Riding the Hiawatha Trail Again!

I think this summer ride on the Hiawatha Trail is getting to be a tradition. Here we are again loading the bikes in Cindy's truck for the drive to Montana. Deanna was the new comer this year and we are so glad she joined us. I don't know if she knows that she is committed to coming forever now! The Hiawatha Trail use to be occupied by trains. It has been converted into a bike trail about 17 miles long and it turns and twists through dark cold tunnels and across very high train trestles. It is in God's country! Winds through the mountains of Idaho and Montana! Becky and Deanna gearing up for "the tunnel"! Very first thing you do is go through a tunnel that is about a mile long. The temperature is in the 40's year round in the tunnel and it is pitch black! You have to have a light to travel through it. Each time we do the trail we get better at the light system.

Of course we all had to visit the ladies room before we got started. We are girls! Thanks so much Cindy for snapping this picture!

See that darkness behind Cindy!!! That is the first tunnel! There are seven tunnels all together but this one is "THE TUNNEL"!

Not quite in the tunnel yet but creeping towards it!

Here we are out on the other side. We have to take our jackets off and turn off all our lights. No one fell or bumped anyone else. Success!

This is the second tunnel. It says to honk before entering so we did! I don't think that sign was meant for us. The shuttle that takes bikes and people back to their cars drives through here.

Love Cindy's helmet! She is always smiling and happy. Deanna calls her Snow White.

Becky, Cindy, Jackie, Deanna!

Silly girls hanging over the edge on a trestle that is a million feet up in the air!

Here is a trestle that we are headed for. I zoomed in on this picture and took two more pictures and zoomed out on each one.

AHHHH! Here we are on one of the train trestles!

Look in the center of the picture you will see another trestle.

Zoomed in!

Zoomed in again!

Beautiful country for sure!

Becky and Cindy had no problems going right up to the edge on the trestles.

Done! These buses are equipped to carry the bikes back up to our starting point. You don't have to take these buses. You can ride back but it is all uphill! We had to save energy for eating at the Snake Pit. We also saw the faces of the people riding up. Not a pretty sight!

The bikes are being unloaded after the 8 mile bus ride on a narrow little road! Back to the start almost! We get to go through "THE TUNNEL" again. Bundle up it is cool in there! I am ready! Darkness behind me!

This was the only accident of the day and it turned out to be a good thing. As we were going through the tunnel for the second time I heard a noise and said do we need to stop???? Deanna said no that her light just fell in her mouth! You really can't see much and she decided she could see better with the light in her mouth so she kept it there. This is what she looked like exiting!

We loaded up the bikes and headed for the Snake Pit in Kingston, Idaho. Also a tradition at this point. It used to be a brothel! Now is has yummy buffalo burgers! Seems like that is what I get every time! Good food and an interesting place with a pretty seedy history!This guy didn't say much. Maybe he ate too many buffalo burgers!

OK we were wondering what this giant piece of wood was. A burl???

Another fun trip to the Hiawatha Trail! We had a great time!!! Can't wait until we go again!