I am planning a Hiawatha bike ride for late summer/early fall of this year. Awhile ago, Leslie read about a bicycle trail in northern Idaho that had tunnels and stunning views. It sounded like a fun activity that would probably be out of reach for us. Because we have a child with a disability, who absolutely loves to travel, we can’t imagine leaving her behind for any trip. Over the years I have crossed bicycling in the mountains off our list of activities. I thought all the trails out there were something like this:
This winter I started researching the Hiawatha and liked what I was learning about it. I saw that pulling Jamie in a bike trailer was possible.
Why Planning a Hiawatha Bike Ride Works for Us
- The trail is the route of an old railroad so it is nice and wide.
- The trail is slightly downhill for the entire time.
- A shuttle service takes you and your bikes where you must go.
- The course is 15 miles long — not too difficult for most people.
- You can rest or eat lunch at stops along the way.
The main website for the Hiawatha is here, but I especially liked the first paragraph of this page that talks about the actual trail.
My Treadmill Setup
I connected my laptop to an older TV and use a wireless keypad/touchpad with it. This allows me to watch YouTube videos that people have posted about their travel destinations. I spent a few days of my exercising watching vlogs of Hiawatha bike rides. People from all age groups ride the trail. I knew that Leslie and I would be able to do it with Jamie in a trailer. This short video showing some small children on the trail and a bike trailer encouraged me.
The Wike and a Helmet (And We're Ready to Go!)
Although we already have a bike trailer, I looked for a more easily collapsible one to take on road trips. Before long I found the “Wike” which is made in Canada. We settled on this large special needs model in red. The company also sells an extra large trailer that accommodates people up to 5’10” and 150 pounds. We also purchased the conversion package which allows the trailer to be used as a stroller. Leslie took Jamie for a walk around the neighborhood in it this week. Our dog hitched a ride.
I will talk more about the Wike in a future post – it is a very cool bike trailer! Finally, I bought a bike helmet for Jamie on Amazon. Of course I ordered it in her favorite color – PINK!
Jamie tried it on and played with her iPad while wearing it for a short time. Hopefully it will work for the longer ride.
It’s been fun planning a Hiawatha bike ride. There are still a few things to do – we need a trailer hitch on our car to transport our bikes and trailer. I also need to contact the shuttle company to tell them about our situation and see what they advise to make our trip a success.
I’ll write more about our preparations as the time passes