Day 471 – US – Idaho [Cataldo to Mullan]

19/07/21

46.6km

  From Cataldo (Idaho) to Mullan (Idaho)

North America

Uphill run, smoky skies on the beautiful Trail of Coeur d’Alenes through the Silver Valley

Cutting a lonely figure in the vast campground

I enjoyed last night camping and woke up fully rested. The temperatures had dropped during the night, it was almost cold as I got ready. The run today was steadily uphill, from 650m to 1000m elevation, with a bit of up and down in the first 10km. What is interesting is that it’s the same data as yesterday’s run (46.6km with 430m+ elevation) yet yesterday it took me 13mn more to complete. It all has to do with how the uphill sections are spread and the gradient of the hills. Today was perfect, allowing a steady pace throughout.

Running by the Coeur d’Alene river

As the sun rose, I saw I was in for another smoky day. It’s a pity, I can tell the landscapes around me are majestic, mountains and forests (of the Idaho Panhandle National forests) all around. I hope the skies will clear before I am out of the region. I ran on trails all day. The Silver Valley Trail first, then the Trail of Coeur d’Alenes. I was mostly on my own and only met a few cyclists on the way. It is such a perfect place to exercise, a former railway reconverted as a trail.

Mining artefacts along the Silver Valley mining district

I ran through the historic Silver Valley which is also called the Coeur d’Alene Mining District. Silver, zinc and lead were the primary metals mined for in the valley. There were a few remnants of ancient times, mining wagons and boards telling the story of the region. There are still a few active mines, and the town of Wallace through which I ran, is nicknamed “the Silver Capital of the World” (in fact it was once the leading silver production district in the US).

Check out today’s flyover video: https://www.relive.cc/view/vNOPYAL1n26

Check my daily run GPS data on or

Here is the map of today’s run: