2023 - West - MT/ID - Hiawatha Bike Trail - August 24

 August 24 - WE DID IT! 

We rode the Hiawatha Bike Trail which is close to the Idaho border. The trail is 15 miles downhill with 10 tunnels and 7 sky-high trestles.

This is the beginning of the trail - East Portal. You park here, get your tickets and then when you've done the 15 miles downhill you can take a shuttle back which carries your bikes, or ride the bikes back up.

The trail start with a 1.66 mile single lane tunnel. It had rained the day before so it was a muddy mess with drainage ditches down each side. Once you got inside it was pitch black - headlights and headlamps were necessary. Very spooky.

Bad selfie time - at least I got Vaughan, Jim & Jill.

It was in the 40s in the tunnel and our fingers nearly froze. So good to pop out into daylight.

At the tunnel exit was a waterfall - payment for getting thru.

The scenery was incredible - 

There were 9 more tunnels to go but they were all under 1000 feet long.

The trestles were truly sky-high. 

Here is another in the distance that we will soon cross -

Tunnels sometimes held little surprises. Vaughan found this guy in one of them.

We all finally made it to the Pearson end. 

Jim, Jill & Vaughan decided to ride back uphill the 15 miles to the parking area. There was no way I was going to do that with my knee. I waited for them to ride up and come back for me in the Jeep. 

The buses came and went - I seriously thought about taking one back but the $50 in my pocket said "Don't do that - there is a prime rib in your future". They charge a premium to take e-bikes.

Vaughan on his ride back up had a few issues. First he was stung by a bee in the neck. Then going back through the last tunnel he accidentally hit a wrong button on the bike and turned out his headlight. Pure darkness! Remember - narrow road with drains on both sides. He immediately hit his brakes and found the light switch. Very frightening but being the daredevil he is, I think he actually loved it.

The drive out from Pearson was gorgeous - you could see some of the trestles in the distance.

Dinner that night was well-deserved. We stopped in Haugan, MT at the 50,000 Silver Dollar Bar.

There were actually 83,774 silver dollars mounted on the walls and ceilings. Very impressive.

My dinner companions - 

A long day - 30 miles of ride for my companions but never a more beautiful ride.