Idaho Centennial Trail – Episode 8: Coeur d’Alene
The Idaho Centennial Trail continues from Mullan to Clark Fork Idaho. In this section the trail continues to follow the Idaho/Montana border. This section of the Idaho Centennial Trail is a mix of Forest Service Roads and well maintained trail. There was no bush whacking on this section except for a little stretch of two miles, which is not too bad considering that you are on a ridge line. So if you are thinking about doing the Idaho Centennial Trail, and when you get to this section, you can relax a little because it is not too hard. This section was probably the easiest section of them all.
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My North Idaho Centennial Trail Trip - 4/5 - Lake Coeur d'Alene
This video starts at the edge of Lake Coeur d’Alene, near where the Spokane River empties into it. There are lots of trees, and a beach. I think this area is a traditional and perhaps sacred location for the Coeur d’Alene Native Americans who lived here before European settlers arrived, and they still do live here and use this area. It is very beautiful and peaceful.
The North Idaho Centennial Trail turns into a bike lane in this area, so I was riding alongside the traffic for a while – but there really wasn’t much traffic. This is a lightly used recreational one-way street, and I was never at any time afraid of the cars passing by.
I never mentioned this before, but I was greatly encouraged to see so many older people – my age and older – out using the trail. There were quite a few thin white haired people on racing bikes! How exciting it was to see that they were serious about their sport. There were also a lot of seniors out walking on the trail – something I’ve done many times myself.
One thing that I didn’t expect was that trail traffic was much heavier in Coeur d’Alene. All my prior experience on this trail was in the Post Falls area. There’s less population there, and apparently fewer people interested in being on the trail. Well, in Coeur d’Alene there were a lot of people. At one point a little boy charged across the trail on his bike directly in front of me and I had to put on my brakes to avoid a collision. And he was so tiny and cute. I think he was with his grandma and she was having a hard time controlling him as he didn’t listen to her telling him to stop, at all.
In this fourth video of my North Idaho Centennial Trail series, I got lost. After I left the City Park in Coeur d’Alene and crossed over in front of the resort hotel, then into McEuen Park, I lost track of trail signs. There were so many choices of paths to take. Tourists were everywhere, walking to and fro. It was confusing.
I saw a man charging through on a bike and thinking he knew where he was going, followed him through the maze of driveways in front of the resort. By the time I got to McEuen Park this speedy man was gone from sight and I had to take a guess as to which path was the one for the trail. I finally chose one at the back of the park as there were fewer people to risk bumping into, and it was paved with asphalt like most of the trail was.
Unfortunately, at the end of that path, there was no trail sign, and I floundered about, not quite sure what to do next. I nearly turned right to be closer to the lake although it would take me into a residential neighborhood. Then a woman passed by who looked like she belonged there, and directed me to turn left, and go down the hill to the next street.
I did that and found that the trail was now a bike lane next to traffic (I’m not loving that) and it too went through an old residential neighborhood. Fortunately, that didn’t last too long – maybe about six or seven short city blocks – and then I was back on a paved trail that was clinging to the edge of Lake Coeur d’Alene.
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My North Idaho Centennial Trail Trip - 1/5 - Post Falls
I made it a goal for 2014, to ride the entire North Idaho Centennial Trail from the Washington-Idaho state line, to the end, which is at Blue Creek Bay in Lake Coeur d'Alene. Well, I've done it. Me... one old woman, age 62, overweight, out of shape... I forced myself to train by riding a bike regularly, and then took to the 23-mile trail on October 4, 2014, a Saturday.
This video shows the start of my journey. I woke up early hoping to get out to the trail by sunrise. Ha! I can't make myself move that fast, and besides, I wasn't going to give up my prayer and Bible reading time to get to the trail a few minutes earlier. First things first - I wanted to communicate with God. Then I packed up the two baskets on my bike and rode down to the start of the trail. It is a 2+1/2 mile ride from my home.
I could have started from my home, shaving 2+1/2 miles off my trip mileage, but no... I was insistent. I must start at the beginning of the trail and go to the end. I'm stubborn that way. Determined. I want to do what I'll say I'll do, even if nobody else really cares other than me. I care.
My bicycle is a new Schwinn Sanctuary 7 speed women's bike. I haven't had it but about a month... before that I was riding a mountain bike that went south on me. I love that my new bike is a cruiser... but when I traveled the trail, I didn't see very many other cruisers. I mainly saw racers on road bikes, who looked like they were training for the Iron Man triathlon that takes place in Coeur d'Alene every year.
As I’m starting out on the journey during this video, I will mention what led up to this. I made it my goal early on this year (2014) to do the trip – and that was in large part because I wanted to challenge myself to do something that would be difficult. I’m a stay-at-home writer… sitting long hours in front of a computer, trying to eke out a living on the internet. I do pretty good, but not all that good, really, because this year I can’t afford to own a car.
When I moved north to Idaho in 2013 I left my two vehicles behind in Happy Camp. I gave my van to my son because it had some mechanical problems and my ex-boyfriend (using the word “friend” very loosely here) convinced me it wouldn’t be able to make the trip. Same ex-boy”friend” bullied me into signing over the title to my car, to him. Of course that left me with no vehicles whatsoever, but that so-called “friend” also insisted I would be able to buy another car as soon as I got here. Well, that never happened. I have no money for cars. No money for anything much, really… I mainly just pay my bills and buy food and am very grateful for that being possible. When I told that friend that I would suffer financially he laughed and said I should suffer. Goodbye, friend.
When I arrived here I got the sad surprise that my apartment was two and a half miles from the nearest store, in one direction, and from town, in the other direction. My choices were to walk, or to fix up the old broken down mountain bike that I brought with me. I did a lot of walking… and it has been painful as my feet can’t really take it too well… I’m too heavy, and losing weight is almost an impossibility for me. I’ve tried a lot of different diets and can’t stick to anything.
Anyhow, two nice young men from my church pulled out the bike from my storage and helped me get it running – I think they oiled it or something like that. Then I changed the two tubes and adjusted the brakes, and used that for over a year… though honestly, I walked more than I rode, and winters in Idaho are not conducive to bike riding at all. Too cold, too much hail, and then there’s snow.
This year in early August I got on the bicycle one day to continue my “training” for this trip, and the pedals wouldn’t go forward! Therefore, I had to buy the new bike… a not-very-expensive cruiser. People keep saying how pretty it is and I agree. As it turned out, the new bike was a great investment because I love riding it… much more than I ever loved the old cheap mountain bike. Because I love it, I ride almost every day. I’ve lost a little weight just from riding and my muscles have developed in all the right places. I went from being absolutely unable to ride up a hill, to being able to conquer most of them, most of the time.
So, that’s what led up to this ride. It was getting close to Idaho’s cold season (October is like the outer limit for warmish weather here) so I wanted to go ahead and make the trip I kept telling people I wanted to do… this trip, along the North Idaho Centennial Trail from beginning to end. I set several dates and then passed them by because of weather or my own lack of readiness. Finally I knew October 4 had to be the day. It was a cool day, but not too cold, and as it turned out the weather was just right for a pleasant bike riding experience.
I’ve split my video into five segments in an attempt to keep them short.
Idaho Centennial Trail – Episode 9: The Panhandle
This is the final section of the Idaho Centennial Trail and might I saw that the views of Lake Pend Oreille are beautiful. Don’t worry, the bushwhacking improves at this point, you can enjoy a mix of single track, Forest Service, and logging roads. My wife joined me for these last 130 miles and I was happy to be with her again and not have to say goodbye after zero days. We started at Clark Fork and about 3 days later we landed in Naples, Idaho. From there we traveled up to the Selkirk Mountains to Fault Lake, which is a gorgeous hike. At fault lake you will need to take a little bushwhack up to the pass that drops into Hunt lake, but don’t worry, the bushwhack is not that bad, there is open space, and hardly any bushes to cross. As you get into the Hunt Lake cirque you will have to make your way across a boulder field to the bottom of the lake and then you will need to contour (walk) your way to the right of the lake, and then continue on with the boulder scramble following orange flags or spray painted dots on the rocks, until you reach a Forest Service road where you will be able to see Priest Lake. I know this all sounds confusing, but you will understand when you get there.
The Forest Service road that goes to Priest Lake is not bad at all. Keep on the road, some maps will take you on another abandoned road, but we stayed on the road and just followed it down all the way to Priest Lake. From there, you have a paved road walk all the way to Lionhead Campground. Depending on the time of year, this is a popular place for campers, so if you are lucky they might offer you food. From there keep heading north to Upper Priest Lake, it is a little confusing, but there is a trail the whole way, you will figure it out.
From Upper Priest Lake, just follow the ICT all the way to Upper Priest Falls, and then you will be at the end of the Idaho Centennial Trail. It is a little disappointing in my opinion that the trail does not end in Canada, but oh well, you are very very close.
To get back to your car, hitch hiking from priest lake is not bad, there are a lot of cars that pass by. You can also have someone pick you up near the Upper Priest Falls Trailhead, you will just have to come from Nordman.
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Idaho Centennial Trail
I went to clear this trail and the Trail Rangers, cleared it a few days earlier.
Idaho Centennial Trail: Trailer
Join me for the hike of your life through the Idaho Centennial Trail! New Episodes of the entire journey will be dropping every Monday until we get to the finish at Upper Priest Falls at the Canadian border.
This is a super challenging trail and I am capturing footage of every day of the journey. I hope it helps you prepare for your own hike on the Idaho Centennial Trail. Let me know if you have any questions, I will be sure to answer any comments.
About the Idaho Centennial Trail: The Idaho Centennial Trail is a rough and challenging thru-hike across the entire state of Idaho. It starts at the Nevada/Idaho border and goes all the way to the Idaho/Canada border. It's many unmaintained trails, and nasty weather make it one of the most challenging thru-hikes in the lower 48. It goes through the Owyhee Desert, Sawtooth Wilderness, Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness, Selway Bitterroot Wilderness, Clearwater and St. Joe National Forest, Coeur d'Alene National Forest and the Idaho Panhandle National Forest.
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Gear List:
• Granite Gear Backpack
• Sleeping Bag
• Pillow
• Outdoorsman Lab Sleeping Pad
• Klymit Static V2
• Recommended Sleeping pad (Therm-a-Rest Z lite sol) for Idaho Centennial Trail
• Headlamp
• Jetboil stove
• Sawyer mini filter
• Sawyer bigger flow filter (better for drinking IMO)
• Darn Tough Socks
• Patagonia nano puff Jacket
• Outdoor Research Axiom Jacket
• Buff
• Xcel long sleeve shirt
• Pot
• Pot Cozy Kit
• Pot Lifter
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My North Idaho Centennial Trail Trip - 2/5 - Post Falls, Huetter Rest Area
I stopped several times along the North Idaho Centennial Trail to capture some video. This, being the second of five videos in this series, shows some places in Post Falls, Idaho, and continues on to the rest area which is about half-way between Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene, Idaho... about ten miles into my journey. Here's what you'll see in this video:
(1) After three miles I stopped to air up my tires at McGuire's Junction which was the site of a train station at one time, many years ago. There used to be two railroads using the area. An electric railroad went from there to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. A second railroad came in from Spokane, Washington, then went north along what is now called McGuire Road. There was a little community in the area too. There's an old rock church on the corner of Seltice and McGuire, nearby.
(2) I stopped in downtown Post Falls, Idaho after crossing Spokane Avenue, the site of a busy construction zone. That entire area from the City Hall down to the Spokane River is being redeveloped, starting with this street work. I look forward to learning what more is planned. I already have learned a bit from watching the planning committee meetings which are posted on YouTube. Yay for that!
(3) At the 7-mile marker I stopped to complain about the route. Rather than having a path straight through toward Coeur d'Alene, the trail converts to bike lanes that go through a residential area to the south.
(4) I stopped at the Huetter Rest Area near Coeur d'Alene... it is on the trail, between the North Idaho Centennial Trail and Highway 90. There's a map there of the trail, and I showed where I was standing - about half-way to my destination which was Higgens Point at Blue Creek Bay on Lake Coeur d'Alene. This was the first time I’d seen that the trail ended at Higgens Point… it meant nothing to me then, but it does now, because I’ve been there. A lovely spot but it won’t be on the video… that will be in part five.
Somewhere along that route – I think it was between mile marker seven and mile marker eight, I messed up my low gears, 6 and 7. I’ve had the bike only a month or less… and I accidentally put it in 6, then 7 when I was meaning to shift up toward 1st. Now when I use the lower gears they make a terrible noise. I will have to ask my bike mechanic friend if that can be fixed, or if I need to now consider my new bike a five-speed. Too bad, because I was enjoying the whole range of gears on this bicycle. I guess that will qualify me as some kind of klutz.
Speaking of feeling klutzy… well, it didn’t take long for me to realize that most of the people using this trail are not Sunday bikers. They’re really devoted to cycling, and look like they’re in training for the Iron Man Triathlon. Seriously… these were focused people, mostly young people, who dressed the part and were able to ride their bikes with much more speed than I’d possibly be able to muster.
That said, I am much more speedy than when I started riding again this last May. Back then I could barely ride. If you don’t believe me, check my “First Bike Ride of the Season” video here on the Book Lady channel. I was seriously slow to the point of walking on flat ground rather than riding because it was hard for me! Of course, that was on my other bike too, which wasn’t as rider-friendly as my new bicycle.
I may not be an athlete, but I’ve improved a lot in cycling during the warm months of 2014. If I hadn’t done that, I would never have been able to make this journey along the entire length of the North Idaho Centennial Trail.
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Idaho Centennial Trail – Episode 1: Owyhee Desert
The Idaho Centennial Trail starts at the Owyhee Desert near Murphy Hot Springs. This section of the trail can be very hot in mid June, July, and August. We hit the Owyhee Desert at the end of May and it was not too bad. The Idaho Centennial Trail is flat at this section, very remote, and water is very scarce. We cached water beforehand at three locations, at 15 miles from the Idaho/Nevada border, at the Bengoechea Cabin, and at Bruneau Canyon Overlook.
Even though the terrain is fairly easy, the heat mixed in with the high milage can cause for some hard travel. Make sure you prepare well and cache plenty of water. Storms in the Owyhee desert are very common. Although the storms do not last long, they can drop a lot of rain in a short amount of time.
Hammett, Idaho is the nearest town going north from the southern terminus of the Idaho Centennial trail to get a resupply.
SKIP AROUND TO VIEW PARTS OF VIDEO:
0:13 – Intro
1:21 – Start of Michelle's ankle problems
2:42 – Day 3
4:08 – Michelle decides whether she stays or leaves
5:03 – Day 4
5:22 – Naked hiking
6:21 – Arrival at Hammett
7:08 – Preview to next episode
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My North Idaho Centennial Trail Trip - 3/5 - Spokane River
This is the third segment of my bicycle journey on the North Idaho Centennial Trail… which took place on October 4, 2014. I made a promise to my YouTube viewers, and challenged myself, to take this trip from the Idaho-Washington state line to the end of the trail, 23+ miles east of there. My full mileage for the day was 37 miles… the trail was (as I said) 23+ miles… and I had to backtrack 8+1/2 miles to get to the Post Falls, Idaho bus… plus 2+1/2 miles in the morning to get to the beginning of the trail, then 2+1/2 miles in the evening from the bus stop in front of the Post Falls Library, to my home in the countryside. Long day – but seriously, I was away from home only nine hours in all… so it wasn’t too long. A lot happened in those nine hours! I loved it and should do this more often!
I truly need to get out more. I’m so isolated out here in the countryside… though I have lots of neighbors, I hunger for sight-seeing opportunities. That’s what’s been missing so much since I’ve lived here. I have had some good times (see my videos) but this old woman wants adventure. I’m learning to make that adventure happen via my own hard work… in this case, re-learning how to ride a bicycle and being willing to cycle long-distance so I can see new places and experience new things… or, at least things that are new to me.
You can tell I’m a bit winded when I started this segment of the video. I learned that it didn’t take long to rest to refresh myself. Ten minutes sitting when the riding got too painful, and I was ready to go again. I didn’t want to rest and relax too much because I was worried about getting home at a reasonable time. As it turned out . . . everything worked out perfectly.
I liked this place sitting next to the Spokane River in Coeur d’Alene. It was peaceful and quiet, and the breeze off the lake and river refreshed me – something so important when undertaking a long and painful journey.
Oh, did I mention pain? The bike seat was my main source of pain. That was worse than the exhaustion from riding. I didn’t really get too tired, but that bike seat was torture. I switched out my normal hard bike seat (which matches the bike and is great for short rides) for a memory foam thinner saddle… and covered that with another layer of memory foam. Even all that foam wasn’t enough. I was wishing for padded bike shorts and I’m sure I’ll be getting some before next summer. I have them picked out already – but don’t want to buy them yet… I’m trying to be conservative with my spending these days, and that’s so hard for me.
The orange shirt I was wearing for this ride came from Walmart – bought for only three dollars… a good price. I wanted something bright. Of course that greenish-yellow bright color is best but I didn’t want to have to order a 30 dollar shirt online. Maybe next year. Since so much of the North Idaho Centennial Trail ended up being on bike lanes next to traffic, I would appreciate all the brightness I could get. Most of the more practiced cyclists… those training for races, don’t seem to care about the bright colors. They must be very confident that they’ll be safe, and indeed, there was no time during this journey that I really felt unsafe at all.
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The Idaho Soaktennial Trail's First Thru-soak - A Soaker's Rendition of The Idaho Centennial Trail
Filmed during the first thru-soak of The Idaho Soaktennial Trail, a soaker's rendition of The Idaho Centennial Trail. The IST is a wilderness peak-bagging route that spans +1,100-miles from Nevada to Canada. This trail is also Part 4 of 4 in The Hot Springs Trail book series, a journey which connects 96 hot spring areas.
Official Guidebooks for this adventure are available now at: wholefoodhiker.com
Produced by: Aria Zoner
Soundtrack by: Blakti Sprout, J-Boogie's Dubtronic Science, Spoken Prophets, & Mista Chief
A hike to Post Falls via North Idaho Centennial Trail
This video is about a hike I took to Post Falls, Idaho in mid-April 2014. My main reason for going to Post Falls was to make a bank deposit. Secondary reason: to get more exercise and gain strength for my intended long bike ride later this year. The video starts at McGuire Junction and continues along the North Idaho Centennial Trail to Post Falls... then I show some of the things I saw in Post Falls: the museum, city hall, La Cabana Restaurant, and the library. How could a trip into Post Falls be complete without spending time at the library?
I didn't eat at La Cabana that day... I had my lunch at The White House which serves Mediterranean food; I had a large Greek salad and garlic bread. Recommended. I thought I had video of the restaurant but ... I must have done something wrong there because it didn't show up when I downloaded my videos.
While I walk I listen to audiobooks. The book I was listening to is One Second After by William R. Forstchen, with a foreward by Newt Gingrich. The book is a post-apocalyptic novel about survival after an electro magnetic pulse (EMP) attack. I love reading this genre and am enjoying the novel.
My itinerary for the hike: (1) Enjoy the North Idaho Centennial Trail; (2) Lunch; (3) Bank Deposit; (4) Library; (5) Church service on the way home; (6) Get a ride home from the church with a friend since the service ends after sunset.
It all went as hoped except that on the way home, my feet started hurting badly. Perhaps, because this was my third long walk that week, I'd just reached my limit. I talked to my brother about it on the phone; he suggested I do my walks or bike rides every third day to give my body time to recover each time... and so that will be my schedule for a while until I get stronger. I have some low-impact exercise equipment available to use between walks.
Seen in this video:
McGuire Junction, former site of a town and train station where two railroads met. The Milwaukee Railroad / Idaho and Washington Railroad went north along what is now McGuire Road, and the Coeur d'Alene electric line went east... to Lake Coeur d'Alene. I hope to do another video on this history.
Corbin's Ditch... you can see remnants of it alongside the Spokane River.
Post Falls Museum - it was closed when I got there, so I'll hopefully get back there some other day to see what's inside.
Post Falls City Hall
La Cabana Restaurant
Post Falls Library
That's all I included... I'd like to do separate videos on some of the things listed, especially the historic areas. I love local history... but I want to do a lot more research before doing videos about Post Falls area history. I'm new in this area and have a lot yet to learn.
After I hobbled on painful feet from the library to the church, I listened to my pastor talk about Exodus... we're at the part of the book where all the firstborn in Egypt die because Pharaoh woudn't let God's people go. My pastor teaches the Bible verse by verse rather than giving themed sermons. Best church I've ever been to!
I took this hike on Friday, April 11. Since then I've been too busy to hike anywhere... and this weekend will be the same due to Easter festivities. I have plans for Friday evening, all day Saturday, and all day Sunday - starting with the sunrise service! I will return next week with hopefully some book-talk and more hiking or bike riding... whatever I can get to.
That's it for now.
Here are a few links...
1. Post Falls Library:
2. The White House Restaurant:
3. La Cabana Restaurant:
4. My blog:
5. My friend, Dennis Day's Dreamcatcher which is in Happy Camp, California:
Currently reading:
Audiobook: One Second After (post-apocalyptic novel)
Kindle: Fifty Years in Polygamy (memoir)
Paperback: How To Read a Book (non-fiction)
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I'm the Autobiography and Memoir Contributor at Squidoo.Com . . . here's my main page there:
Centennial Trail- A Northern Idaho Adventure
The first year I went on the Big Idaho Potato Tour we got to spend a little time in the northern part of my state. We took a beautiful bike ride from Post Falls on the Centennial Trail and ended up at Lake Coeur d'Alene. Here we got wet and enjoyed some volleyball on the beach with Afghan refugees.
Travel Movements is a website based on this concept: travel is not only the physical movement of people, but also has the power to move people intellectually, emotionally and spiritually. In other words it changes us and the world with which we interact. I share my advice and experiences while also highlighting some of the best movements from around the web. Join the movement and then start your own.
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Route of the Hiawatha - Scenic Mtn Bike Trail 2017 Visit ID Video by James Bolser
Enjoy a Ride on the Hiawatha Scenic Bike Trail, a 15 mile (all downhill) trail that runs from Taft, MT into Pearson, ID. Rental Bikes, Lights & Helmets are available at Lookout Pass Ski Area, I-90 Exit 0 on the ID/MT border. Trail is appropriate for families with kids of all ages. 5-6 year old kids have pedaled the trail with their parents. LIGHTS are required but can be rented at Lookout Pass. Stop by LOOKOUT PASS to get your TRAIL PASSES, RENTAL BIKES, Helmets, Tag-a-Longs or Burley Trailers for young kids. Rails-to-Trails HALL OF FAME TRAIL, TOP 10 Pick by USA Today, Described as the Most Scenic Rail-to-Trail in America. Make this your summer to ride the Hiawatha and celebrate our 20th Anniversary Season! RideTheHiawatha.com The trail is located on the IPNF, near the ID/MT State Line, nestled deep within the Idaho Panhandle National Forests in North Idaho!
Running the Idaho Centennial Trail | Visit Idaho
Do you have what it takes to journey 960 miles in just 30 days through some of Idaho’s most remote, wild, and scenic country? Get an inside look at a typical day on the Idaho Centennial Trail during this extreme Idaho challenge. #VisitIdaho
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Idaho's Northern Centennial Trail
I suggest you ride this trail from East to West. You go down the mountain range. So much history, year round fun. A good trail in a great trail region. Northern Idaho is a special place.
Trail Of The Couer D' Alene - Idaho
13 or so years ago we rode a portion of the Trail Of The Couer D' Alene. Now we ride the rest of it from Mullan to Kellogg.
Edit: it's been brought to my attention that those are not huckleberries but instead elderberries.
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Idaho Centennial Trail | 2018 | WWT Ep 2: Owyhee Desert
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We backpack the Owyhee Desert. One of the most remote areas in the lower 48. We didn't see a person for almost a week out there. We had to cache water ahead of time in order to make it through. Massive thunderstorms plagued the hike.
Read about the Owyhee Desert here:
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Bicycle ride Centennial Trail from Spokane, Wa to Post Falls, Id Part One
Sorry about the poor viewing angle. I'll adjust my camera mount and try again sometime soon.
Greyhound Park and North Idaho Centennial Trail - 4/8/14 Walk (2)
This video starts with the Greyhound Park and Event Center here in Post Falls, Idaho, and then gives a look at mile two of the North Idaho Centennial Trail. I'm sorry about the wind problem -- I have a camera without a mic jack (hope to upgrade soon) and no wind cutter, so it was a huge audio problem for this series of videos on a windy Post Falls day. This area gets a lot of wind in fall, winter, and spring, but it will probably be gone by summer, as it was last year when I arrived in the area.
The Greyhound Park and Event Center (see link below) is where my chuch will be celebrating Easter at dawn on April 20, along with Calvary Chapels from Coeur d'Alene, Spirit Lake, and Rathdrum (maybe others, I'm not sure.) It should be a large crowd with a lot of amazing music. The music at my church here in Post Falls is beautiful, amazing even, and I know that the other churches will contribute to that as well and I'm looking forward to hearing whatever they bring, and meeting more people there.
On the video I said that the venue is used for Greyhound races. Well, after reading the website, I see it is also used for horse races; also the buildings are used for a variety of other events including swap meets, the Chamber of Commerce, and even the upcoming high school prom will be there!
After looking at that, the video cuts to the North Idaho Centennial Trail, a bike and hiking trail that runs from the Washington/Idaho border (a little over 2 miles west) through Post Falls, and then on to Coeur d'Alene (CDA) here in North Idaho. The trail continues for a few miles after CDA. It is only 24 miles long, and that's why I think I can ride the entire thing in one day, if I can get myself into better condition before the end of the summer of 2014.
I believe that's possible... because last summer I got here on July 1 and started taking a lot of five mile walks due to not having a car. My feet hurt terribly at first but within a few weeks it got easier. Eventually, with the help of friends from the church, I got my bicycle out of storage. I learned to change the tires and fixed the brakes, and started riding it along the trail here.
The longest ride I took last year was only about twelve miles. I rode to Liberty Lake, Washington and back. Another day I rode to the Falls Park in Post Falls, but that ride was only about five miles. One day I hiked from Post Falls to Coeur d'Alene. That day I walked about 14 miles and was in soooo much pain by the time I got home that evening. Seriously, I want to do it again!
So, I have the goal of riding my bike from the Washington / Idaho border all the way through Coeur d'Alene to the end of the trail. I'll probably have to get a motel room and go home the next day. I hope to document this on video, and to do that, want to get a GoPro to attach to the handlebar of my bicycle.
Wish me luck?
Here's the website for the North Idaho Centennial Trail Association:
Greyhound Park and Event Center:
My blog:
Spokane River Centennial State Park Trail
The 40-mile Spokane River Centennial State Park Trail winds through eastern Washington from Nine Mile Recreation Area on Lake Spokane to the Idaho border. The mixed-use trail passes through high desert Ponderosa pine forests, basalt canyons, hip urban centers and cultural heritage sites.
Hardy hikers, cyclists, inline skaters and other foot-powered travelers will find a delightful, insightful adventure on this rural-urban trail. The Riverside State Park section of trail also is horse-friendly.
The trail follows the Spokane River over bridges and trestles, and alongside the tumultuous eddies, large basalt formations and turquoise waters of Riverside State Park; it then heads east through historic downtown Spokane, a welcoming lunch or overnight stop. Keep hoofing or pedaling east into the valley, where Arbor Crest Winery and Antoine Peak views are interspersed with the urban and suburban conveniences of Spokane Valley. Once in Idaho, it is possible to hike or ride all the way to Coeur d’Alene on the North Idaho Centennial Trail.
More than 40 historically significant sites dot the trail, including Slaughter Camp Monument, the place where, in 1858, Colonel George Wright and his troops rounded up and killed 800 Indian horses to discourage future uprisings. Visitors also can see the remains of a Civilian Conservation Corps camp, the site of the 1974 World’s Fair (in Spokane) and the Great Northern Railroad depot clock tower, built in 1902. The Deep Creek Canyon part of the trail is home to fossil beds surveyed by the Center for Northwest Anthropology at Washington State University.
Several trailheads and access points allow visitors to break the route into smaller sections, though many trail users tackle its entire length on a long bike ride or multi-day hike.
The park also plays host to many events – marathons, triathlons, bike races and fundraising walks and runs, making it a great place to meet like-minded fitness buffs.