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Old 05-27-15 | 01:27 PM
  #24  
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SquidPuppet
Calamari Marionette Ph.D
 
Joined: Dec 2013
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From: Coeur d' Alene

Bikes: 3 Chinese Gas Pipe Nerdcycles and 2 Chicago Electroforged Boat Anchors

Originally Posted by toddles
FWIW, Squid, you gave excellent advice. You were 100% on everything... including the exact trail entrance in Enaville. We rode on Sunday and had great weather. We stayed here A Unique Place to Stay in the Silver Valley - VRBO in Pinehurst and were a mile from the trail.

The homeowner was able to find us a guy who drove us out to Plummer for $50 and we started there and ended at our cabin. I could have ridden the round trip but I knew my wife could not so that money was worth it. We rode 52 miles in all and it was some of the best trail riding I've done and it completely lived up to its expectations. The weakest part, arguably, was the middle section of farmland between Cataldo and Harrision -- and even that was better than most sections of other trails I've ridden on. Dropping down to the lake from Plummer and riding around it to Harrison was exhilerating. We surprisingly had a very good lunch out on the deck overlooking the lake at the Landing bar or whatever in Harrison... next to the ice cream joint. These first 16 miles were some of the easiest and sadly some of the fastest riding we've done (together). This was not planned. We were just so immersed in our ride that we were pedaling with ease and made it a point to slow down afterwards.

It was in the late morning that we saw a young male moose just 2 miles into the ride and yet again later in the afternoon at the 42 mile mark. We also ran into deer, saw dozens of herons, an eagle or two, and plenty of other wildlife all from the seat of our bicycles. Kudos to all the agencies involved for designing an environmental solution to the mining runoff problem. They did a great job in spacing trailheads, stops, and bathrooms along it as well. My favorite part was probably from Bull Run to Enaville in which we were hugging the Coeur d'Alene River. In short, the trail hugs a lot of water bodies... lakes, rivers, streams, marshes... while tucked away in the mountains. I can see why you're proud of it.

And you were correct in stating that everything east of Enaville is just a trail. From where we exited, there was only 20 miles of it left and I doubt I'll ever complete the rest of it. Hugging I-90 through industrial mining waste land just doesn't have the same appeal.

If you haven't ridden this trail at least once in your life, your missing out IMHO.
I'm glad to hear it all went well and that you caught some wildlife.

Time for knobby tires and the Hiawatha next.

Oh, BTW, if you ever get the hankering to return to the Trail of the CdAs, do it in the Fall. The COLORS will Make you in a good way of course.
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