Just returned from spending a week in the Coeur d'Alene area. This past trip was the second time that I rode the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes. First time was just from Plummer to Harrison and back. This time, I did the same route but went a few miles past Harrison. The Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes is one of the major, primary reasons that I'll be moving to the area next year when I retire.
I want to pass along one tip for lunch. There is a small grocery store in Harrison that has a deli inside. She makes pretty good sandwiches. You can get a soda and go across the street and eat in the park while overlooking the lake and small marina. Life doesn't get much better.
On that hill from the lake back up to Plummer. No way could I be considered a 'climber'. I'm big, (6'3") and about 25 pounds overweight. My guess is that that climb is at about a consistent 3% incline. It's just long. I'm usually pretty slow when climbing, but was able to maintain a consistent 7-8 mph rate with a few stretches at 10 mph. It's really not a bad climb . . . just long and unrelenting. Most of it is in the afternoon shade of the conifers on the hill.
In fact, when my lady friend and I were climbing back up to Plummer, there was also a train on the other side of the valley making the climb too. Even though we were really not racing it, we were trying to beat it to the top. I think we did, but only because it stopped about 3/4 the way up the hill for some reason. We couldn't see the train because it was hidden by the forest/trees.