REPORT: Self-supported 72mi Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes (CDA) FKT - 17:54

Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes (CDA) overview map. A 72 premier rails-to-trail routes in the Pacific Northwest. Source: https://visitnorthidaho.com/activity/trail-of-the-coeur-dalenes

On Apr 5, 2024, we set a new self-supported Fastest Known Time (FKT) on the award-winning 72mi Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes (CDA) in 17:54. We traveled west to east from Plummer, ID, to Mullan, ID.

The trail of the Coeur d’Alenes (CDA)

“The Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes bike path follows the Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way from Mullan, a mountain mining town near the Montana border, to Plummer, a town on the prairie near the Washington border, offering one of the premier rails-to-trail routes in the Pacific Northwest. More than 72 miles of paved path takes you from high mountain splendor, through the historic Silver Valley, into the chain lakes region, along the shore of Lake Coeur d’Alene, over the Chatcolet Bridge to Heyburn State Park, and finally climbs to the Palouse prairie.” [Source].

The Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes (CDA) as seen here.

Sound pretty good, right?ch

This is how things went

At 2:30am, we awakened to the unexpected: a layer of fresh snow and a winter weather advisory. Our final forecast check the previous evening had been for dry, cloudy, and mild conditions. We panic-packed a few extra layers and set out anyway.

It was snowing hard at the Plummer trailhead, so we donned rain gear and took off into the dark. The first 8-ish miles were an easy downhill to Chatcolet Lake. As daylight emerged, we reached the impressive Chatcolet Bridge across Coeur d’Alene Lake. The snow had turned to rain and clouds hung eerily low.

As we made our way north along the water, we spotted several otters and eagles. No services were open yet in Harrison (mile 15.3), but the rain had almost stopped. We paused for a quick snack and looked forward to the next two major points: the halfway mark at mile 36 and the Timbers Roadhouse in Cataldo at mile 42.

The halfway point was uneventful, but it felt good. At the cozy Timbers Roadhouse, we consumed too much—and soon paid for our gluttony with a few hours of walking (and vomiting). Only in Kellogg (mile 54) did we begin to feel normal again. After a quick break at The Beanery, we pushed eastward into the sunset, through small mining towns, under I-90, and eventually up to Mullan. Thankfully the end appeared more quickly than we anticipated. And though we were cold, damp, sore, and exasperated by freeway noise, the Outlaw Bar & Grill was mercifully still open—where we managed to arrange a ride back to Coeur d’Alene the next day. (Thanks Jason!)

While initial spreadsheet calculations projected an 18h trip to complete the 72mi route self-supported, we ended up finishing 6min faster. That time will be . . . very easy to beat.