Centennial Trail

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 What:  Road bicycle, Mtbike, Rollerblading, Jogging, strolling. This documentary was written by an intermediate fourteen year old mountain biker that went on this trail four times, there and back. He was so tired after it that he could not walk up stairs right, let alone write a Pulitzer Surprise winning documentary. If you suggest that I be awarded a Pulitzer Surprise, then you should contact the nearest Pulitzer nominating booth. This description is of the ride from Spokane to CoeurDalene which is about 70 miles round trip. The ride from Spokane to Nine Mile Falls is more forested environment, but a very worthwhile 18 miles round trip. Trail Rules, Another person's view. Official Centennial Trail site

Centennial Trail Overview Map    Centennial Trail Close-up Map

 Where:  You start at the downtown of Spokane, Washington in River Front Park. You ride the bicycle trail until you cross a cute pedestrian bridge. Beyond the bridge you will pass Gonzaga University, a small private University. Then you ride over a high arching pedestrian bridge. You ride the winding trail for about a mile and then you pass Mission Park, a fairly large park. When you pass Mission Park there is a stop light. Hit the WALK button and cross when it says WALK (simple yet many trail users do not understand that you have to do this before crossing.) Take a right over the railroad tracks (if there isn't a train coming, of course,) and take a left turn. The road you should be on and will stay on, for a while is Upriver Dr. If you wait until you take the turn, then you will find yourself on a bridge. If this happens to you simply turn around and try again. Washington Water Power (WWP) should be on your left. On the horizon there is a wall of mountains, two of which are Mount Spokane and Mount Kit Carson and are documented in this website. It's sort of weird seeing apartments lining this road, but you will see them, they are all over. A little while later you will see checkered grain elevators; you have to admit that they look pretty cool on the other side of the river. After a little while you will see brand new, sort of monotonous type houses on the left. After that there is a huge electrical grid on the left; you can almost see the radiation emanating from it. Later there is a mountain on the left that has one side completely covered with trees. The other side has only a selected amount of trees spread evenly on it. Then on the river are two dams. Then after that on the left there is Arbor Crest Wine Cellars (no bumming wine off the workers, kiddies.) That's when you see an ivy covered hut on a road island in the street. Upriver Dr. turns into a T there. Take a right. On the left there is Minihaha a local rock climbing and mountain biking mountain. Across the river you can see Felt's Field, an old, private, airport. After that there is Boulder Beach, a large, sandy, public beach on the right. Although there's usually a lot of people, you can still find a spot to sit and/or swim. Swimming is fun at Boulder Beach, but do not attempt to cross the river, it will cause you to drown. Past Boulder Beach there is a large hill up into a fairly wealthy district.(This picture is of a person's garage there.) One hundred and fifty yards later you will pass Pasadena Park Elementary. Then you ride up a hill to Argonne Library. A small while later you will take a right turn on Farr Street. Farr Street turns into a T. Take a left. The name of the street is Maringo. Maringo goes down a steep hill and turns into a parking lot type area. Take a right, that is the trail. The trail winds through a "scorched grasslands?".(You make your own opinion about it.) On this section and all of the others there are many dirt trails; some of them are shortcuts, but many are dead ends. Do not take them unless you have time to waste or I tell you to(which I will, be patient.) At the end of this section there are two bathrooms. I urge you to use them if you feel, there isn't another until the Zoo formerly known as Walk in the Wild. Above the bathrooms there is a large house in the distance on top of a rock cliff. Oooh. You then cross a bridge on the right. Immediately after the bridge there is a ramp. Do not attempt to ride down this ramp on a bike unless you have a deathwish. After that you ride under a car bridge, a torn down bridge and a train trestle. You ride up hills, you ride up more hills, you hate my guts, and I don't blame you. Then you reach the bathrooms that I talked about earlier. They are not well maintained, but for the tired trail user, they work. Only get water if you are sincerely desperate, it tastes like carbonated soap (listen to the water, eww.) Then you cross a very small pedestrian bridge over to the Zoo formerly known as Walk in the Wild. On the other side of the river there is Kaiser Aluminum, known for it's Aluminum processing and recent strikes. Later on you ride under a wooden covering. This is a perfect spot for eating a small snack (especially when it's raining.) Then you ride under Sullivan Rd. A little later you ride under Barker Rd. and then you cross Harvard Rd. Three miles after Harvard Rd. you find yourself riding on a very wide concrete pathway. Near the end of the runway you will see the entrance to the State Line Rest Stop. Stop there. You will thank me if you stop there. The luxuries include: icy fresh water, working bathrooms, an information booth (hours 8AM to 5PM), and picnic tables to eat a homemade lunch, if you brought one. You ride under I-90 and across a pedestrian bridge. When you cross the bridge, keep your eye on the left for the second dirt trail on the left, it is a shortcut. It will cut five minutes out of your trip (be very careful because this trail is unofficial.) If you decide to be safe then you will wind around the trail for five minutes and run into a T. Take a left there. A right turn will waste time, power and water. You will ride that trail for a while until you become parallel with the race track formerly known as Greyhound Racing. Then there is only a mere foot of grass separating you and the road. Get onto the road, it will take you past Factory Outlets. At this time I suggest that you go into the diner on the mid left and fill up your water bottles with ice water. You might even want to eat there. Ahh. Then you must go to the end of the road.
At that point in time you have three choices. The first choice I recommend for: late starters, slow riders (under 12 miles per hour), and plain hungry people. That choice is to eat if you haven't already eaten. If you see a place that you like, by all means eat there. If you need suggestions then I will help. (I only hope that people take fast food as a suggestion and not an insult.) McDonald's is a very popular restaurant; it not only is reasonably priced, but the food is good, and you can get refills that can be transferred into a spare water-bottle. You can also go into Jack in the Box which has even better prices and even better food (this is the expressed feeling of a biker not a fast food chain manager). The second option is to cross the street, using the form that I taught you at Mission Park, and take a right. Then you take an immediate left at the trail. That is a pedestrian trail. The final option is to turn back. I would hope that you don't but if you need to, do so. On the pedestrian trail you will ride past a large bridge; neat, huh? Then you go through Post Falls, a very small town. You resume on the pedestrian trail next to a railroad track. When you end the section you will be prompted by a sign to turn right, do so. The street you are on is 3rd. Then you will be prompted by a sign to turn left, do so, the street is Lincoln. Then you cross the street and back onto the pedestrian trail. The trail goes along a lumber processing plant. Then after the plant there is a McDonald's and other fast food restaurants. The only thing keeping you from it is that darned railroad track. LOOK BOTH WAYS! IF THERE IS A TRAIN COMING, DO NOT CROSS! If a train is coming, wait until it has passed, or go to the end of the section, go over the tracks and take a left. It will take you there. DO NOT RISK YOUR LIFE FOR A BURGER, EVEN IF IT IS A LITTLE RISK! I DON'T WANT ANYONE'S DEATH TO COME BY MY DIRECTIONS. If you decide to eat there then you can take Seltice Way, the main street. It is a shortcut. If you eat there and you don't want to take a shortcut then get back onto the trail. If you don't eat there then you will come to the end of the trail. When you finish the section then you can pat yourself on the back for completing everything except the hardest part of the trail. What? Yes there is a harder part! Much, much harder. If you are a wimp, turn back now. Call your mommie. Stop, cease, desist, no mas, JUST SAY NO! If you are ready to torture yourself then answer me a bold question. Do you want to go off the trail and onto an easier, faster, shorter, busier street. So what is it? Do you want to wuss out and take the trail, then go ahead, but don't complain to me about how much your legs hurt. The trail goes: right at the end of the pedestrian trail, onto Green Ferry street. Then watch the left for Ponderosa Ave. and pass Ponderosa School. Ponderosa comes to a T. Take a left. Then you come to a Chevron where you can buy Gatorade and Energy Boosters. Take a right there. If you decide to take the shortcut then it goes like this: at the end of the trail take a left then take a right on Seltice Way. You ride for half a mile and you reach the Chevron that I talked about earlier. Keep going on Seltice Way. You take Seltice Way for a long, long time. When you pass a huge sign that says the EDGE, then you will know that you are close. When you pass Atlas Pellet Co. you know you are very close. Keep you eye on the streets on the left. Turn left on Atlas Rd. Not to be confused with Old Atlas Rd. There is a large RV dealership on the right. At the end of the RV dealership on the right there is a large hill to the trail. If you miss Atlas Rd., don't fret. You can keep going on Seltice Way and still meet up with the trail. At the first intersection take a right and you are back on the trail. If you find the trail then take it to the intersection. You will stay on this Boulevard, named Northwest Boulevard until you reach Lake Coeur `d Alene. You have now finished this journey, enjoy!

 Cautions:  There are several train crossings. Play it safe. Look both ways. There is also the constant danger of the river that you follow the entire way. It has dangerous undercurrents. You heard it from me. There are also dams that have to spill large amounts of water without warning. STAY OUT, STAY ALIVE. There is also a large amount of street riding. Stay on the trail, do not get on the road for any reason.

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