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Riverside State Park, part 2 Deep Creek Canyon and Pine Bluff.

Today I made a return visit to Riverside State Park just west of Spokane to check out a couple of hikes for the first time. The trailheads for both hikes are located off of Seven Mile Road and are only a couple of miles apart. As always I used my Discovery Pass to cover the entrance fee. It has more than paid for itself and it’s only April.

I started at the upper trailhead for Deep Creek Canyon and at the parking area their is a nice view of Pine Bluff. The hike started on what used to be a gravel park motor road, but is now closed to vehicles.

There are trails that connect Deep Creek Canyon to the Pine Bluff trail system for those who desire more of a challenge. Both hikes by themselves are easy each being only two or three miles and with moderate elevation gains. I highly recommend hiking boots. The basalt rocks are sharp and athletic shoes just don’t cut it.

A few hundred feet down the gravel road I turned left on trail #25 and descended to the bottom of the canyon and immediately climbed back up on the opposite side. The canyon was completely dry.

At the rim you have a choice between staying on trail #25 to the left or turning right on trail #411 also called the Interpretive Loop Trail. I opted for the latter and was soon greeted by stark basalt rock formations.

In the distance you can see where the canyon ends on shore of Nine Mile Reservoir the body of water created by the dam of that name on the Spokane River.

These monoliths were home to hundreds of sparrows.

The trail slowly descends through a basalt wasteland. Parts of it reminded me of Craters of the Moon in southern Idaho.

At the bottom of the canyon near its termination on the shore of the lake the habitat changes significantly with cottonwoods and birch trees becoming more common. There is an old rest stop here that apparently was used by tourist back when the shoreline road hosted vehicular traffic.

This bridge is now used only for non-motorized travel and is part of the Centennial Trail. The water beneath it is backwater from the lake, Deep Creek was completely dry. Here I hiked a few hundred feet east on the road and then turned right on the old park road to the Deep Creek Canyon Overlook.

This used to be pull out for cars before the road became a non-motorized trail. Three quarters of a mile and I was back at the trailhead.

My next stop was the second of two trailheads for Pine Bluff. The parking areas was only big enough for three cars. An easy hike on a confusing and poorly marked trail system soon brought me to outstanding views of the lake.

Across the valley you can see Knothead Mountain where I hiked a few weeks ago and in the far distance Mount Spokane, the tallest peak in Spokane County at 5883 feet above sea level.

The updrafts created by the cliffs are used by all kinds of birds including Ravens, Ospreys, Eagles and Vultures.

The trail skirts some shear cliffs with outstanding views.

The open flower covered meadows were visually appealing and the flat trail very easy to negotiate.

Same area, but a different view.

They even have some nice benches up there from which to enjoy the views to the east.

The return to the trailhead was short and easy. These hiking options are suitable for a wide range of abilities and the location just outside of Spokane makes for an easy day, or half day trip.

Spokane River Centennial Trail

My last ride on the eastern most fourteen miles of the Spokane River Centennial Trail, at least for a while.

The Centennial Trail in the Spokane-Coeur d’Alene area is actually two separate trails that join together at the Idaho and Washington state-line. The trail in Washington is officially known as the Spokane River Centennial Trail and travels west from the state-line forty miles to and through Riverside State Park. The first fourteen miles of the trail is essentially a parkway along the trails namesake river and has no road crossings at grade making for a safe and enjoyable ride.

I recently found out that this fourteen mile stretch of trail will be closed to the public from April 15th (tomorrow) until sometime in mid or late summer for a much needed overhaul and rebuilding. The trail was originally built in the early 1990’s and since then the surface, despite regular maintenance has deteriorated. A multi agency project funded by the State of Washington, other stake holders and grant money will repair damaged sections of the trail as well as providing a fresh layer of asphalt over the entire length of the fourteen miles.

The sign at the Harvard Road trailhead gives a completion date of early June, however someone in the know told me it may be closed until mid July and another source said they hope to have all the work completed by Labor Day. Either way, I won’t be riding this trail in the near future again, so I made it a point to make this the first ride of the season and I couldn’t have picked a better day, mid seventies and clear skies.

This part of bike trail has been my go to for exercise and relaxation for seventeen years. All three of my addresses since moving to Idaho were less than a mile from the trail and I probably have ridden this section close to a hundred times. I was looking forward to riding it daily after my impending retirement, but will find other bike trips to burn the calories. I can’t wait to see the finished product. Smooth pavement will be nice.

Heading west, I soon came to the Barker Road bridge and trailhead. Here you will find one of the only steep grades on the trail. As I said, there are no at grade road crossings. The trail passes under the bridge.

The trail is always next to the river and most of it goes through a nice mixture of ponderosa pine forest and more open habitat types.

Parts of the river have pretty decent rapids and in high water kayaks are often seen practicing around the rocks. Later in the season, this section of the river is popular with tubers relaxing while floating down stream.

Occasionally Mother Nature throws us a curve ball, but the folks who maintain the trail are on top of it.

After passing by the Spokane Valley Mall the rider passes under the first of two railroad bridges. Spokane is a major rail hub. This is the Union Pacific line, the less busy main line in the region.

Approaching Mirabeau Point Park, the trail enters a particularly scenic area. This beautiful park is owned and maintained by the City of Spokane Valley.

There are restrooms, picnic areas , parking and even a very pretty fake waterfall in this park.

After Mirabeau Park is the second rail bridge, this time the BNSF main line. They were in the middle of adding a second bridge to double track this busy section when work suddenly stopped. A little birdie told me that they needed the money for the CEO’s bonus. Building Back Better, I guess.

Next you come to the biggest hill on the trail and amazing views of the cliffs across the river at Arbor Crest, an event venue that has great views of the valley, trail and the river.

At the bottom of the hill you will find a very scenic stretch of river with basalt rocks. The locals sometimes refer to this area as the Little Bowl and Pitcher and it is very popular for sunbathing and swimming during the summer months.

From the bike/pedestrian bridge over the Spokane River you will enjoy the view of Antoine Peak. This is another Spokane County conservation area with miles of trails and outstanding views.

Just under fourteen miles in, the separated bicycle and pedestrian trail ends at the Donkey Island Trailhead. The trail continues for a few miles on local road shoulders before again becoming a parkway though downtown Spokane, but that’s a post for another day. The best thing about getting to the end of the trail is that you have to turn around and enjoy the view again.

That’s Arbor Crest on the bluff.

A very pretty stretch between mile markers nine and eight.

A half mile spur takes you to Orchard Park, owned and maintained by the City of Liberty Lake. In summer they have a nice splash pad along with a really cool playground for the kiddos.

Returning to the Harvard Road Trailhead you are treated to this view of Shasta Butte and Mica Peak, AKA Big Rock and Signal Point.

Overall this trail is an amazing resource and easily accessible to not only me, but to all the residents of the metro area. In an earlier post I stated that the Trail of the Coeur d’Alene’s was a factor in my decision to move to the Inland Northwest, well the truth be told, easy access to the Centennial Trail was a major factor in choosing the three places I have resided in Post Falls.

Eclipse 2024

I traveled to the great American Midwest in April of 2024 to view my second total eclipse. I had the privileged of observing the great coast to coast eclipse of 2017 in the Sawtooth mountains of Idaho. The experience was profound and I decided that if I ever had the opportunity, that I would endeavor to repeat it. Well just seven years later, I had the chance and I took it. The path of totality (99% totality is pretty much the same as 1%) ran from northwestern Mexico, thru Texas and Arkansas to the lower Midwest and on to New England and the Canadian Maritimes. Based on guestimates on overcrowding, scenic value of the area and just because I have family in the Chicago area, I decided to view the event in southern Indiana.

A few days before the event my party landed at O’Hare Airport outside of Chicago and we had a chance to visit the city.

The city was a pleasant surprise. Despite the incessant stories about the rampant crime, political disfunction and urban decay, we found the downtown to be relatively clean and safe. It was far cleaner and less threatening than Seattle or even the small city near me of Spokane. There were absolutely no homeless encampments in the downtown area including the parks and the few unfortunate drug addicts and beggars we encountered did not threaten us. They pretty much kept to themselves while trying to sell trinkets. In the museum area we observed numerous families with infants and children enjoying the sights and in the financial district workers freely traveled back and forth to lunch and meetings without concern. Pretty much everyone we encountered was polite and helpful. Also the architecture was world class.

The Chicago Board of Trade on LaSalle Street. Next to Wall Street in New York, this is the financial heart of America.

The Willis (Sears) Tower. The tallest building in the world when it was completed in 1973 and is still the tallest building in North America by occupied floor height. Lots of buildings add decorative spires to try and claim the record.

The day before the eclipse, we drove five and a half hours to southern Indiana until we arrived at our base camp at the Patoka 4 Seasons Resort on the lake of the same name. I do not solicit or generally give reviews for private businesses and receive no monetary compensation for such, but that being said this gem of a vacation resort got two thumbs up from me. The people were awesome and the facilities first rate. They even provided gift baskets with eclipse glasses and other goodies.

The first day there we were greeted by this most beautiful rainbow over our cabin. Definitely a good omen for the trip.

The lake is a relatively large manmade reservoir but apparently is a local draw for fishermen and outdoor recreationalist throughout the year.

Just outside the resort is a most awesome state park with a visitor center, marina, campgrounds, historic buildings and miles of trails. Patoka State Park.

Open hardwood forest are the dominant habitat and rock outcroppings atypical of the lower Midwest are found throughout the park. The scenery was more what one would expect of the non-mountainous areas of Kentucky and Tennessee.

Some of these rock formations are very interesting to explore. The loop trail we took was about three and a half miles long.

A welcome surprise after driving though miles of flat farmland.

The biggest was called Totem Rock and had a couple of small caverns carved into it. The trail seemed to take every opportunity to descend and climb in and out of ravines. We probably got better than six hundred feet of total; elevation gain over the entire hike.

So the day of the eclipse we set up next to our cabin in an open field and watched as the moon started to block the sun. The day turned clear with a few scattered clouds after a Midwest thunderstorm the night before.

With just an Android phone camera and a paper pair of eclipse glasses taped over the lenses, I took a few photos that certainly don’t do justice to the once a decade or so event.

When the totality reached us, the day turned into night in an instant. The birds stopped singing and the crickets started chirping. We could hear people miles away screaming with excitement. The stars came out and the plasma of the corona was a beautiful sight around the dark shadow of the moon. Unfortunately the corona was not photogenic with my basic camera.

As soon as the first tiny dot of the sun reappeared, it was like someone lit a blow torch. It became daylight again. During the eclipse the temperature dropped noticeably and two minutes later the rays of the sun warmed everything back up.

An unnatural 360 degree sunset bracketed the horizon during the event. In 2017 in the Sawtooth’s. This effect was even stronger and the mountains around us were back lit by it. A surreal effect indeed.

At the end of the day after the eclipse was over, the real sunset made it’s appearance among the redbud trees in full bloom.

The next morning on our way back to Chicago, we detoured through French Lick Indiana, the home of Larry Bird and came across this amazing gem.

The Baden Springs Hotel and Resort was built in 1902 and restored in the 1990’s. If I ever have a reason to visit southern Indiana again, I’d love to stay here. It was fascinating and open to visitors.

On the way back everyone we met was incredibly nice and helpful. The manager of the fast food place came out to make sure our experience was good. The folks at the convenience stores were awesome and gave us great tips on what to see. Even the flat farmland north of Terre Haute was kind of pretty and extremely clean. Overall I definitely would judge Indiana as part of Free State America and worthy of a return visit. Too bad there won’t be another eclipse there in my life time.

Riverside State Park, part 1 the Knothead Loop Trail.

Today I hiked the Knothead Loop trail for the fourth time. This little treasure is just a few miles north of Spokane Washington in one of the units of Riverside State Park. My starting point was at the aptly named Painted Rocks Trailhead off of Indian Trail Road just north of the Little Spokane River. There is a $10 fee to park at the trailhead. I highly recommend purchasing a Discover Pass from the State of Washington. If you like to explore, it will pay for itself very quickly.

This is allegedly a Native American pictograph. It is protected by an elaborate cage which I stuck my hands through so I could get a photo without bars. It is located right at the trailhead, hence the name.

This is a six mile loop trail with an additional 1.5 mile spur to three amazing overlooks. I always have hiked this loop counter clockwise. Immediately you’re greeted with stark granite cliffs in an area that experienced a catastrophic wildfire less than a decade ago.

After hiking up a gradual incline through the Knothead Valley, the trail gains elevation though a series of switchbacks with view back to the southeast. That’s Mica Peak Washington in the distance. The elevation gain is about one thousand feet.

After cresting the ridge, the hiker is rewarded with amazing views of Long Lake, which is the lake created by the Long Lake Dam on the Spokane River just before it empties into Lake Roosevelt.

This is a great place to linger and enjoy the views as well as recover from the moderately steep climb from the valley.

In the distance you can see the Okanagan Highlands. In the foreground some of the rock formations are very photogenic. This is the high point of the loop.

The great bend of Long Lake and the view out to the West Plains are very beautiful.

Going down from the high Point, you’ll encounter a trail junction before the steep descent to the Little Spokane River. Take the Knothead Overlook Trail to the left and you will be rewarded with some amazing views.

This spur trail accesses three overlooks, each substantially higher that the last. At all of them you can enjoy views of the serpentine Little Spokane River.

The drop offs can be intimidating or exhilarating, depending on your fear of heights. Either way the views keep coming.

The hike to the third and highest overlook goes through an area that experienced a stand replacement wildfire. These are part of the natural cycle in the inland northwest. That ponderosa trunk is kind of scary to walk under. If it fell, it would squish you like a grape.

At the top of the Overlook Trail, you can explore off trail and see interesting rock formations.

After exploring the Overlook Trail, you will return to the main loop trail and begin your descent to the river valley. The trail is well built and maintained.

Many interesting rock outcroppings are found along the trail.

On the way down, the trail goes through some open ponderosa pine forest on benches (relatively flat areas) before it descends to the river.

An open ridge gives the hiker one last look of Long Lake.

The last mile or two of the hike closely parallels the Little Spokane River back to the trailhead. In a month or two, I hope to post a kayak trip on this waterway. It looks amazing.

The Little Spokane Rive or its associated wetland bracket the trail to the south or as like to hike counter clockwise, to the right.

Kayaking this is definitely on my bucket list. This is supposedly a one way trip, so I need a partner to drop off a vehicle at the downstream end.

Just before the trailhead, you reenter the burned area. On one side of the trail is the Little Spokane and on the other a wilderness of granite cliffs. Makes for a stark contrast.

Overall I would rate this as one of the best hikes in the Spokane area. It’s easy to get to and the reward verses effort is very high. Check here for more information on Riverside State Park. I hope to post more hikes from the park in the near future.

Hiking in Grand Coulee, part 2 Northrup Canyon.

Northrup Canyon is park of Steamboat Rock State park and the trailhead is located on the east (inland) side of State Road 155 about three miles north of the main park entrance. I made the visit on Sunday, March 17, 2024 after spending most of the day on top of Steamboat Rock. There is a fee to enter the park. I highly recommend purchasing an annual Discover Pass through the Washington State Parks Department.

Northrup Canyon is a classic basalt gorge, typical of the area.

At the trailhead, a second hiking option, The Old Wagon Road splits off to the right and climbs the south wall of the canyon. It looked well worth exploring but unfortunately I only had time to take the main trail to an abandoned farmstead before the sun when down.

The relatively level old farm road winds through the canyon with a mix of sage brush, open pine forests and wetlands between imposing basalt walls.

The views are stunning and the walking is easy to the old farm buildings.

Several out buildings in various stages of decay made for interesting photographic backgrounds.

The old farm house looked like it could be a very lonely and isolated place. Notice the large basalt arch on the canyon wall above and to the right of the building.

The view from the living room window. The trail continues another mile and a half further on a steeper single track to a small lake. I will have to explore this option at a later date.

Dramatic rock formations loom over much of the trail. Basalt is the most unfriendly rock.

The round trip to the farm and back is a little under four miles. Going all the way to the lake and back would be just over six miles. This trail is definitely on my list for a return visit.

Hiking in Grand Coulee, part 1 Steamboat Rock

I took a two and a half hour drive west to sample a couple of unique hikes in Steamboat Rock State Park. On the way made a quick stop to admire the mighty Grand Coulee Dam. First was the hike to the top of Steamboat Rock and later that day, I visited Northrup Canyon. There is a fee to enter the park. I highly recommend purchasing an annual Discover Pass through the Washington State Parks Department.

In terms of generating electricity, Grand Coulee is the leading producer in the United States. A short drive up the hill rewards the traveler with this view from the Crown Point Vista.

The drive along Banks Lake offers miles of stunning scenery from inside the coulee.

Steamboat Rock is an impressive basalt monolith in the middle of the coulee and is almost surrounded by Banks Lake.

A short but moderately strenuous hike climbs about 700 feet to the top of the rock where multiple paths provide access to amazing views.

Banks Lake offers excellent kayaking if the wind co-operates.

Shear drop offs requires close supervision of children and pets.

View to the south.

Bald Eagles and other birds of prey take advantage of the updrafts created by the basalt walls and lake breezes.

White tail deer frequent the shore line and the flat plateau on top of the rock.

The hike back down.

Lake Killarney

One of the chain of lakes along the Coeur d’Alene River between Cataldo and Harrison, Killarney Lake is one of North Idaho’s hidden gems. The Lake is accessible off of State Road 3 about 10 miles south of Interstate 90. At the boat launch there is also a small campground. Additionally on Popcorn Island there are several boat-in only camp sites.

The 700 acre lake is shallow, limiting power boats.

In addition to Popcorn Island with its dock, floating vault toilet and designated campsites, this rugged island is found near the western shore of the lake.

Not all of the lake is weedy, much is open water and they say the fishing is exceptional.

A short channel connects the lake to the Coeur d’Alene River.

The pilings are a mystery to me. Possibly an old loading dock or railroad spur line. Either way it makes for a good background.

Moose are often seen by the patient kayaker.

Lake Creek Canyon

A hidden gem of a kayak trip right in Lake Coeur d’Alene.

The access for this most excellent flat water kayak trip is from the Sun-up Bay boat ramp east of US-95 about thirty minutes south of Coeur d’Alene. After launching follow the north shore of Sun-up and Windy Bays pass the girl scout camp and find the entrance to Lake Creek.

At the head of Windy Bay, a small creek enters the lake through an area of extensive cattails and bull rushes.

As you enter the creek you will enjoy the view of the low basalt cliffs.

The creek is navigable for about one and a half miles up stream before it shoals out. For a longer ride extend your trip by staying on the south shore of Windy and 16 to 1 Bays and then crossing Cave Bay so you can land in Mowery State Park, roughly across the main body of the lake from Harrison.

The Trail of the Coeur d’Alene’s part 1

The Trail of the Coeur d’Alene’s is a seventy two mile long paved rail trail that almost crosses the Idaho panhandle from Plummer to Mullan. The trail was constructed on a former railroad that was primarily used to haul mining ore from the Silver Valley to Spokane as part of a remediation for a super fund site. This trail is consistently rated as one of the top ten bicycle trails in the United States due to its scenic beauty, accessibility to a major urban area and the variety of landscapes it traverses. The trail can be best described in four sections. From west to east, the direction of the prevailing summer wind, the first fifteen miles are almost exclusively located within the boundaries of the Coeur d’Alene Reservation and this part of the trail is managed by the tribe. The western terminus of the trail is located in Plummer Idaho, the largest town in the reservation and is just of off US95, the primary north south road through the panhandle. From Plummer, the trail crosses a couple of miles of mixed farmland and low density residential areas before it begins a five mile screaming descent (maybe 800 feet of elevation) to the lake were it passes through Idaho’s oldest state park, Heyburn State Park. It then crosses the south end of the lake on a modified railroad bridge and then follows the shoreline of the lake another seven miles in to the historic town of Harrison just outside the reservation boundary. Harrison is located on State Road 97 and is easily accessible (thirty minute drive) from Interstate 90.

At the Plummer Trailhead, the tribe memorializes all of its members who gave their lives in the defense of their nation from the the present back to and including their war against the United States in the 1800’s. Everyone should honor their heritage and the sacrifice of those who fought for their freedom. This should be a lesson for all of us.

The Chatcolet Bridge connecting Heyburn State Park to the eastern shore of the lake is a highlight of the trail. The original center pivot swing bridge was raised to allow boat traffic and the approaches were rebuild in a stair step design that makes climbing to the top easier and descending an adventure.

Along the eastern shore of Lake Coeur d’Alene the old rail road cut off several points to make the route smoother creating these scenic views.

This is the view heading north towards Harrison Idaho.

In Harrison, a short ride or walk up the hill will bring you to a small park, two nice restaurants and an ice cream shop. Just past the center of town one can still see the remnants of industrial buildings that utilized the old railroad.

Where the Coeur d’Alene River meets the lake is called Harrison Slough. You can see fields of water lily’s in bloom most of the summer.

The Friends of the Trail of the Coeur d’Alene’s.

The Hiawatha Trail

The Hiawatha Trail follows the old railroad route of the Milwaukee Railroad from the Taft tunnel at the Montana and Idaho state line to Pearson’s about fifteen miles down the grade. The Olympian trail continues into Montana to about St. Regis and old rail line can be followed down to Avery on the St. Joe River on a forest service road through several more one lane tunnels and over a couple of high trestle bridges. The former transcontinental rout continues west along the St. Joe River and across Washington as the Palouse to Cascades Trail. Here are a few photos of the Hiawatha.

After navigating the one and a half mile tunnel under the Bitterroot divide, this is the Idaho end of the tunnel.

One of the high trestle bridges over side canyons.

And then straight into a short tunnel.

More high bridges for your enjoyment.

Wildlife

Some wildlife is epic and some not much so, but it is here to appreciate.

There are numerous short tunnels leading down to Pearson’s.

After turning the bend, you can see where you were.

Looking down across Loop Creek

If you’re heading up, you can also see the bridges you have crossed.

The view from one of the bridges. Vertigo.

Tunnel #28.

One the deck of one of the trestles.

Looking down off of one of the bridges.

At the bend looking down Loop Creek.

The view looking across Loop Creek.

Leaving one of the tunnels.

There is a significant fee to ride the trail that can be paid at Lookout Mountain or on site during the season. A shuttle is available to take riders from Pearson’s back up to the Taft Tunnel also for a significant fee. I prefer to drive over Moon Pass from Wallace Idaho to the lower trailhead at Pearson’s and grind it up hill through the tunnel and coast back enjoying the scenery and saving some cash. The official site is here.

The Friends of the Trail of the Coeur d’Alene’s website has information on more bicycle trails in North Idaho.