Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes - Mullan-Wallace-Kellogg
/
Day 1 - Wallace to Mullan and Back - 16 miles
Our first day back on the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes involved driving from our campsite in Enaville to Wallace, parking Blue at the Wallace trailhead, unloading the bikes and riding to the Mullan Trailhead and back... about 16 miles.
We had a route map with mileage, but it did not with specify elevation gains We learned later that this leg was the toughest, steepest grade of all. Though it was early, the day was hot and muggy and riding to Mullan was a challenge. It seemed all ‘up’, mostly because it was. The return trip, however, was all down and we whizzed along with a cooling breeze in our faces. There were several rest stops along the way, some with vault toilets, most with benches or picnic tables and all with informational signs describing some aspect of the area. Back in Wallace, we continued to ride towards Osborn. After a mile or so, David’s bike had a problem which took a while to fix. Once the fix was complete, we turned back to Wallace. We were glad we’d ridden early because by 1PM, it was 98F.
Mullan Trailhead
Since we completed the ride early, we decided we’d sightsee in the area on our return. This became the routine each day because the Silver Valley, as this rich mining district is called, offers lots to see. The repurposed, abandoned railroad lines on which we were biking were all constructed primarily for the mining industry and we were in heart of it all. Each little town and district had its own history and its own unique story to tell.
Sunshine Mining Company tribute to miners and their families at the Wallace Trailhead
Wallace is a particularly charming town to visit and explore.
Wallace was particularly charming with lots of museums, restaurants, hotels, shops, bars and historical buildings. Because of the coronavirus, however, many shops were closed. We wandered around town looking for a place for lunch… an outdoors venue that served cold beer. During our search, we noticed a sign which touted that Wallace was the Center of the Universe. Several shops had signs to that effect in their windows with XX steps to the actual center site. We decided to check it out. Sure enough, right at the intersection of 6th & Bank Streets, there was a bronze manhole cover confirming that Wallace, was indeed, the center of the universe. If you ask a local about this, they grin and say ‘Prove it isn’t!”
It was too hot for sightseeing, we decided and no place that served cold beer AND lunch that had an outdoor venue. Still hungry, we decided to save Wallace sightseeing for another day and headed back to Enaville, thinking we’d have to settle for lunch and a beer back at camp. Then we saw the Snake Pit!
Touted as the oldest restaurant in Idaho, the Snake Pit, originally the Clark Hotel, was built in 1880 and served as a hotel and layover for miners, loggers and railroaders. There are several theories as to how the Snake Pit got its name, but the leading contender has reference to the ‘working girls’ upstairs. No matter, it’s an historic place with an interesting history AND an outdoor, shaded patio where lunch as well as several varieties of cold draft beer are served. Definitely our kind of place! We indulged.
Back at camp, post-lunch and a couple of beers, we were not an energetic crew. It was hot and muggy, but comfortable enough in our shaded campsite. We lazed the rest of the day away and planned the next morning’s foray.
Day 2 - Wallace to Kellogg Depot and Back - 20.4 miles
Kellogg Depot - Trailhead
Kellogg (and I don’t mean corn flakes), like other towns in the Silver Valley, depended heavily on the railroad for its mining commerce as well as passenger service. The Coeur d’Alene Railroad & Navigation Company (CR&N) narrow gauge railroad arrived in Kellogg in 1887. Here we are, 133 years later, photographing its depot station, now the Visitor’s Center, and riding on its old railroad line.
We rode from Kellogg Depot east past Elizabeth Park and Osburn to the bridge where we’d finished up yesterday, then turned around. Once again, heading downstream was a joy although we did have a headwind to content with which slowed us down a bit… but it also served to cool us nicely. We rode a bit past the Kellogg Depot to the Silver Mountain Trailhead, then returned to Blue. We’re upping our speeds a bit and have determined it’s not the mileage that gets us, but the ‘saddle time’. Our legs do just fine… our butts, not so much. We managed 20.4 miles today.
David checks out the interpretive sign at the Silver Mountain Trailhead
Once the ride was finished (and it really doesn’t take long to ride 20 miles) , we thought we’d visit the Kellogg Mining Museum, but it was closed.
Since the Kellogg museum was closed, we returned to Wallace to do the sightseeing we’d missed. We learned, among other things, that Wallace was the actual setting for Dante’s Peak, the 1997 thriller with Pierce Brosnan and Linda Hamilton. It is also the home town of 1940s-50s movie actress, Lana Turner.
Because nearly every building in Wallace is on the National Historic Register, every building has some interesting story. Several buildings, for instance, once served as bordellos and are now ‘boutique hotels’ or, in one case, a museum. The bordello museum was unfortunately closed. An old-fashioned melodrama is performed in another building. Notably, there are no hotel, restaurant, fast food or even supermarket chains in town. All businesses are locally owned.
Old-fashioned melodrama performances are held here in Wallace. Unfortunately, not while we were there.
Since David was interest in the history of the area, we decided to visit the Mining Museum. He’ll share more about mining in his Blue Views.
Wallace’s beautifully restored railroad depot is now a museum and we enjoyed our visit there.
Enough riding and sightseeing for one day, we headed back to Bumblebee Campground. David did some bike maintenance while I washed clothes and hung them to dry.
Maintenance and laundry… sounds very reminiscent of living aboard Nine of Cups
Join us next time as we continue riding the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes and add some sightseeing to the mix. Looking forward to your company.
Continue to the next segment of the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes