Why My 7-Year-Old Biked 80 Miles in 2 Days
I suspect that when most moms plan a mother-daughter trip with their seven-year-old, biking 80 miles together in two days doesn’t often make the top of the list. But that’s what Mountain Heart and I did. And the trip was unforgettable.
Planning the Adventure
In September of 2022, as the glorious summer neared its close, I knew I wanted to fit in one last warm-weather adventure, and I wanted it to be just Mountain Heart and me. The idea of a one-on-one trip had come to me earlier in the year, and I loved the thought of making special memories together, just the two of us.
That’s when it came to me: what about a bikepacking trip on the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes? We knew we wanted our first mother-daughter adventure to be outdoors, memorable, and unique. This idea checked all the boxes. It would no doubt be challenging. We would learn a lot along the way. It would be hard. But even at seven years old, Mountain Heart was always up for an adventure. She was tough, resilient, and persevering. I knew she could take on this kind of challenge. Thus, our plan to bikepack the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes came together.
The trail runs 73 miles west to east from the town of Plummer on the Palouse Prairie near the Washington border, to the mountainous town of Mullan near the Montana border, thus traversing almost the entire panhandle of Idaho. Originally a train route of the Union Pacific Railroad, it was transformed into a multi-use trail in 2000. Since it is a rails-to-trails conversion project, we knew we wouldn’t have to worry about being on dangerous highways or navigating traffic. The trail is paved and provides some basic amenities along its route, including pit toilets and a few locations for camping.
Our family had explored a portion of the trail the previous year, when we bagged a 16-mile round trip from Heyburn State Park to Harrison. The experience was delightful, including many wildlife sightings and beautiful views. No one in our family had ever been bikepacking before, so this seemed like an non-intimidating introduction to the sport. (Bikepacking is basically like backpacking, except you carry your gear on your bike instead of your back.)
I knew the mileage would be the most challenging part of the trip for both of us, and I wanted it to be a positive first-time experience for Mountain Heart. Therefore, I determined to carry almost all of the gear. I did, however, find a small top tube bag for her bike that would allow her to stow her own snacks and a few personal items for the adventure.
My Specialized fully loaded with all our gear.
Since this was our first time bikepacking, I decided not to spend a lot of money on new, fancy gear, but determined to work with whatever we already owned. I dug an old, faded pair of bike panniers from the bottom of a storage tote and attached them to my rear rack. One of them was halfway broken, but I made it work. I strapped our Alps Mountaineering two-man tent to the top of the rack, along with another bag of supplies, and filled my handlebar bag with snacks, electronics, and other small items for easy access. Technically, the goal in bikepacking is to carry all your belongings on the bike and not on your person. However, I did find I needed a small daypack in which to carry our extra clothing, as the panniers were quickly filled with our sleeping bags and food, along with a stove and repair kit. Two water bottle holders completed the setup, and we were ready to go.
The Fun Begins
On a beautiful, sunny September afternoon, Ridge dropped us off at the beautiful and well-maintained Plummer Trailhead. It took some finagling to arrange everything on our bikes and to double check tire pressure and brakes. After snapping a few pictures in front of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe war memorial, we said our goodbyes to the rest of the family, and then the pedaling began!
At the Plummer Trailhead, locked and loaded and ready to go.
Although the trail starts on the Palouse Prairie, most of the first six miles are a gentle descent into Heyburn State Park. Naturally, we made good time cruising downhill. Upon our arrival in Heyburn, we were immediately treated to views of the picturesque Lake Coeur d’Alene. The highlight of this area is the enchanting swing span Chatcolet Bridge, the most popular attraction on the whole trail. Built in 1921 for the Union Pacific Railroad, this 3,100 engineering beauty later became part of the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes when the conversion took place. Mountain Heart opted for a brief stop in this area to sample some of her peanut M&Ms (a very good choice), and then we were back on the trail.
The beautiful Chatcolet Bridge.
After crossing the bridge, this lovely section follows the edge of Lake Coeur d’Alene, and we marveled at all the wildlife: otters, beavers, loons, ducks, eagles, and turkeys. There are mile markers posted all along the trail, and this proved to be a wonderful motivation for Mountain Heart, as she could visually see her progress as we pedaled along.
In the quaint little town of Harrison, we stopped for a well-deserved late lunch at the marina diner. We walked our bikes and food down onto the docks and sat on the weathered boards while we enjoyed our meal. After about an hour’s break, we pushed on, knowing we had about 10 more miles to log before we reached our camping spot for the night. Upon leaving Harrison, the trail turned east and followed a chain of small, marshy lakes full of waterfowl and other wildlife, including a great blue heron and multiple deer. The miles passed quietly as we chatted and pointed out all the beauty surrounding us.
Taking a lunch break at Harrison.
We had arranged to stay on the property of a friend whose home was about a half mile off the trail. Unfortunately, we missed the turnoff for their driveway and had to backtrack a mile. Bonus miles! Once we arrived at their property, we found a nice camping spot on the hill above their home. We pitched our tent while watching a beautiful sunset over the lakes below. With our sleeping bags laid out and ready for us, we sat in the grass and enjoyed a tasty Mountain House dinner, followed by Milano double chocolate cookies and steaming cups of coffee and hot cocoa.
Sunset at our picturesque campsite.
The light fading, we retreated to our tent, satisfied with our 25-mile day. We snuggled down into our cozy sleeping bags for some reading before drifting off to sleep, serenaded by the sounds of a field full of chirping crickets and grazing deer.
Last light and cozy reading before bed.
The Fifty-Mile Day
The best thing about waking up in a tent is the knowledge that your Jetboil sits just outside, waiting to deliver a delicious cup of coffee into your hands. While Mountain Heart slept a little longer, I got the coffee going and fished some fig bars from the bike pannier for our breakfast. The rising sun helped to dispel the morning chill as we sipped our hot drinks and started packing up our gear.
Cozy morning vibes.
It was around 9AM when we got back onto the trail, feeling fresh and well-rested. A passerby shared rumor of a moose up ahead on the trail, and we kept our eyes peeled for any signs of the enormous, majestic animals as we pedaled through the forest. We stopped occasionally for quick breaks at the numerous wayside rest stops. Mountain Heart had a wide variety of snacks in her top tube bag, and it was fun for her to decide which treat she wanted to munch on next.
This is a fundamental and important part of doing any kind of long distance adventure with children. Fun, delicious snacks keep kids going, and they need to eat often. I always supply a variety of sweet and savory choices. We practiced passing a water bottle back and forth between us while biking, as well as eating and riding simultaneously. She even grew confident enough to look at the map and determine our position while pedaling. We found a lot of wooly bear caterpillars along the trail, and one even hitched a ride on Mountain Heart’s sleeve for a few miles.
Taking a scenic break along the way.
By the time we made it to Enaville (mile marker 47), we were both feeling tired and ready for real food. We purchased burgers and huckleberry shakes at The Snake Pit, Idaho’s oldest restaurant. The delicious food revived our spirits and gave us energy for the next leg of the trip. This area of the trail is gorgeous, flanking the North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River.
Not long after we reached Pinehurst, the trail began to parallel Interstate 90, which was certainly not as pleasant as the peaceful quiet we enjoyed earlier on in our ride. However, there were still beautiful views all around as we pushed on to Kellogg, then to Osburn. At this point in the trip, we were feeling the mileage, and we knew there was still a solid handful of miles ahead of us. I was so proud of Mountain Heart for her enduring spirit; she never complained or cried once on the whole trip, even when her legs were tired and she was ready to be done.
Passing through Rose Lake.
When we passed Kellogg, we came upon a neat little bike park right next to the path, complete with jumps, tabletops, rollers, and other features. We took a ten-minute break so that Mountain Heart could ride several laps around it. This is another essential part of successful long-distance feats with children: continually finding ways to make it fun and enjoyable. This breaks up the challenge into smaller, more manageable chunks and keeps them motivated and smiling.
Our original plan had been for Ridge and the others to meet us in Wallace, from where we would all ride together to the end of the trail in Mullan, and then back to Wallace, completing the 80-mile distance. However, in Osburn, we hit a speed bump. Almost exactly at the 60-mile mark, my bike broke down, and we were stranded there at the small park, waiting for Ridge to meet us. Once he arrived, he offered to repair my bike, while I took his so that Mountain Heart and I could finish the trail together. The sun was setting, and after the delay with my bike, we were racing the night. Blade and Tacklebox joined us, and we pedaled our way into Wallace, passing under the thundering interstate before the trail began its gentle ascent into the mountains.
North Fork of the Coeur d’Alene River.
Those last seven miles up into Mullan were certainly the hardest part of the trip. Our legs were tired, and the incline felt more daunting after riding all day. Not only that, but the sun had set by now, and it was harder to maintain morale in the gathering darkness. I stayed close to Mountain Heart, encouraging her and praising her for her grit. Up and up we pedaled, now relying on the light from our headlamps to see the path. I’m sure in the daylight, it would have been beautiful and scenic, but when you’re riding in the dark and can only see a few yards ahead of your handlebars, you just want to get it over with.
Finally, we breathed a sigh of relief as the Mullan trailhead came into view. We weren’t done, but it was all downhill from here. Anxious now to finish our ride, we lost no time and turned back the way we had come. We cruised down the grade back into town, probably doing twice the speed we had maintained coming up. The final few miles flew by. Ridge and Huckleberry met us for the last mile as we passed under the interstate for the second time that day, pedaling into the historic town of Wallace.
Another Trip in the Books
Anyone who has ever pushed themselves to complete a difficult physical challenge will know the wonderful feeling of satisfaction and achievement we savored as we coasted to a stop by our parked car. As a mom, I was incredibly proud of Mountain Heart for her endurance and persevering attitude. We had made so many special memories together, and the fact that we had worked hard for this adventure made it all the more memorable. My seven-year-old had biked over 50 miles in one day, and altogether 80 miles in two!
We celebrated the close of our trip with well-earned pizza in Wallace. It was glorious to sit back in the van and rest our tired legs on the ride home. Our first foray into bikepacking left us wanting more. I suppose, in the end, that is the goal of every outdoor adventure: that when we come to the conclusion of a trip, we will be glad to be done, and equally glad for the anticipation of the next one. That we will be able to look back on the memories we made and say with our fellow adventurers, “We did hard things, and they were good for us.”
Making memories we will never forget.