Day 2: Taft Tunnel to Roland: The Trail of the Hiawatha!
Since today is the July 4 holiday, we were predicting a real crowd at the trailhead and possibly limited parking. So we made sure to head up there for exactly 8:30 a.m. when the trail is opened. The idea of a trail being opened stems from the fact that the Hiawatha is not just an available route but is more of an "attraction". The cost is $10 per adult to ride the trail, and $9 for a shuttle bus ride back up from the bottom. On the other hand, that is where ny resemblance to Disneyland ends. We take the admission fee as paying for the maintenance of the many trestles, and the staff of rangers watching over the riders. Beyond that, the whole thing is just so flat out terrific, it's worth the admission.
The "Hiawatha" is the name of a train that ran on the Milwaukee Road, a line that ran all the way to Chicago. The section here that comprises our rail trail still has mileage markers that show the distance to Chicago. The markers typically show about 1700 miles.
Kids have lots of energy. Here they do a bit of bouldering warmup before tacking the trail.
The ride begins with probably its biggest "thrill", which the ride through the 2 3/4 km long Taft Tunnel. It is absolutely pitch black in there, and a constant 7 degrees C no matter what the outside temperature is. Water constantly runs through the tunnel, and in fact the tunnel is the source of a stream that sometimes has fish in it.
The tunnel roadway is steeply crowned, and the fine dust found outside makes for a fine wet mud inside. It's ok, but you have to be careful.The remaining upper part of the trail has a substantial number of long and high trestles, and many more tunnels, though none is as long as the Taft. Of course, aside from tunnels and trestles the ride is at heart a romp through a wilderness of forest and mountain. In the lower half, the tunnels and trestles are done, and one is left with forest and mountain. The roadway becomes rougher as well, and actually it does get a bit boring.
At the bottom we were greeted by the shuttle bus and crew, who did an admirable job of ning up the people and loading the back of the bus with bikes. We were the last ones arriving to fill that particular bus, with the next one being ina hour and half. so we had to quickly (instantly) disassemble the WeeHoos and the Trail a Bike, and grab all our bags and watger bottles, and children. It could have been very stressful, but our team was efficient, and the shuttle guys were also efficient but patient.
The bus takes some shortcuts back up the mountain, on steep and twisting one lane roads. They use radio to coordinate, so that here is no confrontation between one going up and one returning. This coordination failed at one point and our driver was surprised by another bus rounding a corner.Since we were on the outside (cliffside) it was good that he did not swerve too much!
The driver gave a good commentary as we passed former railroad siding towns, or trails up nearby mountains. It's amazing how whole towns, full of stores bars and brothels, could disappear so completely.
The shuttle drops you back at the exit of the big tunnel, so you have one more ride through it to the parking lot. With the temperature broiling outside, the dark andaturqally airconditioned tunnel really feels good!
Back at the Lookout Pass resort to return our rented Trail a Bike, I picked up one more Trail sticker. I had been forbidden to buy any more, since I had gone overboard on these two years earlier. But this one caught my eye because of Usain Bolt. Apparently Bolt swiped his trademark "lightening bolt" stance from the Hiawatha!
Watch for that photo, coming soon.
Captions coming soon too!
Just on the downslope side of the Taft tunnel, junior photographers gather to record a waterfall.
