Taft Tunnel Project

Sun., Aug. 11, 1996

By Rich Landers richl@spokesman.com (509) 459-5508

Mountain biking

The Route of the Hiawatha, a premier mountain biking attraction that includes the two-mile Taft Tunnel on the Montana-Idaho border, is closed until improvements can be made.

But bikers willing to put in a day’s work can get an exclusive opportunity to ride the tunnel and the 13 miles of trail on the Idaho side.

A Taft Tunnel work party, campout, barbecue and bike ride is scheduled for Aug. 17.

“We’ll put in a day’s work beginning at 9 a.m.,” said Jaime Schmidt of the St. Joe Ranger District. “We plan to remove culverts and rocks from the tunnel and do some brushing on the trail. Then we’ll ride the tunnel and back to the campground, which is the only opportunity people will get to do that this year.”

The meeting place will be somewhere near Avery, she said. Info: (208) 245-4517.

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Taft Tunnel Project

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