Upon the recommendation of the
Idaho State Parks and Recreation Board, the
Federal Highway Administration approved our
request for $20,925 to improve the old railroad grade
between East Shoshone Park and Lookout Pass.
(See
July 2004 News for initial press
release, and
August 2004 News for photos of
the trail from Mullan to Lookout Pass.)
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As indicated on a
graph
of trailhead elevations,
this expansion will actually be a quality
enhancement of a favorite "locals" ride.
Currently, bicycle enthusiasts may self-shuttle
themselves to Lookout Pass in order to drop 1600
feet to Mullan, where the
Trail of the
Coeur d'Alenes begins.
Or the physically fit may
start in Mullan and
climb the railbed (maximum 4% grade)
to Lookout Pass.
As shown in the photos below,
once at Lookout Pass, the expert mountain biker
may choose the
more rigorous route that
traverses the Montana border to Mullan Pass and
then drops 1900 feet to Mullan.
The photos were taken during last October's
Climb the Mountain with Jon
Cancer Benefit Ride.
A detailed description of this spectacular 1600 foot
climb with mileage markers may be found as part of
Connecting the Trail of the
Coeur d'Alenes to the Route of the Hiawatha.
The route was measured as 11.7 miles long when
Shoshone Park and the Fish
Hatchery were included; the newspaper article
quoted in the July 2004 News
estimated that the
more direct route using Mullan Pass Road to bypass
Shoshone Park makes the trail extension 9 miles long.
The grant will improve the compact dirt and gravel
riding surface where necessary, add solar
self-composting restrooms to match the ones on the
Trail, and add picnic
tables at view spots and informational signs at
historical railroad and mining locations.
An update on our progress will be part of the
October 2004 News.
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Move your mouse over
an image to bring it closer;
click on it
to see an enlargement in a separate window.
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Trail #7 begins climbing near the north end of the Exit 0
overpass (on the left in the photo to the right).
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Copper Lake basin in the Bitterroot Mountains
may be seen beyond Exit 0 on the Montana border.
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Far above I-90, one can see part of the rigorous 1900'
drop to Mullan via Mullan Pass Road and the (roadless)
pass to the Glidden Lakes in the distance.
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The easiest way to enjoy this scenery, however,
would be to start in the Lookout Pass Ski Area
parking lot and follow the railbed to Mullan, 1600
feet below.
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The most challenging part of the rigorous route back to
Mullan is getting from Lookout Pass to Mullan Pass...
watch for rocks!
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The easy way down to Mullan follows the multi-use railbed,
which is the focus of the Friends $21K trail
enhancement grant.
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The rigorous roller coaster ride through the cedar
forest to Mullan Pass is definitely NOT for
the faint-of-heart or ill-equipped biker!
Experts will love it, however.
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Once you reach Mullan Pass Road, it is all
downhill to Mullan... 1900 vertical feet in 8.5 miles
means an average grade of 4.2%...
in some spots, it is twice that!
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