Priest River Timber Days unifies community

MAX OSWALD | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year, 8 months AGO

A flyer from Priest River Cheer waves to the crowd during the annual Timber Days parade down High Street.
Photo by Max Oswald

A mini logging car called 'Woody' makes its way down High Street.

A local man drives a street-modified dumpster during the Timber Days parade.

Locals stand in line waiting for their huckleberry pancakes at the PRLHS booster club pancake breakfast on Saturday morning.

A float consisting of a Kubota track loader holding a log makes its way downtown on Saturday. On the log is a "Recall. Replace. Rebuild." sign that refers to the controversy surrounding the West Bonner County School District.

A competitor competes in the pole climb, a part of the Timber Days logging competition on Saturday afternoon.

A logger finishes a choker race, part of the Timber Days logging competition. A choker race is where loggers carry a choker (a flexible cable used for hauling logs) through an obstacle course and then return to the start to reattach the choker.

A construction vehicle makes its way down High Street with a sign encouraging others to vote for a recall against two West Bonner County School District Board members.

A competitor stares down his target as he gets ready to throw an ax during the Timber Days ax throw, which is part of the logging competitions.

Two locals hold up recall signs near the end of the Timber Days parade on Saturday.

A float followed by a large crowd of supporters in favor of the West Bonner County School District recall made their way down High Street near the end of the parade.

A sea of orange and black filled the streets of Priest River as the community celebrated its timber heritage.

The festivities began early Saturday morning on High Street and included everything from an annual fun run/walk to timber competitions and more. The community, which came together for the 83rd annual Priest River Timber Days, seemed to be more unified this year than ever before.

After the “Run to the Berries” race held by the Priest River Lamanna High School cross country team, athletes made their way over to the already packed huckleberry pancake breakfast. The breakfast, which was put on by the PRLHS booster club, saw a line that stretched a full city block at its peak. The pancakes were made from scratch by PRLHS coaches and student-athletes and filled the town with a sweet-smelling aroma; it would be hard to walk by without wanting to indulge.

After everyone’s stomachs were full, the Timber Days parade began. A plethora of local logging companies, businesses, fire trucks, and sports teams slowly made their way down High Street. Some fan favorites included a little motorized logging car named “Woody” and yes, a drivable dumpster on wheels. At the end of the parade this year, more 200 Priest River residents chanted “PR” and wore shirts supporting the West Bonner County School District recall.

Once the parade concluded, everyone made their way over the West Bonner Park to get some food from a number of local food trucks. Those who weren’t quite hungry yet stopped by the Show and Shine Car Show at Priest River Junior High School. A large number of classic and vintage cars were on display, including multiple old-school Ford Thunderbirds painted in shades of teal and purple.

At last, it was time for the Timber Days logging competitions. Despite the scorching heat, about 20 loggers turned out to test their skills. The loggers competed in events including, but not limited to, double buck, ax throw, choker race, obstacle pole bucking, burling and various saw competitions. Hundreds of spectators gathered around in shaded tents to watch their favorite loggers compete.

To cap off a long day, the 16th annual Timber Days Lawn Mower Street Drag races took place on Main Street. Racers competed in all sorts of different classes including grass cutters, modifieds, super modifieds, limited and electric. Locals of all ages lined the streets to shout and cheer as the lawn mowers made their way to the finish line. Afterward, everyone took to Main Street as the sun was setting and danced the night away.

Photo by Max Oswald

A mini logging car called 'Woody' makes its way down High Street.

Photo by Max Oswald

A local man drives a street-modified dumpster during the Timber Days parade.

Locals stand in line waiting for their huckleberry pancakes at the PRLHS booster club pancake breakfast on Saturday morning.

Photo by Max Oswald

A competitor competes in the pole climb, a part of the Timber Days logging competition on Saturday afternoon.

Photo by Max Oswald

A construction vehicle makes its way down High Street with a sign encouraging others to vote for a recall against two West Bonner County School District Board members.

Photo by Max Oswald

A competitor stares down his target as he gets ready to throw an ax during the Timber Days ax throw, which is part of the logging competitions.

Two locals hold up recall signs near the end of the Timber Days parade on Saturday.

Photo by Max Oswald

A float followed by a large crowd of supporters in favor of the West Bonner County School District recall made their way down High Street near the end of the parade.