Sat. I headed over to Coeur d’Alene to ride the name sake, one of my favorite trails. I stopped @ Vertical Earth to visit w/ owner, Mike, who wasn’t there. Last year he won the Cream Puff down in Oakridge. I continued E on I90 to Wolf Lodge on the east side of the lake. The road hugs the lake shore as it ducks into Beauty Bay and Beauty Creek where I am headed. Beauty Creek road is pot holed in the pavement, must have been a bodacious amount of timber harvested to justify paving a logging road. I parked under a cedar tree about 2 miles up the creek. Trail 257 leaves the road about 1/2 uphill which makes a nice warm up b4 the start of the grunt climb. The trail is closed to motorized vehicles, almost all the closed to motorized signs have been destroyed. Still at least 1 dirt bike poached the trails. Trail 257 climbs up to join a logging road as a splice to reconnect w/ the trail which then drops down to join trail 227 to climb back out. Last year on my ride I held my nose as I coasted by a dead moose almost on the trail. This time I looked for the skeleton amid the fire blackened stumps. I found it. I was amazed as there were still several scattered tufts of hide. The skeleton had not been moved. I placed the skull and lower jaw bone on a stump for show. Down low the area was prime chantrelle growing. Today I found 3 small ones, not enough to pick and fix for dinner. The climb out is mostly hike a bike. I made it out. Part of the trail is an overgrown logging road that has been brushed open. This trail joins 257 for the final descent. Tim showed me riding the loop this way as it makes for one long gravity assisted finish.
At the bottom of the trail where it ends back on the road I heard women’s voices. Two rigs w/ bikes were parked just uphill. I turned downhill back to my van arriving b4 they did, the joy of a bicycle to snake around the potholes. Both rigs stopped to lok @ my van and talk to me. We had a hoot telling stories. The 3 women threw off husbands and kids to go mtn biking… and drinking beer afterwards.
I drove back into Cd’A to Moontime, a sister restaurant to The Elk here in Spokane for dinner. I watched some college football then left for a shower @ Anytime. Unfortunately my pass card is still not recognized but I convinced a woman to open the door for me. Great to wash off the sweat from the ride. Clean I drove down to Capones in Post Falls to watch the end of the ND Michigan game and some of the Cougars.
On Fri Cal lined up a ride for today @ Riverside @ 8:30AM. To meet the start time I really had to scoot thru bfast and cleanup and rig the van for driving. I made the park on time, Cal called minutes later saying he was just on his way. He arrived 20 mins past meet time. Just the 2 of us. I led him on an easy ride, we stopped several times to chat. We used to work together @ Boeing the Triumph. He landed a job back @ Puget Sound Boeing. He wanted an early ride to allow him to take care of some home things then drive back to the Sound.
Cal drove away. I hung for awhile watching road riders doing Pedalfest.
I am working thru installing a picture viewer to share pics, so far, just type. I lost Picasa old version for a photo editor.
Still looking for a place to live, really prolly just a bedroom as my house is on wheels where i have XM and music.
Tomorrow I will turn 64yo.
Great being in a state where possession of small amounts of pot is legal.