July 9, 2013
Day 5: Harrison to Cataldo, Idaho
The section of the trail from Harrison toward Cataldo traverses a watery wonderland, created by the Coeur dÁlene river on one side, and a series of large ponds on the other. To call this a wonderland is not just a cliche. The trail is far from any road noise, or even habitation, making it totally silent, except for th sounds of biirds and insects. Now in summer and with the sun shining, th e flowers that line the path are bright, and fragrant.
Across our path an elegant doe strolled, and as we looked on, two fawns followed. We came upon butterflies - so delicate and beautiful, dining on deer poop, and we spotted a heron in the lake.
The water lillies were a special feature too - white ones and red, and ones with various styles of leaves.
As the kilometers rolled by, we came upon more and more wetlands and scads of waterlillies. We passed through slightly drier pine forests and by meadows with cows by the river.
More kilometers still, and the temperature climbed to 38 degrees. We had come prepared with lots of water, but high heat is always a strain. For the adults, the flat trail meant little or no gear shifting, while the heavy load created a fair amount of drag. The experience was pretty much the same as spinning in a hot gym with the drag set just high enough to tire you out well.
The kids handled it well, usually responding appropriately as the adults excitedly pointed out plants, animals, birds, or other features they were spotting. Of course, our weird rigs and thhe cute kids attracted lots of attention from other cyclists along the way. The kids also developed a routine for these adults. They would report that they live in Missoula but were born in Vancouver. They are almost five and their birthday is July 27., etc. Then they would hand out a business card. They shouldd go into sales, while they are still cute.
The Grampies, of course, will carry on no matter what, and we did steam all the way up to Cataldo, which is where the trail joins the I-90 for the rest of its length. Cataldo features a restaurant, so the first order of business was to go for ice cream. We set up our tents in an open, grassy field - European style, which means no table. We wish the operators would take just one day's revenues and go buy some tables!!
It took the kids a long time to calm down and fall asleep - the combination of exhausting heat and too many carbs. Tomorrow there may be a motel in the offing, plus a shorter ride, so the going will be a bit easier. Since this campgroound has river access, we will begin with a walk by the water. Swimming is unlikely, though. The kids have seen proof that there are fish in there - in the beaks of herons seen today. Water containing fish does not meet their standards for good swimming!
Today's ride: 50 km (31 miles)
Total: 110 km (68 miles)
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