decided to continue our exploration of other rail grades.  We were originally planning to do part of the Kettle Valley Railway (KVR) but then found a rail bed in Northern Idaho that's 72 miles long (116km for us Canadians) and is paved the entire way! It's called the Trail of the Coeur D'Alenes and is filled with beautiful scenery.  It was also a little easier on Audrey's little bobbling head!  Before spending three days on The Trail of the Coeur D'Alenes we warmed up with a one day trip on the Route of the Hiawatha that begins in Montana and ends in Idaho.  This is a 15 mile rail grade that has also been converted to a bike trail.  Like parts of the KVR, it's full of trestle bridges and tunnels.

ROUTE OF THE HIAWATHA

Audrey all bundled up for the 2 mile long tunnel! 

Inside the tunnel - lights are mandatory.

The state line between Montana and Idaho is inside the tunnel. 

  

Lynda with Audrey in tow, trestle bridge in the background. 

 

TRAIL OF THE COEUR D'ALENES

We found this cute little Portuguese elf on our porch so we decided to take it along for the ride.

Sound asleep

Any beer with the word 'drool' in it works for me! 

Mornings were brisk but Audrey kept happy in her camping high chair.

The sign says it all.  Welcome to America!

One of the several swampy, marsh areas we cycled through. Moose are frequently seen along this trail but the only moose we saw were on the bottles of beer Audrey kept pounding back as we rolled through.  Don't worry, she had two designated drivers.

One of the rest areas along the way.

Check out my ride.

Eat your 'hart' out Amelia

The trail crosses over Lake Coeur D'Alene on this long, stepped bridge.

On our way to Harrison, a quaint little town on the lake.

Riding the Rails!

For the long weekend, we took Audrey out on her first bike trip.  Deciding to avoid the traffic on the roads, we took an old railgrade from Castlegar to Christina Lake, called the Columbia and Western (C&W).  Built at the end of the 1800's, it was still an active rail line until only 20 years ago but all the former rail stations and tiny towns along the route have long since turned back to dust.  There are lots of trestles and tunnels along the way, views of the lakes, and picnic and camping spots to make it interesting and enjoyable.

Starting out with a happy baby and fingers crossed...

Rest stop overlooking Arrow Lake

Getting water at the start of the Bulldog tunnel

It's almost a kilometre long and has a curve in it, so there's no light at the end of this tunnel!

Campsite at the (former) Tunnel Station

Our route (the black tracks along the west side of Arrow Lake)

Fun in the tent at the former Paulson Station.  There used to be a hotel, store and stables here but no sign of them now!

After dinner walk with Papa

A detour over a washout

Approaching the Paulson Bridge

I've driven over this bridge dozens of times and looked down at this trail, wishing I was on it.

Riding by an old water tower

Osprey nest at the end of the route

Ahoy mateys! The Lil' Stinker Sails

The weekend before the long weekend, we went on our first family camping trip.  Along with two other families with sailboats, we headed for Garland Bay, across Kootenay Lake from Kaslo, where we had some grand adventures!  A bottle with a treasure map washed up onto shore while we were swimming one day, and Raleigh and Ana had fun finding the buried loot, along with pirate hats and eye patches.  They made sure that Audrey got to dress up, too.  The Lil' Stinker also donned her sailing gear a few times and headed out onto the lake in the Lil' Stinker.