CDA River Resort (2)

This was a bucket list stay for us. Last time we came, we were battling rain and electrical issues, but remained undeterred in our quest to get Richard on his bike to do the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes. I dropped him at the starting point in Plummer and towed Dory from there to the campground at CDA Resort. He got beautiful blue skies and a 43 mile day on a paved rails to trails bike path that skirts the Coeur d’Alene lake and runs through some of the prettiest scenery you can imagine. Now that I have an e-bike, it was my turn to join him. Richard was able to find a private shuttle service that will bring you and your bikes to the starting point of the trail, and he got that scheduled months ago.

On arrival, we had some time left in the day, so we got our bikes out and did a short out and back, taking the eastern part of the trail, as far as the town of Pinehurst. There wasn’t any particular goal, besides me looking for moose and Richard checking out the little grocery store to see if they had milk. No moose were spotted on this outing, but the store checks out for having half gallons of milk. We did spot an unexpected pack of coyote pups across the river. I didn’t know coyotes hung out this far north, but it seems they are becoming a local nuisance. They were pretty cute though and it was a fun sighting. Back we rolled to Dory and got ourselves ready for an early morning shuttle pickup.

I highly recommend Rich’s Bicycle Shuttle Service if you are interesting in doing this. They not only get you and your bikes where you want to go, but provide an in depth history lesson of the area. Rich and Susan are both native to the area (from Harrison and Wallace), with vast knowledge of how the silver mining and logging industry has shaped and transformed the region over time. The very trail we were going to spend our day appreciating was the product of a once booming silver mining industry. Legend has it that Noah Kellogg discovered the first motherlode of silver because his jackass dislodged a large rock. Accordingly, many of the businesses are named, not only for Kellogg, but for his jackass. Over time, the silver mining companies had to change their ways, or shut down, because the methods they used to extract the metals produced highly toxic byproducts. This sledge was used to form the foundations of the rail line. The land and waterways were becoming deadly to wildlife and hazardous to people, so a monumental cleanup project was negotiated with the railroad. They agreed to remove the rails and ties, but rather than remove miles of contaminated foundation, they covered it all over with clean dirt and paved it. There are still signs warning visitors not to eat or drink from the ground or water, and to stay on the trail. It’s likely for liability purposes, but it does remind one of the lasting impact man can have on nature. 

The drive from Cataldo took about an hour, but it was time well passed, listening to all of the local history. From the start of the trail, we just headed east and spent the whole day gawking at the view. When you get to Heyburn State Park, the trail goes up and over an old bridge to cross the St. Joe River. The surface looks wavy, and this apparently is for accessibility. You skirt the eastern side of the river until you get to Harrison. 

We took a side jaunt off the trail to enjoy the historic little town of Harrison. There are bike cafes and little stores, and most importantly, a creamery. The Harrison Creamery and Fudge Factory served us up a couple of ridiculously huge scoops and topped mine abundant hot fudge. It was an indulgence my calorie app said I could not afford, but I didn’t care. It was delicious. 

You are never far from water on this section of the trail, sometimes riding on a raised dike that splits two bodies of water right down the middle. There are not many services or places to get ice cream (which is probably for the best), so my advice is to definitely stop in Harrison. There are however, plentiful vault toilets along the way. We never worried about needing to find a bathroom. The trail is flat and meandering the whole way, with marshes, rivers, a few houses. There is a place Rich told us about where a local woman has set up a food and water cooler for bikers on the trail. Donations are welcome, but all she really asks if you take something is to sign her book. She has a Facebook page and posts regular updates. That’s pretty cool. 

My moose pursuit was satisfied with a single grazer, way out in a marshy meadow. We stared at her(?) for a long time before she disappeared into the bushes. We also saw numerous turtles. One of them was slowly making his way across the bike trail and would have been run over if we hadn’t spotted him. We tried to verbally coax him to hurry up, but he responded instead by freezing and retreating into his shell. We scooted him to the edge of the path, just to be sure he wouldn’t get squished. 

There were water Lillies everywhere, some pink and some yellow. There were also yellow irises along the shores. The skies were blue and the temperatures perfect. We could not possibly have asked for a better day. We rolled up to Dory, just sitting there waiting for us along the trail, at around 3. We got to bask in the joy of the day and I got to grill at night. Five stars.

The next day we headed in the other direction, not intending to go all the way to the end in Mullan. That would have been a very long day and it is not nearly as scenic. This section of the trail begins pleasantly, following the Coeur d’Alenes River to Pinehurst, the section we had done previously. Then, it changes to a much more urban experience. Highway 90 joins up and follows the same valley, all the way to the end. There are bigger towns here, with stores and services, even a Walmart, just to your left. They do a good job of getting the trail away from the highway as much as possible, but it’s nothing like the other side, where there are long sections with no other cars or people visible. The upside of this is that you can stop and find food or bicycle repair places if needed. 

We pushed on until we got the historic town of Wallace. This is where Susan, our shuttle host, is from. We heard lots of fun stories about the town, like how the Oasis Bordello stayed in business all the way up to 1988. Eventually, the governor told them they had to shut down, but Ginger Murphy, the madam, got all the girls evacuated before they were raided. Apparently she was quite a character and a much beloved business woman. The town is incredibly well preserved, thanks in part to the cleverness of the town leadership when plans were being made for the interstate to get built, running right through the middle of town. Immediately, most of the buildings got officially declared historic sites so they could not just be bulldozed. The post office got moved a half a block to make room for the highway support pillars, but they were able to preserve the town and run the roadway above it and as far along the outskirts as possible. It was a worthwhile fight, because the town is delightful and draws a considerable number of tourists. It also sounds like the town is full of characters. In 2004 the mayor Ron Garitone called the press together for an important official ceremony. He showed up in a top hat and tails and declared the town to be the Center of the Universe. There is an official marker right in the middle of 6th and Bank Street where countless tourists, us included, take their pictures. The story goes that the justification used for such a claim included: “Why not?” and “Prove it isn’t.”

We made a stop at The Tin Snug for, you guessed it, ice cream. It is also a cool vinyl record store and has a lot of charm. We then went around exploring the historic buildings. Many of them were built in the 1800s and are still standing. The Oasis Bordello building is still there, now a museum that welcomes guests with tours of the upstairs rooms for a small fee. Susan had her own stories about the brothel, seeing as it was still in business as she was growing up. Like how her brother, who was a flower delivery boy, once split his pants setting down a flower pot intended for one of the ladies upstairs. The girls felt so bad for him, they got together and fixed his pants for him and sent him on his way. It turned out they weren’t really seamstresses though, and when his mother examined the repair, it turned out they had used staples. We had the best time exploring this preserved little treasure of a town.

What this side of the trail may lack in natural scenic beauty was more than made up for with these historic towns. Plus, I spied my second moose, this time much closer. There are lots of places to stay on the eastern half, including a popular ski resort with a gondola for skiers in the winter and mountain bikers in the summer. It was an epic stay and we would do it all again in a heartbeat. 

Richard notes that he “civvy” rode the whole thing, both directions; meaning he wore mostly normal clothes and shoes and used non clipped pedals. It was overall a good call, but he needs better hip support on his backpacks when he’s carrying a lot of stuff for a long ride. I note that highways 95 and 90 are easy to drive and that the smaller highway 3 is a much curvier, hillier, and edgier road. They are repaving highway 90, so they must have read my blog where I complained about the surface last time. Thanks Idaho. I appreciate you.

Total miles from Lewis & Clark: 178.5, 19.1 mpg, 4 hours 35 min. Site 10 hookups. Good cell for both. Solar but didn’t need it. Site is on the end of the second row, so not waterfront, but nice view of grassy area. Wifi at little campground store. Right on Trail of CDA.