[Photos taken 05 August 2022, posted online 07 April 2023. Storm incoming, thankfully above freezing.]
We kept adventuring, and next up was to bike the Route of the Hiawatha which is a “scenic 24 km (15 miles) long mountain bike or hike trail with 10 large and dark train tunnels (nine that you ride your bike through) and 7 sky-high trestles.”
I had made reservations many weeks in advance, and ordered rental bikes to be delivered at the starting point. We set out fairly early, and the 45 minute drive went smoothly.
The weather was gorgeous, and the ride went pretty well, although the bikes were not great. All in all a memorable day, and lots of wow! views.
Friday 05 August 2022
Finnur and the kids on the Route of the Hiawatha.
The day began with belgian waffles and a fruit salad, so good!
There was no set entrance time to the bike path, but we were adviced to be on the earlier side. Thus we drove off at 9:30 am.
We managed to find the parking lot at the “East Portal“, and it was looooong.
We walked towards the check-in area.
This whole trail used to be a train-line (The Hiawatha) but has now been transformed into a tourist destination.
We found the bikes we’d rented online. They were quite sandy, which made more sense after we’d biked through the long tunnel. We biked around for a bit, but should have been more demanding to have them adjusted before we set off. Anyway, you live, you learn.
A map of the route. We parked by the East Portal, the long tunnel gets you to the West Portal, and then you follow the red route to Pearson. It’s all gently sloping downhill.
Riders ready to go!
The first tunnel is the longest by far, at 2.7 km (1.7 miles).
Biking through the long tunnel. The path was covered in fine wet silty-sand. We got stuck behind a large family, so it wasn’t as pitch black as it could have been.
Animated gif of our ride through the tunnel. The youngsters wanted to ride faster, but there was no space to overtake the people ahead. This had the happy side effect that we weren’t covered in silt upon exit.
Emma not sure about this adventure, even though there was a pretty waterfall.
At the next tunnel we had to wait a bit, since a school bus was coming through with people that had completed the ride.
Said school bus in the distance.
Emma posing, siblings in the distance. The bus route only joined the bike route at the very top.
Gorgeous!
Father and son.
There were lots of information signs on the way.
A huge forest fire came through in 1910, that decimated the area.
Onwards the path went.
A family, a flat rock (with a squirrel close by), and a sign.
Spot the squirrel!
Looking down the hill, we saw a trestle (bridge) that we would be crossing further along the trail.
The tunnels kept coming, but most of them were short.
Wood to steel.
At the first trestle. A helper biked past us on an electric bike.
Lovely view!
The Traveler built bridges.
Another bridge!
At the half way point we sat down to eat some snacks. Emma wanted to get this over with, and sped off!
“Come on mom, this thing isn’t going to ride itself!”
At some point Bjarki started to complain that his wrists were hurting as we were going so fast, so we split up, Finnur and the girls ahead, and myself and Bjarki behind.
“Are we speeding, or are we going slowly, reading the signs, and enjoying life?”
Getting close to the bottom.
By 1:30 pm we had made it all the way down, and went into line to wait for the bus to take us back up the hill.
Some 20 minutes later it was our turn.
Our bus driver was a joker.
Crossing the river we’d spotted a little higher up.
The bikes were unloaded on the “wrong side” of the long tunnel, meaning we had to bike through it again.
Putting jackets on before entering the 2.7 km tunnel.
People exiting the long tunnel on the East Portal side.
This time we waited for nobody, and zoomed through the tunnel. As a result we were covered in silt, but it was so much fun!
I was nicely decorated.
By 3 pm we set out again. There were a lot of people that brought their own bikes, which was a good idea, as the ones we got were in a rather sorry state.
