Coeur d'Alene

Yesterday I went along with a nice group of Debi's friends to ride part of the Trail of the the Coeur d'Alene's (named after the tribe), a lovely paved former railbed which runs 70 miles from Montana through north Idaho. We rode along the south end of the lake until they stopped for an early lunch and I rode on a bit more through marsh and meadows along a slough. Saw eagle's nests, herons, turtles, snakes just along that 5 mile stretch, then back to meet the group for the ride back.

Statue commemorating the Steptoe Disaster at the start of the trail. This was a victory by the Spokane, Palouse, and Coeur d'Alene tribes over US soldiers encroaching on their land in 1858. The soldiers ran out of ammunition but managed to flee under cover of darkness, abandoning cannon and supplies. If the native Americans had pressed the attack it could have been as disastrous as Custer's. 

Bridge the trail takes over the south part of Coeur d'Alene lake, with the stepped risers making the fast downhill ride more like skiing moguls.

And later the sky was threatening and magnificent back at the ranch, and the horses bunched up obligingly for a photo.