The Route of the Hiawatha
The scenery of trail has been well documented. The tunnels and the trestles, the creeks and the snow-capped mountains — all are described on end in brochures and on websites. But not until you look out at the world at 4,160 feet above sea level with your own eyes can you really understand the vast beauty found on the Route of the Hiawatha.
The moment of real awe, the moment when you know for sure this is more than a normal bike ride, comes just about 2 miles in. After trekking through the damp, dark St. Paul Pass for 1.7 miles, your eyes aren't quite ready for the exit. The sound of a waterfall's rumble is the first sign that the end of the cavernous tube is near, and when your eyes finally adjust to the bright skies outside the tunnel, you're treated to a view of a seemingly unending range of mountains that cannot be replicated or justified with words.
On Saturday, I rode the Route of the Hiawatha for the first time. Since my arrival to North Idaho three weeks ago, the trail has been described and touted to me by countless locals. I heard how much fun it was to ride, and how beautiful the sights were. Of course, I took their word for it, but some things are better experienced than described.
I took to the trail for the first time Saturday with the marketing director at Lookout Pass, Chris Barrett, and his girlfriend Khristina Santillan. Barrett and Santillan moved to the area 10 days prior so we were all riding the trail for the first time.
Three hours later, the three of us were taken aback by our experience. Every expectation crushed.
“The best way I can think to put it is that it just goes way past everything you expect going in,” Barrett said of his first trip down the Hiawatha Trail. “I knew what I was getting into, but it still blew me away.”
The trail was converted from the old Milwaukee Railroad built in 1908 that began in Chicago and went through the Bitterroot Mountains before ending on Pacific coast. This history of the trail is one its strongest assets. Signs throughout the trail tell of the railroad's colorful past. And stories — of the forgotten town of Grand Fork, destroyed by a working girl just trying to get paid, and the Great Fire of 1910, when people were ushered into the train tunnels for safety — told by an energetic bus driver on the shuttle back to the top add to that historic feeling.
But the Route of the Hiawatha is more than a history lesson; it's an adventure. Trestles hundreds of feet in the air, spanning hundreds of feet across deep valleys give you the sense of a larger than life adventure. While the tunnels, specifically the St. Paul Pass, add a sense of uncertainty and danger to the adventure. The tunnels are cold and damp, and with only a small bike light to guide your way, you can't be certain what's just up ahead until you see that arched light at the end. It's almost impossible not to hum the Indiana Jones theme song while pretending to run from a boulder as you navigate the cavernous tunnels. Exiting each of the nine tunnels to see a backdrop of mountains and unending forestry never cease to leave you in awe.
After the 15 miles down the Hiawatha, there's a sense of accomplishment and a certain knowledge that this trail is something special. The scenery and history and adventure of the trail can't be found anywhere else. Once our three-hour trek was over, Santillan said riding the Hiawatha can't compare to your basic family adventure.
“Riding [the Hiawatha] is better than Disney World,” Santillan said.
“Yea, except without the long lines and $12 sodas,” Barrett added.
The Route of the Hiawatha is open now through Sept. 30. Reservations can be made at ridethehiawatha.com
By BOBBY ATKINSON Staff writer