Route of the Hiawatha trail opening this weekend

The Route of the Hiawatha mountain bike trail will open Saturday and Sunday, then will be open seven days a week starting May 23 through Sept. 27. The 15-mile rails-to-trails biking and hiking trail uses an abandoned Milwaukee Railroad grade between the old town site of Taft, Montana and the North Fork of the St. Joe River near Avery, Idaho. The Hiawatha includes 10 tunnels, including the 1.66-mile-long St. Paul Pass Tunnel, and seven train trestles as high as 230 feet. The trail is all downhill with a gentle grade that drops 1,000 feet over the 15 miles with shuttle buses available for the return trip. Riders can also choose to ride round-trip. For more information, call 208-744-1301 or visit Trail passes, shuttle tickets, mountain bike rentals, souvenirs, and picnic lunches are available at Lookout Pass Ski Area located adjacent to I-90 at the Idaho/Montana border 12 miles east of Historic Wallace, Idaho. Call 208-744-1301 or visit www.ridethehiawatha.com for trail information.