Route of the Hiawatha
Our original plan was to ride the 12 miles downhill and take the shuttle back to our car at the top of the trail. Upon our arrival we learned that the shuttle only runs on weekends and holidays meaning that we would have to bike back our way back up the hill. The cruise down was breathtaking and really could not have been more perfect but the real adventure started as we began our journey back up the hill.
On our way back, the weather took a turn and became humid and a bit foggy. Although it was a little eery, we had fun riding through the tunnels with our little bike lights shining through the darkness and fog. In one of the tunnels we even came across a dear licking salt off the walls. As we got closer, it began running away until we eventually chased it out of the tunnel. As we continued on our way back, we would stop every couple of miles to let the kids run around and play. At one stop they found a chipmunk and spent about 20 minutes running around trying to grab it.
One of the craziest parts of the trail was the first (and last) 1.7 miles that we rode through a pitch-black tunnel. Besides being cold and dark, the tunnel was also muddy which resulted in all of us being filthy within the first 10 minutes of our journey. There's no doubt that the trail had its ups and downs (no pun intended), but I think it's safe to say that the journey was one that we will never forget!
Maeli was making wishes before throwing her stones in the water.
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