January 13, 2010

Hurling from great heights in Idaho

Did a five-day family bike ride with my son Silas on the world-class rail-trails in northern Idaho last year and came across these teenagers who were jumping from an old railroad bridge into a deep pool in the river below. As the kids on our ride gathered to watch, the bravest leaper offered to climb to the top of the 80-foot bridge and hurl himself off. Then we all watched in disbelief as he did just that.
It was a pretty great jump. You may have seen this image in various magazines as the fun-loving guys over at Big Agnes have been using it in their ads all year.
A few more images from the rest of our ride follow, including a couple from the magnificent Route of the Hiawatha, a jaw-dropping rail-trail on the Idaho / Montana border that features a series of high trestles. Plus, a couple from a mine tour we took just outside the old mining town of Wallace.
To see a few more images from the Hiawatha, including a couple from its huge tunnels, check out my post over on the Freeman Blog. If you crave still more munchkins-on-rail-trails action, head over here to read my story on the trip.




2 comments:

  1. Thank you so much for the stories about having a great time with your family outdoors! We live in Southern California where it seems that there is more pavement than scenic byways--yikes!
    I wanted to say (again) thank you for the Adventure Cycling article from Dec./Jan. 2010 about the s240 rides with your boys. It sounds like such a blast. Any suggestions about getting started with my boy(s), training wise?
    I have been shopping for a tandem for me and my boy(s) to enjoy that very thing, s240s. How do you like the Cannondale? They seem like a great bike for the money.
    Take care,
    Rob Kamstra
    godutchrcjj@msn.com

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  2. Hi Rob,
    Glad you enjoyed the story. As for training, nothing beats biking to school. I find with the kids that it's not so much physical as psychological — they can go-go-go forever as long as they're having fun. I make up games to keep it fun as we ride (how many different species of birds can we see? etc.). I also bring treats (Honey Stinger Organic Chews are a family favorite) that are promised at various points or revealed when attitudes start to sour.
    We like the Cannondale. Not much to say about it other than we're happy with it and haven't had any major problems. And we've ridden it pretty hard.

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