The Camp Ground?

Morning came way to early today: the first day of Idaho Relaxed. Up at five and on the road at 6. Into Spokane for a quick stop at Cash & Carry, then on to Plummer, Idaho. Plummer is the beginning of the Coeur D'Alene trail. The trail was originally a railroad that was built in the 1880's. The Railroad used mine tailings to bed the track. These tailings were contaminated with arsenic. Subsequently the ground and water adjacent to the track were contaminated. In the 1980's the Coeur D'Alene Indian Tribe settled with the railroad for this contamination of their land. Part of the settlement was the creation of the Coeur D'Alene trail. It runs from Plummer to Mullen, Idaho. It is a gorgeous trail: running along rivers, through woods & ponds. A max of 3% allows for some pretty relaxed riding.

We didn't have an address for the "camp ground". Just told that we were a couple of blocks from the community center that we have used the last couple of years. No problem: Plummer is small. We spotted the luggage truck as we came into town. Followed a paved road to a oiled dirt road to.....hmmm. Not quite a camp ground. In all the years I have been working the tours, this is the most primitive that we have had it. One field, not quite a level spot to be seen; a parking area freshly graded out in the dust early that morning, two port a potties and a handwash station. Hmmmm. Oh well: it's an Adventure, right? I'll post pictures when we have better internet service.

Everyone was a good camper and rolled with the mole hills. We set up on a little road close by, and fed the new tribe a feast of chicken fajitas, fish tacos, veggies fajitas, Italian caesar salad, all the trimmings, homemade cookies and fresh watermelon. It is pretty hard to gear down from a ravenous Washington tribe to this relaxed business! Way too much food: they will live daily by the adage of: "what you don't eat for dinner, you are going to see in a wrap". Not quite that bad!

A walk on the trail this evening filled my critter fix with the cutest little weasel ever to be seen. Now I understand, "pop goes the weasel!".

Up early, well, not quite: breakfast at 7 and then on to Cataldo tomorrow. Many new riders: it will be a great week.