Annual Fall Bike Trek on the Trail

The Friends of the Weiser River Trail held their last event of the year on October 5th and 6th. October Trek, an annual bike ride, had cyclists this year from as far away as Pennsylvania, Walla Walla, and Portland and as old as eighty.

The group met at the Weiser River Trailhead early October 5th and were bused to the Wye Campground, just north of Tamarack Forest Products.

They biked their way to Council, where they had lunch at the Council Senior Center. After the meal they continued on to Mundo Hot Springs, where Sophie Maylam, the owner, prepared dinner for them. She also made breakfast for them on Sunday before they headed towards Weiser.

Pat Trainor, who organized this year’s event, said this year there were about an equal number of participants as volunteers. Two ladies ran the check-in, there were also four ATV riders, a bus driver, a bike mechanic, who rode the trail with the cyclists and was prepared to fix any breakdowns or flat tires, a person at the aid station at Starkey and someone to drive the sag wagon after the cyclists.

“We chose October because the weather is cooler. Bikers are always happy. The pay the volunteers get is seeing the smiles on their faces,” Trainor said.

He added that the majority of the riders were over 55.

On Sunday, as they headed back towards Weiser, the group was fed sandwiches at the Presley Trailhead.