Today we ride...The Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes

My cousins live(d) On Bull Run lake and my dad owns property there and a small cabin we visit frequently. Growing up I remember running to the train to wave at the caboose, getting apples from the orchards, swimming by the bridge and iceskating Bull Run. Now the tracks are Rails to Trails.

When my kids were younger we used to ride that trail a lot pulling them in the bike trailer.  Haven't been out there much once they out grew the trailer.  Now they are bigger & could ride fine.  We need to get back out there!  Hope you all enjoy the ride today.  :)

What an awesome day!  I've never cycled the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes and would love to sometime.  In response to Brant's question, three sites come to mind, two of them of the "rails-to-trails" type.  First, the Hiawatha Trail by Lookout Pass.  We took my partner's folks there a few years ago, and they loved it.  So rich with history and beauty!  Second is the Columbia Plateau Trail State Park.  I used to cycle the stretch between Fish Lake and Amber Lake when I lived in Cheney.  Eventually, the trail will connect Fish Lake to the City of Spokane.  And finally--the site that I rely on the most for my bike commute to work between Stateline and downtown Spokane--the Spokane River Centennial Trail.  What a gem!  Much of the land that the Trail now sits on belonged to Inland Empire Paper Company and various railyards and manufacturing interests.  Five years after the Expo '74 World's Fair, Spokane County Parks proposed a bicycle/pedestrian pathway along the Spokane River from Argonne Road to the Idaho border. Over the next several years, in conjunction with the 1989 Washington Centennial, and through assistance from numerous organizations and grants (including much-needed land preparation assistance provided by AT&T’s project laying fiber-optic cable along portions of the Trail’s desired path), the Centennial Trail was built.  The non-profit Friends of the Centennial Trail now provides ongoing support for the development, operation, maintenance, and enhancement of the 37.5 mile trail extending from Nine Mile Falls to Stateline (where it connects with the North Idaho Centennial Trail to Coeur d'Alene).

Happy cycling, all!  :)    

Sounds like such a fun day!

To answer the question, I also make use the trails in Moscow that used to be railroad tracks.  I use them to walk my dog and ride my bike like so many others in town.

It also got me thinking of Onondoga Lake, a lake outside of Syracuse, NY (where I grew up).  Onondoga Lake has the sad distinction of being one of the most polluted lakes in the US. The lake has an interesting history that includes it being sacred to Native Americans, as well as the spot for ice harvesting, a booming resort town, and chemical industry.  Today swimming and eating fish caught in the lake is banned becuase of the severe pollution.  It is not the kind of place that you would think would be used for recreation.  Today the lake is surrounded by parks on nearly all sides and is a common place to walk, bike, rollarblade, and visit the dogpark or museum. Currently a massive cleanup and restoration effort that involves numerous organizations, companies, and the community is underway.  I used the parks around the lakes often when I lived in the area, and learned a great deal about the site, the cleanup, and the science behind it while in college too.

I often use the rails to trails systems, or neighboring hiking trails, especially in the Wallace area. Does anyone know any of the history of who or what companies laid the track? I know that there was a large Chinese population in the Sandpoint area at the time. Is that true of the Siver Valley? Another old use that has been converted to trail is the Mullan Road. Both make interesting converstaions about the engineering of roads, especially in regard to changing technologies and environmental concerns. My teenage son is convinced that Fernan Lake's blooms are from lack of environmental safeguards when the road was improved a few years ago. Any truth to that?

What a great thread Brant!  I'm thoroughly excited by the intelligent uses these former corridors are now being used.  Many of the hiking trails near River Falls follow former railroad lines that connected the flour mills that sprung up along the Kinnickinnic River.  Those flour mills were at one time in direct competition with the mills in Minneapolis!  Additional former rail lines between Baldwin, Hammond, New Richmond, and more are used in winter for snow mobility, and running/hiking the remainder of the year. 

The use of recreational vehicles always makes me nervous, but I must credit the numerous groups that help maintain and manage these systems.  They involve a great sampling of citizens with an even wider variety of interest.  Trout unlimited, the Kinnickinnic River Watershed and Land Trust, numerous 4-H clubs, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Ducks Unlimited, and many more.  All seem to value people being close to the beauty in their back yards.

I can see my students inquiring into different areas, trail systems, etc. and learning the history of how these places came to be, the challenges people faced to make it happen, and what citizens/groups are currently doing to protect and improve these areas.

Awesome stuff!

~Steve 

Here in the Black Hills of South Dakota, we have a rich mining heritage. The gold rush of the 1880's did cause the building of a 20 mile long flume built out of wood to act as a viaduct for water for the mining process. This trail also includes man-made tunnels that were created to create the path of least resistance. The flume itself is no longer functioning, you can sometimes see a nail or a rotted out piece of wood. Instead, what remains is a wonderful hiking trail at a nice gental slope. This hike is always amazing and my kids LOVE the tunnels.

Along with the flume trail, we also have the Homestake Gold Mine which was opperational until 2002. The cost of gold dropped and the cost of production went up, therefore it was not viable to stay in business. In 2007, the mine was taken over by NSF for neutrino research, among many other research projects (see attached link).

I regularly use the Paradise Creek Trail in the Moscow area to bike, run, walk, or occasionally x-country ski. The whole rails to trails conservation can apply to knowledge + caring = action. It doesn't take a ton of work or change to pave an old rail road track but someone has to care to do it. Those people and communities have to value outdoor exercise to make the change. Also ripping up and properly disposing the old ties which are coated in toxic creosote (see link) is more expensive and than just paving them to seal the toxins in. So besides recreation rails to trails also has a positive environmental purpose.   

When I was a younger teenager, my buddies and I would ride along the newly developed trail of the Coeur d'Alenes and fish along Coeur d'Alene Lake. At the time I knew the trail had previously been a discontinued railroad, but I had no idea of the vast history that once beat apron it. I also had the privilege of driving through the tunnels of the Hiawatha trail near Avery in my early twenties, not having a full understanding of the unique history our area experienced. I believe this would be a wonderful and unique experience for all students. Not only do you get to ride bikes and enjoy a beautiful day, but you get an opportunity to relive history in a unique perspective.