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Grand Coulee Road Trip, Day Two, Umatilla Rock, Deep Lake, Lenore Caves and a waterfall.


The Grand Coulee is an impressive gorge carved out by ice age floods. It is divided into an upper and lower canyon by dry falls at about the mid point. All of the coulee was dry until the creation of the Grand Coulee Dam. The upper part of the canyon was flooded to create an elaborate irrigation system in the 1930’s. The by product of this is Banks Lake. Day two was in and around the lower canyon which is much drier and is truly a desert.

I got an early start on the day and headed south through the coulee to the Dry Falls Vista roadside to get the lay of the land. Below is Sun Lakes State Park with remnant pothole lakes and interesting rock formations.

In this view you can see Perch Lake and in the middle of the coulee and Umatilla Rock, my next hiking destination just down the road in Sun Lakes State Park.

A long scenic park road brings you to the trailhead for Umatilla Rock right at the south end of that formation. A loop trail starts here.

Umatilla Rock is a maybe two mile basalt wall dividing the floor of the lower Grand Coulee in two. All you would need is a saguaro cactus or two to make you think you’re in Arizona.

The loop takes you by both Perch Lake and Dry Falls Lake.

The trail is beautiful. One of the best I’ve found. It really feels like a desert hike.

The trail winds through basalt rock formations that look like they belong on the moon. I was on the lookout but came across no snakes on the entire hike.

Definitely an interesting geology.

There were a lot of wild flowers along the hike that provided beauty on a smaller and more close up scale.

Here are a couple of photos of them.

It was a nice hike.

The only wildlife I saw was this skinny deer. Oh and the hawk that tried to attack me. If he came back for a third go at me, I think I could have got a great photo.

The loop goes through that notch in the wall. I skipped that part so ended up doing two out and back hikes.

This is that same notch from the other side.

One of the better short hikes I’ve been on in a long time. I imagine it gets awfully hot in the summer.

Another long park road brought me to a bonus surprise. At the end was the access for Deep Lake, the nicest lake in the park. At the small boat ramp after crossing a footbridge and a grove of cottonwoods, a trail follows the shore of a beautiful lake.

This lake seems to be a popular place to kayak. If I get the chance I would love to do so, but it’s almost a three hour haul from my house.

The water was crystal clear and the colors amazing.

It looked like there was a trail on the other side that really climbed above the lake. Maybe a challenge for another day.

My last stop in the Grand Coulee was at the Lake Lenore Caves site. Here is the view across the lake from the trailhead.

The trail up the cliff side featured some elaborate steps.

The “caves” are really just rock overhands carved in to the basalt by ancient flood waters.

Here is the view from inside the largest one I found. The trail continues but it was time to head home.

Instead of wild flowers here, I had to settle for colorful lichens.

So on the return trip I took a new route along State Road 28 through farm country. A side trip brought me to one last surprise.

A waterfall in the middle of nowhere. No one else was here and they had a nice little park on the lake too.

The lake the falls drops into looked amazing with clear cool water. Numerous signs prohibited entering the water that looked so inviting.

An explanation could be found in one of the most sobering memorials I’ve seen. In 1978 I was a seventeen year old boy.

It was a beautiful place. Summer Falls as it is called, is part of the path used to move water from the Grand Coulee Dam to Moses Lake and all of the irrigated farmland around it. I imagine the site originally had a small seasonal water fall before it was incorporated in to the project.

The morning started with sunrise at Steamboat Rock at 5:00 AM. Twelve hours after leaving Summer Falls a drive through more farmland ended when I returned to metro Spokane. The Grand Coulee is an amazing place to explore and a great place for my first of hopefully many post retirement trips.

Grand Coulee Road Trip, Day One, Giant Arch Cave, a return to Northrup Canyon and camping at Steamboat Rock State Park.

The Grand Coulee is an impressive gorge carved out by ice age floods. It is divided into an upper and lower canyon by dry falls at about the mid point. All of the coulee was dry until the creation of the Grand Coulee Dam. The upper part of the canyon was flooded to create an elaborate irrigation system in the 1930’s. The by product of this is Banks Lake. Day one was in and around the upper canyon.

It’s a two hour drive east from my house to Grand Coulee mostly through what looks a lot like midwestern farm land. A lot of this farmland is made possible because of the Grand Coulee Dam and the irrigation system it feeds.

When I arrived to the town of Grand Coulee and the site of the dam of the same name, I drove up the opposite side and continued west for about eight miles until I turned south on Barker Canyon Road. The road is a steep gravel that descends into the Grand Coulee on what turns into a winding dirt road.

At this point you’re across Banks Lake from Steamboat Rock State Park. This area is managed by the State Park and a Discover Pass is required.

Ahead I caught my first glimpse of my destination, Giant Arch Cave. Arches like these are common on the side walls of the Grand Coulee but this is maybe the largest one. You can see it across the lake from Steamboat Rock and I always wanted a closer look.

A dirt double tracked trail leads towards the arch. I drove my truck as far as I dared to shorten the walk. It was a very rough trail and I don’t want to beat up my ride too much. I ended up walking the last mile and a half.

The last few hundred feet to the cave involved scrambling over basalt boulders and was extremely steep. Even though the walk was short, the last part of it was difficult enough to make it quite the workout.

Here’s the view I came for. There’s no real cave at the back of the arch, just an enormous overhang.

On the way back I came across several snakes including these two intertwined on the road. None of them had rattles on the ends of their tails. Numerous signs are posted through out the area warning of the danger of rattlesnakes. Glad I didn’t come across any of them.

So I retraced my trip to the dam and then headed south on State Road 155 towards my next destination. By now the wind had really kicked up and I was glad I left my kayak at home. The drive along this road is one of the most scenic ones in Washington with lots of pull outs at view points. This one is at Northrup Point.

After checking in to my site at the campground at the base of Steamboat Rock I returned to Northrup Canyon across the highway from Northrup Point to do an expanded version of a hike I posted about from last March. First on the list was the Old Wagon Road Trail that I skipped last time. It branches off from the main train just past the parking area.

This trail quickly gains elevation while climbing the south rim of the canyon and the views across to the north rim are impressive.

Although it gains a lot of elevation, the grade is very consistent and not too strenuous. Behind you are views back to Banks Lake. Steamboat Rock is the closer formation. The Giant Arch Cave would be all the way across the lake.

After a mile or so you are high above the canyon floor.

Below you can see the farmstead that is the destination of many hikers.

At the point where you finally get near the top of the canyon, the trail turns south in a draw and kind of just fades out. After awhile it looked more like a game trail so I called it good and headed back down.

Its much drier at the top with pretty much only sage brush and wild flowers covering most of the ground. It would have been nice to have the trail end at a more defined spot like one last scenic overlook.

This place will have to make do as my end point. At least it was all down hill back to the trailhead.

A two hour round trip got me back to the starting point. The views on the way down were just as nice as those on the way up. Now it was time to repeat my hike from last March to the farmstead and then push on further.

If you want to see more photos from this part of the hike, they can be found here on my post from early spring. The three mile round trip to the farmstead is very scenic, easy and family friendly.

The trail continues another mile and a half past the old chicken coop at the farmstead.

This continuation was much steeper than the rest of the trail system. In fact it gains the same elevation three and four times which is frustrating for the hiker. The trail does not seem to even try to follow a contour line.

After a steep climb leading away from the old farm, you get to go down steep grades and then get to climb them again.

At the bottom of a couple of these grades are small wetlands which aren’t that common in what is technically a desert. There is a small lake at the end of the trail down another really steep grade. I was tired of reclimbing all of these descents so I skipped the last few hundred feet.

Up high there were a couple of nice flat sections of trail through open ponderosa pine forest. I called it good and retraced my steps back to the trailhead.

On the way back past the farm and beyond I was entertained by about the thickest population of rock chucks (marmots) that I’ve ever came across.

As the day ended, I returned to the campground at Steamboat Rock and enjoyed the view of the setting sun lighting up the east wall of the Grand Coulee. This time I skipped hiking to the top of the rock. I had enough for one day.

And so ended the first day of the road trip.

The Palouse Cascade Trail, part 1 Pine Creek and Rock Lake.

Today I hiked a short but scenic stretch of the Palouse Cascade Trail from Hole in the Ground Road outside of the small community of Pine City to the high bridge on Rock Lake that has been closed by the State of Washington.

On the way I stopped outside of Rosalia to snap a picture of this amazing viaduct. The Milwaukee Road was once one of the five transcontinental railroads but was abandoned decades ago. Most of he old railroad right of way was acquired by the State of Washington and is managed as the Palouse Cascade State Park.

At the place were Hole in the Ground Road crosses the trail there is a wide shoulder that you can park on. There is signage both directions and it was nice to know how far I was going to be walking.

About half a mile in you come to Pine Creek Bridge #7. At this location a couple of rail cars derailed and are still here to this day.

The old railroad bed follows Pine Creek.

Pine Creek is a scenic little stream.

After the railroad bridge, the trail passes through cuts in the basalt rock.

As you continue, the rock walls become more impressive.

As the creek drops, the railroad bed stays level and after awhile you are far above it and the views get even better.

It wouldn’t be an abandoned railroad without a tunnel or two. A deep cut in the rocks leads you to the entrance.

The tunnel is curved and you cannot see light from the other side when you first enter it. If you persevere and walk in as far as you can see, you will come to a point where you can see light from the other end.

On the other side there are stunning views of basalt cliffs framing the Pine Creek Valley. The bottom of the valley is farmland. These over sized canyons were formed by ice age floods as the tiny creeks in them could never produce the power to carve out the gorges.

Soon you will catch a glimpse of the north end of Rock Lake. This three and a half mile walk is on the boundary of the Palouse Prairie, a rich wheat farming area with rolling hills and the Channeled Scablands, the place where ancient flood waters scoured the land down to bedrock.

The views of Rock lake open up. This is a fascinating body of water. The largest natural lake in eastern Washington it is over four hundred feet deep and almost surrounded by steep cliffs making access very limited.

Opposite from the lake the cliffs seem to get even bigger.

Rock Lake has a vibe. There is even a legend about a lake monster and stories of derailed railcars on the bottom. Due to it being orientated with the prevailing summer wind, the lack for sheltered bays, limited places you can even land a boat and submerged basalt pinnacles boaters are strongly cautioned and kayaking discouraged.

It is hard to relate just how big these cliffs are and how big the waves can get when the scabland winds blow over miles of lake water.

This is an epic landscape. It is amazing they built a railroad through here a hundred and twenty years ago. The Milwaukee Road failed largely due to it being routed through such remote country. The railroad through Montana, Idaho and Washington was abandoned in 1980.

Near the end of the passable part of the trail impressive cliffs with basalt arches dominate the far shore.

This bridge is fenced off and posted by the State of Washington. I crossed it about seven years ago and it was sketchy back then. A second tunnel is just beyond and another mile or so down the line a section of the railroad easement reverted to private ownership and it is blocked at that point. I raised my camera above the chain-link fence to get a decent shot of the bridge.

So I turned around and walked the three and a half miles back to my car. That’s when I read the sign. The sign on the other side of the road mentioned that the trail was closed that direction due to the decks of four bridges being destroyed during a devastating wild fire a few years ago. It would be nice to get those rebuilt along with the deck of the bridge I had to stop at.

The Palouse Cascade Trail spans the entire state of Washington and ends just a few miles from the Trail of the Coeur d’Alene’s which almost spans the Idaho panhandle. The Hiawatha Trail is also an abandoned section of the Milwaukee Road. I hope to check other sections of the Palouse Cascade Trail in the near future. The section I walked today is one of the most beautiful and interesting trails I have ever explored. I went back recently and more photos can be found here.

Kayaking on Twin Lakes.

For todays adventure I returned to one of my favorite places to kayak, Twin Lakes Idaho. Twin Lakes is about four miles north of Rathdrum and twenty minutes away from my house.

It was overcast and breezy when I arrived at the small Kootenai County launch at the end of Par 3 Road. I like to use this ramp as there is no trailer parking causing most boaters to use one of the other two ramps on the lakes. Immediately I noticed that the water level was still very high from the melt off from this spring.

I cut across Lower Twin to the western and much less developed shore line and paddled north.

The east side of Lower Twin is heavily developed mostly with vacation cabins. The west side is much more scenic.

Some of the cliffs on the west side are significant.

The few cabins on the west shore of the lake are boat in only as there is no access by road to it. Some of them are very rustic.

Like these two.

At the north end of the lake a private bridge separates it from the Narrows, a shallow body of water that connects to Upper Twin Lake. Another boat ramp with parking and a vault toilet is located just past the bridge.

Exiting the Narrows you are treated to views of Upper Twin and the mountains that surround it. By now the wind had died completely and there were no other boats on the lake. Unlike Lower Twin which is long, narrow and relatively deep, Upper Twin is almost round and much shallower.

In the center above the smaller hills you can see the top of Mount Spokane where I hiked yesterday still with some snow at the summit.

I cut across the lake towards the southwest corner and the extensive lily pad flats and marsh land. As on Lower Twin one side , the north is heavily developed while the south side has only a smattering of boat in only cabins.

Like this one.

This is one of my happy places. Sometimes I’ll stop here to eat a snack and appreciate the view.

All good things come to an end and this is the end of the lake.

Now for the return trip through the Narrows.

Three hours after I started, I arrived back at the boat ramp. By now it was starting to drizzle. I beat the weather again.

A photo of my favorite landing spot on one of the few places along the shore that is not posted. I believe this section is owned by Inland Empire Paper. Notice I have thirteen years worth of invasive weed stickers from the State of Idaho. I’ve been on this lake at least once all of those years. FYI, the stickers are required in Idaho as part of the state’s efforts to prevent invasive species from out waterways. They cost $7.00 for kayaks.

Twin Lakes is in my opinion the best of Kootenai County’s small lakes for kayaking. There are still some nice undeveloped parts of the shoreline on both lakes and both lakes provide completely different experiences.

Mt Spokane State Park, Quartz Mountain Lookout and the Vista House.

Yesterday, I visited Mt. Spokane State Park for the first time in over a decade. This state park located about an hour from my house and forty-five minutes from downtown Spokane has three peaks over five thousand feet the tallest of which is Mt. Spokane, the the highest point in the county at 5883 feet above sea level.

I started my hike at the Selkirk Lodge and headed away from Mt. Spokane towards Quartz Mountain, the third highest summit in the park. As I left the trailhead, there were nice views of Mt. Spokane behind me complete with communication towers and snow fields.

The trail was for the most part a service road to the fire look out with several parallel Nordic ski trails for those looking for more solitude. The climate up here is close to a temperate rain forest.

Being spring, there are plenty of wild flowers to appreciate along the way.

Near the summit you will pass by evidence that miners searched the mountain for gold. Gold is often found with quartz and there is a lot of quartz near the top. I don’t think they ever found gold through. I saw a couple of shafts and tunnels on a side trail.

At the top there is an old fire look out tower that is now rented by the state park for campers. The stairs were gated and locked. The view was a little disappointing as the trees east, north and west of the top were just tall enough to block it. It would have been nice to be able to climb the ten feet or so to the balcony.

The view towards the south however were very nice towards Newman and Hauser Lakes. The prominence in the center of the horizon is Mica Peak Idaho, AKA Signal Point close to where I hiked yesterday at Cable Creek.

The quartz boulders made for a pretty foreground with the Spokane Valley far in the distance.

A better view of Newman Lake with Mica Peak Washington in the background. Spokane County has large conservation holdings both on the north end of Newman Lake and on Mica Peak.

The trip was only about four and a half miles with maybe five hundred feet of elevation gain. Not quite enough to justify the hour long drive.

So I decided to walk to the top of Mount Spokane itself. The first mile or so was on a very nice single track through some old growth forest.

Parts were steep and the trail took me out to the main park road at a campground which was closed for the season. I continued up the main park road.

So a wise guy asked me why I would walk up the mountain when they have a perfectly good motor road to the top and ski lifts as well. Well it is spring time in the Inland Northwest so ski season is over and the road is still closed to vehicles, so that was my only option. It was kind of nice to focus on the views and not worry about driving a vehicle.

Turned out parts of the road were still covered in snow above 5500 feet. Above the tree line the views kept getting better and better.

Not enough snow to cover the ski runs though. Mount Spokane is a winter sports destination with Nordic skiing, downhill skiing and snowshoe trails. The season ended a couple of months ago. Summer season begins an a couple of weeks when they open the road.

Areas where the snow has melted revealed a rocky alpine landscape with stunted trees.

The views from the summit are impressive. That’s Spirit Lake below, a place I enjoy kayaking with the snow capped Montana Cabinet Mountains on the horizon.

In this view you can see a sliver Upper Twin Lake and Mount Rathdrum where I hiked a week ago. I ended up walking about twelve miles with something close to a two thousand foot elevation gain. Tomorrow, I think I might give my legs a break and break out the kayak instead.

At the very top of the mountain you will find the Vista House. This is a nice place to linger and enjoy the views.

When the snow finally melts this will be a much more crowded place.

You get to enjoy the same views on the way down as you did going up. Once again I used my Discover Pass which has now very much more than paid for it self. Between this hike and yesterdays at Cable Creek I ended up walking for over ten hours, half of that up hill. Definitely looking at kayaking the next couple of days.

Cable Creek Idaho

Todays hike was on a site owned and managed by the Idaho Department of Lands. IDL for short, manages thousands of acres of forest land primarily to make a profit and support public education in the state. Compatible outdoor recreation is allowed, but not the focus of this agency. Never the less, they provide public ownership of some very nice parcels of forest land which I use to my advantage.

This 640 acre parcel is located on the Washington State Line a few miles south of Interstate 90 and within fifteen minutes of my house. It has been one of my go to spots for hiking for many years. I call it Cable Creek because that is the name of the perennial stream that flows through it.

After crossing the name sake creek on what can only be described as a logging road, the trail continues up hill through a series of switch backs with views of Shasta Butte, AKA Big Rock. On todays visit I discovered a couple of new logging roads that added nothing to the experience.

Because this is a “working” forest, parts of the property have been clear cut with the pluses and minuses that come with that. Obviously the minus is no trees or shade in places. The pluses are that you do get open views across the valley. That is Rathdrum Mountain ten or so miles away. I hiked there last week.

Also full sunlight is beneficial for wild flowers including lupines.

And these guys.

Some folks hate walking on logging roads. I don’t mind them. The grade is more consistent and they’re wide enough so you can walk side by side if you have company. Obviously this is an older photo from last winter. The relatively low elevation makes for a longer hiking season.

Near the top of the property, there are nice views of nearby Liberty Lake and the Spokane Valley beyond. On a clear day you can see downtown Spokane about twenty miles away.

The ridge top trail is a single track near the high point of the property. IDL constantly battles with ATV’ers trying to close unofficial trails some of which are well sited and built. The Liberty Lake ORV Park is just across the invisible line between the properties and therefore a lot of dirt bikes find their way on to the Idaho side. I really don’t mind them. They’re always polite when they go by and I don’t mind sharing.

The high point of the hill is literally twenty feet past the property line and is well posted. I don’t generally condone trespassing, but give me a break. The view from here is amazing and you would have plenty of time to skedaddle if you hear ATV’s coming.

the high point is beautiful with views of Mica Peak Washington, Signal Point Idaho and Shasta Butte.

On the way down you are treated to more views of Liberty Lake. Spokane County has an amazing park on the south end of the lake with trails to waterfalls and Mica Peak Washington. Unfortunately they closed the park this summer for a complete overhaul. As soon as they are done, I will be returning to it.

Here is an interesting tree off of the trail. Looks like a two for one.

Due to logging operations the views are more extensive than you would expect. That is Newman Lake in the distance. Spokane County has another conservation area on the north side of the lake that I will probably post about before the summer is over.

Finally here is a photo I took last winter while hiking here. Again that is Shasta Butte, AKA Big Rock. I used to hike to the top of that prominence, but in recent years the new owners have decided to confront visitors. You would think they would be okay with sharing the views but whatever. Thankfully there’s still a lot of public property to explore.

My oldest daughter discovered this hidden gem over a decade ago and then dragged me out there for a hike. Since then I probably walked this site five or six times a year. It’s close by and the views are awesome. IDL has several other sites in the area some of which are well worth exploring as well.

Kayaking Lake Fernan

My first post retirement post

Today I launched my kayak at the Fernan boat ramp on the west end of the lake which is managed by Kootenai County Parks and Waterways. The ramp is about four blocks off of the Interstate 90 exit with East Sherman Avenue in Coeur d’Alene. Fernan Lake is connected to much larger Lake Coeur d’Alene by a short stream which unfortunately is blocked off by a privately owned dam making it impossible to kayak from one to the other.

Lake Fernan is a very popular fishing lake. Due to water quality issues it is not often visited by water skiers or wake boarders. Kayakers and fishermen get along well together.

The lake is long and narrow. The south shore opposite the boat ramp is entirely undeveloped due to the extremely steep topography. Also a city natural area and a section of state owned forest land protect parts of the south shore.

This lake should be visited in May or June. Later in the summer it suffers from extreme blue/green algae blooms every year. Because of this, many people discount this body of water not realizing that the water quality in spring is actually pretty good. A group called the Fernan Lake Recreation and Conservation Association works to increase public awareness of the problem and find solutions.

At the east end of the lake a small creek feeds in to the lake and there is another launch area for kayaks and small boats.

The east end of the lake contains some extensive lilly pad flats. Sometimes there is interesting wildlife to see.

Like this guy. I got to watch this moose walk around the marsh land and swim in the lake. Saw Bald Eagles and Great Blue Herons today as well, but didn’t get a decent photo of any of the birds. Paddling against the wind and while taking pictures of wildlife that refuses to stay still is a challenge.

On the way back, I stuck to the north shore which has a well maintained paved forest service road along it. There are numerous pull outs for people to park that are well used by fishermen. It is nice to see families enjoying the outdoors together.

Kayaking Lake Fernan is a nice little adventure because of it’s proximity to downtown Coeur d’Alene and the surprising variety of scenery for such a small lake. The lake is less than two miles long and maybe a quarter of a mile wide. I try to hit this little gem at least once a year and as I said it needs to be in the spring to avoid the unpleasant algae blooms when the water heats up.

A year later I returned for another trip on this little lake.

I paddled to the far east end of the lake where I landed on a beach that is owned by the Idaho Department of Lands, and enjoyed the view back towards the west.

When I returned to the east end of the lake, I decided to paddle through the culvert beneath Interstate 90. Because of the reflection it almost appears that you’re floating through the tunnel.

I made it through and wanted to tackle a second culvert underneath Lake Coeur d’Alene Drive but as the water was low I had to turn around here. I was glad the culvert was twelve and a half feet wide as my kayak is twelve feet long and I didn’t want to get out.

So I was soon back to Lake Fernan and right by the boat ramp IO launched from. It was two hours of time well spent.

Lake Fernan usually has severe blue/green algae blooms this time of the year, however for some reason so far this year the water quality hasn’t been too bad. It has been a mild summer so far.

Rathdrum Mountain

I hiked on Rathdrum Mountain last weekend. This local favorite is twenty minutes from my house and is one of the trifecta of awesome natural areas owed and managed by local cities in Kootenai County along with Coeur d’Alene’s Tubbs Hill and Post Fall’s Qemilin Park. Rathdrum Mountain Park is owned and maintained by the City of Rathdrum, Kootenai County’s fourth largest city.

The trailhead is surrounded by a lush cedar forest with some very large trees. A perennial creek flows through this forest.

There are several small creeks along the hike and in the spring time parts of the trail can be muddy.

The main trail is named Storm King Parkway. It is an old service road that winds through an impressive forest with many extremely large trees. This cedar is the largest I have found and it’s difficult to appreciate the size of it by taking a picture.

Further up the trail, more open ponderosa pine forest provide a drier contrast to the damp cedar woods usually found along the streams.

The more open forest has an abundance of wild flowers at different times of the year.

Most of the first three miles of the hike are heavily wooded, but occasionally openings in the canopy provide glimpses of the open slopes higher on the mountain.

On the way up there are a couple of views out over the town of Rathdrum and of the prairie beyond it.

After about an hour and a half, I made it to the open slopes on the east side of the mountain. This is where the views really open up.

In the far background, you can see part of Lake Coeur d’Alene. The tiny bump right in front of the lake is Tubbs Hill.

Across the valley is Mica Peak, a prominent mountain just past Post Falls. Qemilin Park is near the base of those distant mountains.

The rocky slopes are beyond the city owned property. Most of the land up here is owned either by the Idaho Department of Lands or timber companies like Inland Empire Paper. You can buy day use and seasonal passes to hike Inland Empire Paper lands from various vendors in the area or on line here.

This was my turnaround point after two and a half hours of hiking and pausing to admire the views and gaining about 1500 feet of elevation. You are still miles and a thousand feet short of the summit and through previous experience, I found there is no practical way to get to the top from this direction.

After five hours of walking it was good to be back down among the giant cedars near the trailhead.

No hike to the Rathdrum Mountain Park would be complete without saying goodbye to fellow that runs the place.

I love this hike. It’s long enough to really stretch your legs on and very easy to get to. On the way back, check out Westwood Brewing Company in the town of Rathdrum if you have a chance.

The Centennial Trail, the Urban Core.

The Centennial Trail is really two trails that join together at the Washington and Idaho state line. The trail on the Washington side of the state line is officially known as the Spokane River Centennial Trail as it pretty much follows the river through the entire county. A couple of weeks ago, I posted a ride from the Idaho state line to Millwood. That is my favorite stretch, however it will be closed for the near future for a much needed rebuilding. Today I opted to ride the ten miles or so through the City of Spokane. It had been a few years since I had ridden this section.

I started my adventure at the John Shields Trailhead near the base of Beacon Hill. This Spokane County park site is very popular with rock climbers and mountain bikers. For me it was just convenient.

Immediately the rider is rewarded with views of Upriver Dam, a hydro-electric facility owned and operated by Avista Utilities, the main power provider for the Inland Northwest. Avista has some competition from Kootenai Electric and Inland Power, But they are the big dogs on the block and their footprint along this trail is extensive.

The first couple of miles are underwhelming to say the least. Mostly bike lanes on relatively busy Upriver Drive. At least it’s a way to get from Point A to B.

Three to four miles in, I was treated to this curveball. The Spokane North-South Freeway is under construction and the detour was poorly marked. That being said, this is a much needed improvement to the local highway system. At least they installed a signalized light so I could cross Greene Street.

Since my last trip on this section a major improvement was made. Avista paid to remove a road and create a short parkway on what used to be one of the least pleasant sections of the trail.

This short section passes an old power substation and the kind of cool International style administration building for Avista.

I took a brief detour here over the old Iron Bridge that is now a bike/pedestrian trail in an attempt to go to Liberty Park and the Ben Burr Trail. I got discouraged by the maze of dead ends in an old industrial area so gave up.

Then I rode over the Gateway Bridge on the Washington State University Spokane campus.

After returning to the Centennial Trail you get to ride through the campus for Gonzaga University home to a noted law school and the best basketball in the west.

Next is Riverfront Park, Spokane’s signature public space full of amazing views and interesting artwork.

In 1974 this park was built specifically to host a worlds fair. Here is the site of what was the United States pavilion. The cable skeleton that supported the roof of the building is now an iconic landmark.

This used to be the location of railroad yards and other industrial buildings. They saved the clock tower from the old train station and it is now a landmark.

To be honest, I was prepared to write a negative review of this wonderful park based on my last visit there half a year ago. At that time homeless drug addicts were camping in the park and graffiti defaced many of the art pieces. Kuddos to the Spokane Parks Department and all others who cleaned up this mess.

Heading west out of Riverfront Park, the trail passes beneath the beautiful Monroe Street Bridge and enters Kendall Yards, a new urbanist mixed use development. As part of the development they preserved almost all of the river bank as public space and built a bike trail above it with amazing views.

The further you head west the better the views are.

At the 26 mile marker I turned around. I was getting close to Doomsday Hill and didn’t want to climb back up it. At that point there is still a short on road section before the trail enters Riverside State Park. I will have to explore that section soon.

The Trail of the Coeur d’Alene’s, Biking through the Silver Valley.

The eastern twenty miles or so of the Trail of the Coeur d’Alene’s is often over shadowed by the more rural and extremely scenic eastern two thirds of the trail. However this is a favorite ride of mine because of all the small towns it passes through and for the challenge of climbing the grade from Wallace to Mullan.

I started todays ride in Kellogg at the base of Silver Mountain. One of the worlds longest single stage gondolas hauls skiers to the top in the winter and is open in the summer on weekends for tourist. The top of the mountain is over three thousand feet above the town and the Silver Mountain Resort.

Kellogg is the largest town and the economic center of the Silver Valley. Unfortunately it has not been very successful in remaking its image from a center of the mining industry to that of a true winter sports destination. The bare bones are there with an easily accessible nice ski resort, tons of old historic buildings and a good infrastructure but old downtown (uptown) is kind of depressing.

There is a nice park and trailhead along the abandoned railroad through the city and the old depot is now a visitor center. Within a mile or so, you’re outside of town and the trail runs along the south bank of the South Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River.

The area has a rural look.

The South Fork is pretty to look at, but isn’t really used recreationally. It was heavily polluted by the mining industry decades ago and all of the major towns in the valley are on it as is their storm water runoff. The North Fork and Little North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River are a different story and are extremely popular with fishermen, tubers and all outdoor enthusiasts.

Interstate 90 parallels the trail through out the Silver Valley. It is almost always within ear shot and often visible from Kellogg to Wallace, but for the most part is separated by the river and/or the small towns themselves from the trail. It does however provide easy access for the public.

The next town is Osburn. Unlike Kellogg which is an aspiring ski resort and Wallace with it’s amazing historic district, Osburn is simply a place were working class folks live and raise families. It has a small business district north of the trail and residential areas south of it. A large local park greets you as you enter the town limits.

The small downtown and laid back feeling of the place reminds me of a Midwest farm town, but hardrock mining is what made this town.

Between Kellogg and Osburn and just north of the trail on Big Creek Road you will find a somber memorial to one of the worst industrial disasters in American history. The Sunshine Mine Fire still resonates in the valley. I remember hearing about it in the news when I was a kid. Most everyone who grew up here lost a loved one or had friends who did.

An interpretive sign gives a brief explanation of what happened. I highly recommend those who are interested to do some research on this event.

After riding through Osburn, the trail passes through more rural areas before the next town.

The next town is more like a small community. It isn’t incorporated and is across the interstate from the trail requiring a side trip. Silverton is however fascinating. It has some legitimate historic buildings and as it’s some of the only flat ground around, Wallace High School few couple of miles to the east uses it as the location for their sports fields.

I don’t know what the building in the upper picture is currently used for. The lower picture is of Silverton Mountain Manor, a boutique hotel and restaurant.

Continuing into Wallace, you cross the South Fork on this old railroad bridge. There is a business that makes industrial fiberglass duct work next to it and they installed their own interpretive sign to explain what they do. Very cool.

In Wallace the trail is located under the viaduct for Interstate 90. Wallace was the last place the interstate was completed and original plans called for leveling much of the downtown historic district. Opposition was so intense that the powers that be decided to build the highway over an active railroad line instead. Fun fact, a model of this viaduct was used in the eruption scenes from the movie Dante’s Peak which was largely filmed in and around Wallace.

This is some of what they saved by building the highway over the railroad. Wallace is amazing. In addition to being the county seat, the place has some most excellent shopping and dining. More on that later.

So only a few years later the railroad was abandoned and we ended up with a “covered” bike trail, at least for half a mile or so. I found refuge here years ago during a rare summer thunder storm.

From Wallace to Mullan, the trail begins a steep ascent. Even though this is still an old railroad grade, it is a six mile grind up the hill. Soon after Wallace you will pass the Restless Waters rest stop with restrooms and picnic tables.

The last six miles of the trail in addition to being very steep, is also located much closer to Interstate 90. That’s the highway bridge in the background and an old abandoned local road bridge I’m taking the photo from with the bike trail bridge in the middle.

Even then mostly the highway is buffered by the creek or a band of forest, giving a respite from the traffic noise.

Well not always. Sometimes the road is right next to the trail. The good news is you’re either working so hard to climb the grade or flying so fast down it that you don’t have time to think about it.

Finally you get the the last town on the trail. M is for Mullan. Mullan is a real mining town. One of the last big silver mines in the valley is the main employer. All along the trail you see evidence of the mining industry’s past, here you can see the present.

Mullan is the real deal. Nothing fake or made up about this place. It is where the miners live and raise their families.

The trail officially ends where you enter Mullan but you can continue to ride on the Northern Pacific trail through town. The bike trail does end at the football field for the Mullan High School Tigers, complete with paw prints. Just beyond is the Lucky Friday Mine.

Now it’s time to fly or coast depending on what motivates you the six miles or so to Wallace and then the rest of the way to Kellogg.

Well with one stop at one of my favorite places to indulge in a well deserved beer. After all they brew their own and if you’re hungry the food is amazing too. The City Limits Brew Pub one block north of the trail. More photos can be found at the website for the Friends of the Trail of the Coeur d’Alene’s.