PRIEST LAKE RIDE

Friday was a real mixed bag. I went for a 26 mile mountain bike ride on one of the most beautiful trails I've ever ridden on. If you ever get the chance, or find yourself in north Idaho, ride the Lakeshore Trail on the west side of Priest Lake. This trail runs through beautiful old growth forests from Nordman all the way to Navigation point. It's not a technical ride nor is there a ton climbing, but a little. But the trail is very well maintained and provides some of the most incredible views of the lake and surrounding mountains. Most of the trail is middle chain ring kind of rollercoaster ride. We ate lunch at Navigation point. And made several stops along the route, my son was having bike issues. On the way back to the truck I broke a chain, which was an interesting experience. Having never had to fix a chain myself and not having my own chain tool made me a little nervous.Luckily, one of my friends had a tool and it was really a piece of cake. The weather started changing, a storm was blowing in From Canada and it was moving pretty fast. It's quite unnerving to be in the woods when the wind starts blowing hard. One large red fir had fallen along the trail blocking our way so we had to get off the bike and carry them through the woods for 40-50 ft. And a mile or so later a birch had fallen accross the trail and broke into several pieces which we were able to clear off the trail. But all in all it was a spectacular day, great workout and a fun ride.