The Best Rail Trail in the West!

If you have never heard of the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes-boy are you in for a treat. It's a 72 mile paved rail trail that runs across the Idaho Panhandle from Plummer on the Palouse to Mullan on the Montana Border. I have sampled sections of it over the years and probably one of the nicest sections is the one in Heyburn State Park. Here you can traverse Coeur d'Alene Lake on a 2/3 mile trestle-then follow along the lakeshore for miles! I sneaked a 10 mile run on that section of trail on my way to Lewiston last week. There is great camping in Heyburn State Park ans some nice hiking trails too. Matter of fact my Best Hikes with Dogs Inland Northwest spotlights Heyburn as well as the nearby Mary Minerva McCroskey State Park. And if you have never driven US 95 between CDL and Lewiston-you are in for a real treat-it is one of the prettiest sections of road in the entire Northwest. Have fun exploring-don't forget to pack your bike.

Railing for Trails

In the golden hills and pine cloaked mountains of northeastern Washington, a broad coalition of folks have gotten on board to create the state’s next great rail trail.
The proposed 28-mile Ferry County Rail Trail will not only provide hikers, cyclists, and cross-country skiers with stunning views of the Kettle River and the lofty and wild Kettle River Range rising above it, but it’ll also become the first international rail trail in the western United States.
Named after the sparsely populated county it traverses, the trail will run from just outside of the historic gold mining town of Republic north to the riverside burg of Danville on the Canadian border. From there the trail will tie in with B.C.’s extensive Kettle Valley Rail Trail. Utilizing a rail bed that served as the local timber industry’s lifeline for nearly a century, the new trail has great potential in promoting an economy based on sustainable ecotourism.
A major highlight along the trail, Curlew Lake, is home to one of Washington’s loveliest state parks, Curlew Lake State Park (where Heather and I tied the knot in 2006), with lakeshore camping and wonderful swimming, fishing, and paddling opportunities. At the north end of the seven-mile long lake is a historic trestle, destined to be a popular feature along the trail.
While local support for a non-motorized trail is strong, spearheaded primarily through the efforts of Bob Whittaker and the Ferry County Rail Trail Partners (FCRTP), a small but vocal faction would like to see the proposed trail open to motorcycles and ATVs. Don't let that happen! Help the Ferry County Rail Trail Partners make this trail Washington's next great non-motorized rail trail!

Back from my Eastern Washington (and a little bit of Idaho too) Whirlwind Tour

Last night at around 11:30 pm I returned from an 8 day trip that was quite productive and fun and a tad bit exhausting. I apologize for the lack of blog entries during my absence-but I don't travel with a laptop. Wouldn't have had any time to use it anyways even if I did travel with one. So where did I go and what did I do?
Okay-
Book and hiking talk and presentation in Wenatchee.
Run 6 miles on the Golden Tiger Rail Trail in Republic Washington
Hike 10 miles on the northern Kettle Crest and Little Vulcan Mountain
Hike 5 miles in 13 Mile Canyon Roadless area
Book talk and presentation in Spokane
Hike 4 miles on Tubbs Hill in Coeur d'Alene Idaho
Walk a few mils on the Centennial Trail
Run 10 miles on the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes at Heyburn State Park, ID
Hike 14 miles on Tucannon River Trail and Hunters Spring in the Blue Mountains, Umatilla National Forest
Hike 4 miles in the Juniper Dunes Wilderness
Book talk in Walla Walla
Run 6 miles on the Mill Creek Trail and Bennington Lake Reserve in Walla Walla
Visit the Whitman National Historic Site
Hike Hat Rock State Park, Oregon
Hike Crow Butte
Run a 10K race in Moses Lake
Visit Dry Falls
Drive way too much thanks to a road closure on the North Cascades Highway

Quite a bit of activity there for 8 days uh? Tell me about it! I'm exhausted- time to rest on this Memorial Day Weekend. I'll tell you more about some of the places I recently visited in the my upcoming posts. Its great to be back home!

(photo-Garfield County Courthouse in Pomeroy-the middle of nowhere and one of my favorite corners of Washington)

Sauntering along the Skagit

Heather and I took advantage of the "first weekend of spring" and went for a nice hike along the Skagit River on Sunday. Starting from Rockport's Howard Miller Steelhead Park we followed the Skagit-Sauk Reach Trail for about 3.5 miles. Fairly new and relatively unknown, this trail which follows along the mighty Skagit River on an old rail bed is a real gem. Unfortunately there is a small washout at 1.5 miles which requires some difficult and potentially hazardous dancing around. Most experienced hikers will be able to negotiate it. But this section will definitely require a reroute which requires two difficult to come by things right now- funding for trail work-and funding for an easement on private property. I hope that perhaps some of that stimulus money that President Obama is throwing around will land on the banks of the Skagit. And perhaps Congressman Rick Larsen, no shunner of earmarks can perhaps divert some of this money for trails and away from pavement. How about it Rick? Are you up for a hike this weekend? Let me show you a trail in need and a Skagit County asset worth fixing up.

The Goose is Loose

Cyclists, hikers and runners looking for a superb long distance rail trail that blends urban and rural settings need to set their eyes on Victoria BC's Galloping Goose Trail. Extending from Victoria's Inner Harbour to the Sooke Hills, the trail travels for 60 kilometers through the gorgeous British Columbia capitol city and its spectacular surrounding countryside. But there is even more! The Lochside Trail branches off from the Goose to travel to Sidney and Schwartz Bay adding another 30 kilometers. I recently had the opportunity to do some running and walking on these two trails and now I can't wait to return with the bike to do the whole Goose! There is a reason why Victoria is ranked as the fittest city in all of Canada. With such an amazing trail system coupled with the mildest weather in the country, how can it not be? There were plenty of people out running,walking, and cycling while I was there and despite the fact that the city had just received a rare snowfall and the temperature was hovering at 0-Celsius! Anyhow take a gander at the Galloping Goose's website and perhaps I'll see you on the trail this year. And check out the upcoming articles I'll be writing about Victoria's running scene including its glorious marathon in Northwest Runner this year.

ORVs Told to Take A Hike in Ferry County! Good news for lovers of sanity, tranquility and environmentally-sensitive modes of recreation, the Ferry County Commissioners were handed an injunction for their cockamamie ordinance that would have converted miles of roads (and probably trails too) into ORV raceways. The good folks at the Quiet Communities Coalition were responsible for stopping this madness from happening. But we can not rest on our laurels, for the wacky wheelies will be back. Stay tuned.

Read the release below on the good news and visit The Quiet Communities Coalition for more information on the coalition and the Ferry County Rail Trail for more information on what could become one of the biggest and best non-motorized rail trails in Washington State.

Ferry County Permanently Prohibited from Implementing Off Highway Vehicle Ordinance

On November 20, 2008 Superior Court Judge, Michael P. Price signed and entered a stipulated order granting a permanent injunction in the case between Quiet Communities Coalition and Ferry County Commissioners.
The Order provides that:
1. Ferry County Ordinance 2007-22 and Ferry County Ordinance No. 2008-06 violate RCW Ch. 46.09, as at least some of the roads and road segments designated for off-road vehicle or off-highway vehicle use in those Ordinances fail to create direct connections between off-road vehicle recreation areas and cities of less than 3,000 people.
2. Ferry County must conduct an Environmental Impact Statement before enacting a new OHV ordinance.
3. Ferry County is permanently prohibited from implementing Ferry County Ordinance 2007-22 and Ferry County Ordinance No. 2008-06.
4. The Court retains jurisdiction over continuing disputes that may arise between the parties regarding Ferry County’s efforts, if any, to enact and implement ordinances that purport to permit off-road vehicle use or off-highway vehicle use within Ferry County.
Ordinance 2007-22 was enacted in December 2007 to authorize use of Off Highway Vehicles on 54 Ferry County roads. Quiet Communities Coalition challenged the ordinance with a legal complaint based on non-conformance with RCW Ch. 46.09 and failure to comply with the State Environmental Policy Act.
The Commissioners then attempted to correct their errors by enacting a replacement Ordinance, OHV Ordinance 2008-06, in June 2008, on the same day of the Court hearing to challenge the first ordinance. After oral argument, the Court issued a temporary injunction preventing either ordinance from going into effect.
Quiet Communities Coalition is pleased that this court order represents a complete victory on both its claims. QCC will continue to closely monitor Ferry County’s efforts to enact any new OHV ordinance.

(photo- Golden Tiger Rail Trail in Republic, Ferry County, WA)