July 5 - Route of the Hiawatha

The Route of the Hiawatha is a 17 mile bike trail through the mountains.  The Hiawatha was a train so the trail is full of trestles and tunnels.  A friend of mine shattered her shoulder in the very first tunnel and never got to ride the rest of the trail so I dedicate these photos to JaeDee!

Larry and Galen and my trike at the beginning of the trail.

This is the tunnel where JaeDee got hurt so badly.  The tunnel is 1.7 miles long, drippy, slippery, uneven, and dark.  I learned quickly to take my sunglasses off before I went in the tunnels.

A photo taken by Larry of Galen and I riding across one of the trestles.

I think this may be the one-way tunnel where we met the bus.  Not to worry.  There are barriers inside the tunnel to get behind until the bus passes.  Deer and moose get behind them, too.  We saw a deer.

The inside of the tunnel collapsed and is no longer used.

Larry riding over one of the trestles.

The grave of one of the men who worked on the railroad.

The view of a trestle from above.

Yay!  We made it to the end with four minutes to spare but we had to hustle the last half of the 17 miles just like we did the first time we rode this trail.

Larry in line waiting for a ride back up. 

The 17 mile trail is mostly downhill and a bus shuttles you to the mouth of that first long tunnel and you get to ride through it in the opposite direction.  I guess it is too dangerous for a bus to drive through.  :-)