On the Route of the Hiawatha
/“On the shores of Gitche Gumee,
Of the shining Big-Sea-Water…”
When we learned about the Route of the Hiawatha, we were reminded of Longfellow’s famous poem, The Song of Hiawatha. We figured since we’d just been on the Trail of the Coeur D’Alenes, named after a Native American tribe, that the Route of the Hiawatha was named similarly. Au contraire, mes amis! It’s named after a train.
Yup, the Route of the Hiawatha is an abandoned Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad grade known as the "Milwaukee Road" upon which the Olympian Hiawatha Speedliner luxury passenger train once sped along the tracks on its route between Chicago and the Pacific Northwest.
Considered the ‘Crown Jewel’ of all the rail-to-trails, this 15 mile stretch of the originial route wends its way along the Loop Creek Canyon in the Bitterroot Mountains, traveling through 10 tunnels, over 7 ‘sky high’ steel trestles and crossing the state line between Montana and Idaho. Since the average grade is only 1.6%, it’s pretty much all downhill if you start at the top and nearly level for much of the graveled path. In theory, we could have ridden in both directions. BUT, for lazy folks like us, there’s a shuttle at the bottom of the trail that conveys both bike and rider back to the top. We bought tickets for this option… enough riding in both directions.
The trail requires helmets, headlights and tickets… we had it all. And, yup… we’re a couple of weeks behind in our posts. Gotta live it, before you can write it.
We were told that the best time to to avoid crowds was to arrive and ride in early morning when the trail first opens… around 0830. We broke camp early, packed up and drove along I-90 to Exit 5 in Taft, Montana to reach the East Portal Trailhead parking lot. The trail requires helmets, headlights and tickets… we had it all and got the go ahead to start down the trail.
St. Paul Pass/Taft Tunnel - It’s 1.66 miles long and pitch black inside.
Photo credit: Route of the Hiawatha
As soon as we started, the entrance to the St. Paul-Taft Tunnel loomed ahead. It’s 1.66 miles long and pitch black inside. Headlights on, we entered and began our ride in the dark. We splashed through huge puddles. White lime water seeped from the tunnel ceiling and dripped all over us. It was cold as we bounced over bumps, dips, holes and uneven gravel surfaces. We were thoroughly chilled, drenched and muddy by the time we reached the other end. In other words, it was great!
Bicyclists weren’t the only ones on the road.
We watched as some folks sped as fast as they could pedal down the trail. Why rush, we thought. Let’s get our money’s worth, take our time and enjoy the day, the scenery and the wildlife. An unexpected bonus was the background, insight, color and history of the route provided by the many, well-placed info signs along the way.
The info signs along the route provided lots of background and insight into the trail, the now deserted mining towns and the railroads.
The scenery was spectacular. Through the thick forests, we could see far below the trestles we’d soon be crossing.
The trail meandered and switch-backed 1000’ down in elevation over its 15 mile course and from the topmost part, we could easily peer through the trees and see trestles we’d soon be crossing far below. There were lots of tunnels ahead, but none so long, nor as dark as the first one. Crossing the trestles was wonderful and provided great views.
One of 10 tunnels we rode through, but none were as long or as dark as the St. Paul Pass/Taft Tunnel.
Clear Creek Trestle No. 230 - Length: 760’ - Height: 220’
A cross beside the trail marked the grave of a ‘gandy-dancer’ aka railroad worker. The story goes that during the 1910 fire ‘blow-out’, he panicked and jumped off a train. Everyone else on the train made it to safety, but he perished in the fire. His remains were buried beside the train track.
It doesn’t take long to ride 15 miles on a bike, even if you’re going slowly. We were at the bottom, waiting for the shuttle in about two hours. The shuttle, an old school bus, could handle 23 people and bikes in one load. We were #21 & 22 in line and didn’t have to wait long.
We didn’t have to wait long for the shuttle bus. Though most folks kept their ‘social distance’ in line, few wore masks on the bus.
The bus ride to the top took about 30 minutes with color commentary by the driver along the way. ‘There are usually moose here, but not today!” Riding in the bus was a bit sketchy since several folks were not wearing masks, though masks were ‘highly recommended’. We kept to ourselves and were glad to depart the bus, claim our bikes and get out into the open air.
The bus stop was about 250’ from the west end of the St. Paul Pass/Taft Tunnel, so we had the pleasure of riding through 1.6 miles of wet, cold and darkness once more. Having traversed the tunnel the second time, we took a look around at folks who were finishing up like us. It was easy to tell who had already ridden and who was just about to begin by the amount of mud and grime on them.
The bikes were absolutely filthy as we loaded them into Blue.
We had mud caked on our biking pants, shirts, waist packs, arms, legs, David’s phone and even our eyeglasses and helmets had splatters of mud on them. The bikes were absolutely filthy as we loaded them into Blue. We’d worry about bike and rider baths later.
The famous 50000 Silver Dollar Bar has silver dollars embedded in the walls, the bar and even one in the floor. We’re told, it used to be the 10,000 Silver Dollar Bar, but the they just keep adding silver dollars. There are purportedly 75,000 now.
Reluctantly, it was time to begin our long 1,000 mile trip back to Las Vegas. We had left Las Vegas in mid-June and it was time to return. There were things to do and people to see, but not immediately. We celebrated our biking adventures by stopping at the famous 50,000 Silver $ Bar and Souvenir Shop in Haugan, Montana.
We originally thought we’d have a beer, but the bar was crowded as was the shop, so we opted instead for an ice cream cone at a nearby, uncrowded stand. Then, we were heading south for a hotel night and showers in Missoula. We picked up a bottle of champers and some dinner for the room and relaxed for the evening.
There’s still more to come. We’ve got another week or more on the road before we actually reach Las Vegas. We’re slow travelers, remember. Join us next time for the final days of the 2020 Pandemic Road Trip.