Eric Deady likes adventures. 

The Coeur d’Alene man created one called the Idaho Panhandle Ramble. He considers it a showcase of all that makes North Idaho special.

The 320-mile bikepacking route starts and ends in Coeur d'Alene. It travels through the Coeur d'Alene and St. Joe national forests and Coeur d'Alene tribal lands, with stopping points at small towns like Pritchard, Avery, Emida and Clarkia.

"It was important to me to highlight some of the towns that help make this region such a unique place, while keeping it remote enough to satisfy even the staunchest of misanthropes," he wrote. "I believe this route is truly special in that regard. It’s remote enough to make you feel small, and close enough to make you feel connected."

He wants others to try it, and a group start is scheduled at 8 a.m. June 21 at Coeur d’Alene’s Independence Point, where it will also finish. 

Deady worked on the project for nearly four years, said it’s polished and is ready for riders. He’s done it a few times and can attest: It’s beautiful, but it can be a bugger, too.

With an elevation gain of about 30,000 feet and rough terrain, this is no cruise on a paved path. Be ready for trails and tribulations. Go as fast or slow as you want.  You could take it on a few miles at a time, or commit to a week and go the entire loop.  

But above all, be prepared for the unexpected.

"We've had some surprising encounters out there," Deady said.

While researching and scouting the route with friend Paula Funatake, she was hit by an off-road motorcyclist. 

“I was pretty banged up,” Funatake said. “The motorcycle rider was fine.” 

Once Deady had a good idea of what he wanted the loop to look like, it was a matter of riding between predetermined points and being sure the route would lead where he wanted it to go. 

“Every inch of that route has been ridden and mapped,” Deady said. 

In looking at maps with trail options for the loop, Funatake said they made some choices “that turned out to not be the right options."

At times, they got lost, ran out of water, had to carry their bikes for miles through overgrown brush, and found their GPS was not aligning with where they thought they were supposed to be. 

Funatake said she soloed the route last year. It’s a mental exercise as well as physical.

“You don’t have to be an endurance cyclist to do this,” Funatake said.  "But I had to be really focused on each day."

But don’t let that discourage you. 

For the most part, the route is doable, with most on Forest Service and logging roads and a little on paved sections to link it together, including the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes. 

According to Deady, it is 95% rideable, with a difficulty rating of 6.5. It reaches a high point of 6,340 feet.

Here's how he describes it:

"The Panhandle Ramble takes in a grand chunk of the spectacular Idaho Panhandle — a swath of rugged, geologically and culturally rich land sandwiched between Canada to the north, Washington to the west, and Montana to the east. This area has been known mostly for its abundant natural resources in the past, but it has since become a relatively undiscovered outdoor playground, filled with crystal clear rivers and lakes, unspoiled carpets of forest, wildlife, and friendly small towns, making riders feel like they’ve taken a trip back in time."

The route has been completed in a record time of just under 48 hours, but one could take a week. Deady encourages people to go slow and steady, enjoy the sights and sounds. If you go in the summer, you might try camping, fishing or swimming along the way. 

As for wildlife, Deady said you’ll likely see birds, deer, moose and eagles, and you might run into a mountain lion. In all his travels, Deady never saw a bear, but said bear spray is a must, anyway. 

“I saw evidence of bears,” he said. 

Clarkia and Avery are great points to resupply, and locals are friendly and willing to help riders find their way. 

“It’s nice to have that sense of remoteness, but it’s also nice knowing civilization is not very far away," he said.

Deady, a longtime cyclist and bike mechanic, knows cycling. Four years ago, he cycled 1,700 miles in six weeks on the Baja Divide. 

He said not enough people take the time to see what exists right outside their back door. The Idaho Panhandle Ramble is a good place to discover what awaits.

“I wanted to create a route that felt remote,” Deady said. “I want people to get a flavor of North Idaho, of its ruggedness and remoteness, and discover the friendly, small towns within our region. Having that flavor of our community is important.” 

Deady likes the idea that the route is something anyone can try. He said there's “an overwhelming sense of accomplishment to finish something of that magnitude."

“It’s there to do,” he said. 

Info: bikepacking.com/routes/idaho-panhandle-ramble/

    A rider takes a break on the Idaho Panhandle Ramble.
  

    A view along the Idaho Panhandle Ramble.