Happy Trails (of the Hiawatha)

The Route of the Hiawatha Rail Trail is considered the "Crown Jewel of America's Rails to Trails," and it's easy to see why. Rich in historical significance and loaded with ten tunnels and seven high steel trestles, this 15-mile route is a popular Mecca among mountain bikers.



Together with the Millers, Clarks, Hipplers, and Teri Wilson, Tom and I drove over Lookout Pass and just across the Montana border to begin the stretch from the East Portal.



After donning helmets, headlamps and light wraps, we started our adventure right off the bat with the 1.7-mile long St. Paul Pass ("Taft") Tunnel.



It's a bit daunting entering into the unknown of this long, dark hole - completely black, except for occasional reflectors and slight rays from headlamps. The Montana-Idaho tunnel is cold, wet, and muddy but a complete hoot! Without question, the experience renews one's appreciation for the phrase "There's light at the end of the tunnel."



We easily pedaled down the gentle railroad grade and enjoyed spectacular vistas and interpretive signs which encouraged multiple stops along the way.



Riding through the rest of tunnels is a piece of cake compared to the Taft Tunnel, and safety barriers on the sky-high trestles give some measure of comfort to anyone with acrophobia.

























Tom enjoyed his scenic ride until his rear tire literally exploded.



With Bill Miller's help, a creative but very temporary fix using a one dollar bill got Tom a little farther down the Trail. However, the buck finally stopped here!








Tom was forced to walk his crippled bike until triathlete Martin from Vancouver, B.C. generously surrendered his bike to Tom and continued his training on foot. So for nearly five miles, Tom gave new meaning to tandem bicycling as he steered Martin's bike with one hand and hauled his bike with the other.














The rest of us rode to the end of the Trail without incident, continuing to savor the views and the panoramic, mountain-high beauty of Montana and especially Idaho (of course).


After loading our bikes on the shuttle bus, we took the easy way back up the Trail for one more trip through the Taft Tunnel and beyond to where our cars were parked.








An encounter with a stubborn moose in the middle of the road briefly delayed our westbound trip toward home.



Beer and a very late lunch at the Wallace's Historic Saloon and Grill "The 1313 Club" was a great and seemingly appropriate way to end our day.

Dine and Dash - Wunderbar!

Our friends Peggy and David Whitman are splendidly responsible for one of my absolute favorite traditions, "Dine and Dash." For the past several years, the Whitmans have hosted our dinner group during summer evenings when we have tickets to the Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre. We gather at the Whitman home at 5:00 for libations and a wonderful dinner typically themed with the live musical production for that night. The shows begin at 7:30 which requires us to Dine and Dash off to the theater before the curtain goes up!

Last week the Summer Theatre ended its season with the popular Broadway show "The Sound of Music." In true Whitman fashion, dinner beforehand was perfectly planned to fire us up for the Austrian-based show about the musical Von Trapp Family. Hound-dogs Carmen and Aurora greeted us in their Alpine finest. And after savoring German-style pretzels and salami, we moved into a picture-perfect Biergarten, complete with blue and yellow decor, beer-stein candles, and Edelweis. Though I sing about it a lot, I have never seen Edelweis, so I was thrilled to finally be in its midst.

The authentic Austrian dinner included brats (flown in from Wisconsin), potato salad, spinach salad, and German Chocolate Cake. Never missing a beat, Peggy and David arranged for personalized "Dine and Dash Biergarten Water Bottles." PLUS, we all went home with a pot of the small and white Edelweis (which every morning now greets me.) It was hard to leave the Whitman Biergarten, but the play was excellent. After such a memorable evening, I pretty much felt like climbing every mountain.

Still Amazing After All These Years

In February my PEO chapter invited me to present a program on our six-month stint in New Zealand. I happily pulled together a picture-loaded powerpoint featuring highlights of our many adventures. The most difficult part was whittling down a lifetime of experiences into 15 riveting minutes.

Marie Whitesel happened to attend this PEO meeting and was happy to recall with me her own trip to New Zealand many years ago. Notwithstanding her 95 years, Marie is one of the most talented, saavy and inspiring women I've ever had the pleasure to call my friend.



I first became acquainted with Marie through the Medical Alliance - a social-service organization for spouses of physicians. Over the years, Marie has left impressive tracks both locally and throughout the State. She was once president of the state-wide Medical Auxiliary and has been a champion of education and, in particular, the University of Idaho. Marie also happens to be a well-known, highly regarded watercolor artist.



Following my presentation, Marie pulled me aside and said she wanted to paint one of the scenes featured in my powerpoint - a panoramic shot of Queen Charlotte Sound (of the Marlborough Sounds) taken during our camping trip on the South Island. I was thrilled that she had taken such a keen interest in my program and especially touched that she offered to capture one of our most special memories through watercolor.



The next day I mailed Marie a photograph of the slide she mentioned, and two weeks letter I received a call. Marie had completed the watercolor and invited Tom and me to her home to see if it we thought it was finished, too. We promptly jumped into the car and headed to Marie's beautiful home on Lake Coeur d'Alene. After spending a delightful afternoon with Marie, we declared that not only was the painting finished, it was glorious!



Next week, the University of Idaho is opening a month-long exhibit of Marie's latest watercolors - a fitting tribute to one of the University's biggest supporters and an opportunity for patrons to acquire a lovely work of art. I, of course, will be shamelessly proud that our own "Marie Whitesel Original" already hangs in a place of honor in our home on Hayden Lake.

Life is Just Better

All three of our kids opted to attend colleges in locations quite remote from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. After high school graduation in 2000, Sarah broke in a pair of military-issued boots and headed to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. A year later Sam flew the coop to attend Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Not long thereafter, Becky packed her bags and enrolled at Rice University in Houston, Texas. All top-notch institutions of higher learning - all very far away from home.

Sarah has since been assigned to multiple Air Force bases all around the country, and Becky remained in Houston to attend Baylor Medical School. Upon his graduation from Northwestern, Sam stayed two more years in the Midwest working for Epic Systems in Madison, Wisconsin. It wasn't until Sam shifted gears to attend law school at the University of Idaho that I once again had a child living in the Pacific Time Zone. Better yet, now that he's a full-fledged lawyer working in Spokane, Sam is just 30 miles away.

I say all this because Becky flew home this past weekend for a quick visit and to attend the wedding of a family friend. Sam slipped over from Spokane, and - all at once - life was simply better. For a few summer days, two of our four kids (we now claim Sarah's husband Paul) were home - sharing meals, life experiences, opinions and Hayden Lake dock time. We were fortunate to have "perfect attendance" in December when the whole shootin' match helped us celebrate Christmas. But these precious times when we're together are all too rare.

As I write this, Becky is on her return flight to Houston, Sam is probably knee-deep into some law journal, and both Sarah and Paul are deployed at a foreign base location we're not entitled to know. So today I'm reflecting on my beautiful, highly accomplished children and how lucky we are when they come home for visits. Life is just better - even if only for a long weekend.

Leadership Coeur d'Alene's Silver Anniversary

In 1985, under the direction of then General Manager Sandy Emerson, the Chamber of Commerce launched "Leadership Coeur d'Alene." For 25 years this yearlong program has given aspiring civic leaders a forum to develop knowledge and understanding of the community.

To celebrate Leadership's Silver Anniversary, a recent class of up and comers organized a reunion of all past participants. This social gathering sounded like fun, so I up and went to the event held at Elkpoint overlooking Lake Coeur d'Alene.

As a graduate of the Class of '87 I was disappointed that none of my fellow classmates showed up for the party. However, plenty of other would-be/now-are leaders gathered to celebrate the program's sterling history of fostering community involvement.

I credit Leadership Coeur d'Alene with giving me an opportunity to hear from key leaders and discuss critical issues in an informal learning environment. Moreover, this program connected me to some of the finest citizens in the area and inspired me to roll up my sleeves and dig into worthwhile charitable endeavors.

Rockin' B Ranch

The Rockin' B Ranch has been a tourist mainstay in our area for a couple of decades. So when "Cultural Enlightenment Chairman" Jim Reitan proposed a group outing, we duded up and drove to Liberty Lake to see the Ranch's popular Cowboy Supper Show.

The rustic decor and roving Western characters kept me on the lookout for Marshall Dillon and Miss Kitty. Although they weren't around, there was plenty of Gunsmoke during the the troupe's wildly authentic Old West melodrama.

Thanks to members of our dinner group who participated in the drama, the damsel in distress was saved and the bad guy was hung.








Dinner fare of beef, ribs, and chicken, was followed by an entertaining show complete with music, dance and comedy. Priscilla Bell was recognized on stage among guests with birthdays, but it was her mother Perry who took honors for being the oldest in the crowd.


An amazingly spry cowgirl from Texas, at 90+ years old, Perry demonstrated her ambidextrous abilities by simultaneously writing mirror images of our names!

Patriotic Golf Scramble - A Holiday Tradition

Every year Konni and Rich Leichner host a summer golf scramble and potluck dinner for couples who are otherwise family-less on the 4th of July. The Leichner home is nicely situated near Holes 4, 5 and 6 of the Hayden Lake Country Club golf course, so they make potluck assignments, organize a 3-hole tournament, and arrange participants into 3-man teams. Players are allowed to carry only three clubs (I went with my driver, 7-iron and putter), rules are explained, and stakes are made ($5 per person) before the competition begins.

A beautiful evening, fun people, great food, and a few drinks along the way added to the holiday festivity. Fortunately, Tom's team came in 2nd, netting him $15 - a nice return on his $5 investment.