Bike Trip Row 3rd – Day 4 – 18 June 2026

Last night, Elijah did the overview presentation of today’s plan. The Hiawatha is the premier Rails to Trails route. We will start on the Olympia from the parking lot for the Hiawatha. Located in Taft, Montana, we can now claim a bike ride in three states – Washington, Idaho, and Montana.

First stop at The Beanery for a bagel breakfast. We will be here again tomorrow morning. It is the staple place for a fill-you-up breakfast.

A ride in the van for a 45 minute trip to the Hiawatha parking lot where we will be based today. Leaving Idaho behind and entering Montana – this photo below is the proof, although we couldn’t capture the Montana sign on the way there, we captured the Idaho sign on the way back.

This year, the weather is awesome! No smoke in the sky so every turn on the trail is breathtaking. The Olympia trail is a short ride – 3.5 miles out and back. It was an easy, relaxing ride through towering pines. The air was filled with the wonderful smell of fresh pine, stronger than usual because the trees were bursting with tender new growth. Along the trail were pine cones of every size—including some absolute giants!

The Olympia trail ride is a sampling of the gravel surface of the trail, a tunnel and a railroad trestle. We ride to the trestle and turn around to go back to the parking lot for some lunch.

Elijah prepared lunch for us something Row Adventures does well – food! After lunch, we ride to the start of the Hiawatha and the first tunnel – over a mile long. You will be cold in the 47 degrees tunnel; and you will get muddy as there is water dripping on the gravely, muddy surface.

On my previous rides, I stopped at almost every sign on the trail to learn about the history. Now, they are all posted on the website so you don’t need to stop at every one of them. If you are interested, here’s the link. https://www.ridethehiawatha.com/the-trail/history-interpretive-signs/

Due to time constraints, we ride the trail down to tunnel 27 and then turn around to head back. There are not enough adjectives to describe the trail and vistas. Each mile reveals another postcard-worthy scene.

The trail seems suspended between mountains and sky. You can see the trestles below that you will be riding. Pedaling through tunnels and across trestles, I felt immersed in a world of rugged beauty. The panoramic mountain views were humbling, and the quiet grandeur of the landscape left me feeling renewed and grateful.

Worth mentioning – one section the trail shares the road including a tunnel with buses taking people and bikes to the ends of the trail. While in the tunnel, a few of us were stuck pulling over to let the bus go by as it beeps its horn loudly! That was a new experience. The sign greeting you on the return, let’s you know “You’ve made it” back!

I am one of the first of the group to arrive back at the van. Later I learn about Megan’s experience with a flat tire at the turnaround point. Frank with our guide Cole attempted to change the tire but did not have the ability with the tool they had available. Frank gave Megan his bike (always a gentleman) and he rode the bike while they kept refilling the tire every 2 miles until it wouldn’t fill anymore. Cole gave Frank his bike and bravely rode through the long tunnel and made it back on a flat tire! Lesson – if you get a flat tire, you are in trouble on this trail.

Elijah comes through again with snacks and beverages to celebrate the EPIC ride.

Back at the lodge, a few of us take the Gondola ride to the top of the mountain. Wow – spectacular, panoramic views and a look at the motor-cross trails the 750 riders will be competing on this weekend. This must be a great place to ski in the winter and, if you are crazy enough, ride a mountain bike or motor-cross bike in the summer.

Dinner is at the Blackboard restaurant in Wallace, a 15 minute drive from the lodge. Tomorrow we will ride to the end of the trail and spend some time in Wallace so I’ll have more to say in the blog tomorrow. A summer carnival is underway on the street in front of the restaurant. Delicious food in this quaint place.