Friday, March 29, 2024
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Moving History Forward: Tale of The Trail

The Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes is more than a 73-mile-long hiking and biking trail boldly stretching across Idaho’s Panhandle. It is a symbol of hope.

It's a symbol of what can happen when powerful cultures, who were often opponents, unite to make a beautiful entity which enriches the lives of all who submit themselves to its wonders.

These powerful cultures include the fabric of Idaho’s mining, railroad, and timber industries, the government, both state and federal, and the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, whose influence stitched them together to provide a gift of extraordinary beauty to everyone which is so exceptional that it deserves our reverence and care.

The 19th century discovery of the riches of the Silver Valley would require efficient transport systems to move the silver ore to markets. Thus, railroad tracks were laid from Mullan to Cataldo, then followed the Coeur d’Alene River to Harrison, then turned south through the Coeur d’Alene Reservation, crossing Chatcolet Lake to Plummer and beyond. In 1991 the Union Pacific Railroad abandoned the line.

Realizing the value of the now vacant railbed, the Tribe, the State of Idaho and the U.S. government came together to find a way to responsibly make the most of this resource. By this time, the negative impact of mining extraction was acutely evident on the land and in the rivers and lakes. Whatever was to be done had to attempt to reverse some of the damage and not add more pollution to the land and water.

The problem was that in constructing the railbed, highly contaminated waste rock and tailings from the mines were used, and they wanted it removed, but isolating the toxic heavy metals was impractical. The EPA had already established the Coeur d’Alene Basin as a Superfund cleanup site in 1983.

The solution was to cap the contaminants by laying down a thick asphalt layer on the top of the railbed and cover the sides of the trail with gravel. Because vehicles with internal combustion engines are harder on asphalt than bikes or walking shoes, they would be denied use of the trail due to increased wear and tear on the asphalt and noise pollution.

The Trail opened in 2004. Its remarkable construction includes conveniently placed toilets, benches, shaded picnic tables and even hand air-pumps if needed for a leaky tire. The views are spectacular. Interpretive postings along the way give a better understanding of what you are seeing.

Multiple entry and exit points exist so that shorter segments can be traveled. Some of the more popular access points are Plummer, Harrison, Bull Run, Cataldo, Enaville, Pinehurst, Silver Mountain, Wallace and Mullan.

Because of the asphalt surface, the trail is wheelchair friendly. The 15-mile segment of the trail which is on the Coeur d’Alene Reservation is managed by the Tribe, the rest by the Idaho State Park Service.

The Museum of North Idaho’s future location has selected “Water” as its theme. Much of the trail follows along the shores of lake Coeur d’Alene and the Coeur d’Alene River. Hiking or biking this trail should inspire us all to do whatever we can to make sure the Idaho

The state’s motto, Esto Perpetua (let it be perpetual), is realized.