Today is another of the “gifts” I scheduled into this trip. I have been looking forward to riding this trail for some time. The Route of the Hiawatha.
For reasons that I won’t get into, mostly me being slow and dumb, this is a side trip. I had thought I would be able to make it part of the ride but alas my well laid plans fell through. So 60 miles and 3000 vert ZERO miles towards getting across the US. This had better be worth it.
I won’t leave you in suspense. It was worth it.
Since I was going no where. This gave me the opportunity to strip Alister of his baggage and reveal Alice. The nimble spritely version of Alister. From the get go it was liberating. The 20 mile climb over the pass flew by. I was at the ticket office in no time. Too bad there was 10 more miles and a somewhat humbling climb to the start.
The Route of the Hiawatha is considered to be the Crown Jewel of the Rails to Trails network. Over 14 miles it has 10 tunnels and 7 trestles. It was part of the same rail line that is the Palouse to Cascade trail. Due to the extensive upkeep of the trestles and tunnels it is a pay to play trail. For $40 you get access and a ride back up to the start (it is down hill the whole way and you can buy just a pass but I had enough climbing to do for the day.
There really isn’t much to say about the experience that isn’t better said with pictures.
It felt odd to be with all the tourists and wait in lines. I felt like I had been out in the wild too long. But Alice and I had a blast on our date. While this trail does not provide a “bike tour” experience it is a wonderful romp and a great way to introduce people to all the Rails to Trails system has to offer. I highly recommend it to families and people just looking for a fun activity while touring the west. Just go with a good attitude and know that you will be sharing it with 700 of your new friends that are enjoying it in their own way.