Information about the informal TaterTOT cycling event of Summer 2010,
in the format of a news briefing or open forum discussion:

Last Updated: April 8th – UPDATED INFO IN BLUE!

The Fourth Annual Potato State (Idaho) Tricycles Optional Tour, aka TaterTOT10 is a highly informal, free, loosely organized cycling event scheduled for early Summer...

I think the (almost?) unanimous selection as last year's TaterTOT Tootsie* was Bonnie Hong [BROL UserName bhx1], although the award of this honor may have been unduly influenced by the overwhelming quantity and variety of microbrewery samples she contributed to the post-ride merriment. The fact that she came accompanied by three adult males, Steve, Fred and Bear, is generally regarded as self-cancelling in the informal polling, because of the tradeoff between voters being properly impressed and (perhaps improperly) jealous. The honorary position of Trikey Least Likely to be Going the Right Direction is currently open, but historically Cornell Wynnobel [last name perhaps fictitious to avoid possible prosecution by US Homeland Security] [BROL UserName bluecoyote] remains a serious contender. Our leading candidates for best-known (possible) no-shows are Torka [unable to determine last name because of near-miss dogbite] [BROL UserName TsPoet], and Otto Keyes [BROL UserName hibracket], who shared some very nice coffee with the gang in 2008. Again this year, we're also expecting to be joined by Ed Renkey, the Secretary-Treasurer of the Friends of the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes (FoToCdA), the active local volunteer support group. Ed is expected to bring a gaggle of those outstanding FoToCdA trail maps for our group before the ride starts on Monday. One other woman, Robin O'Hearn [BROL UserName dragonfly] has purportedly been present at all three previous TaterTOT events, but has maintained such a low-key inconspicuous presence that some folks may not have even noticed her. With any luck at all, you may merit recognition, fame and/or infamy after this year's event...

Anyway,in mock protest, some of these (more unconscionable than conscientious) objecters more or less bluffed each other into setting up a similar event that would be restricted only to tricycles, with none of those tippy, two-dimensional bicycles allowed to come to their party. The concept eventually firmed up as a regional rally kind of multi-day ride, which began to be called the 'Trikes Only Tour' or TOT. Since the ToCdA was a very appealing trail, a moderate distance from the homes of two guys who were egging each other on (Dave and Clayton Johnson [BROL UserName Zoom]), it was selected as the ride venue. Clayton was very active in organizing that first TOT, which used the ridiculously inexpensive but tiny Lookout Motel in the equally tiny town of Mullan (which had no eateries open on Sunday) as its base of operation. Clayton was probably one of the big reasons for the ride designation not so subtly migrating to 'Trikes Optional Tour', as about half of his group showed up on more-or-less-mundane bicycles. I think he also initiated the Welcome Cookout, and may be best remembered for those huge flames soaring skyward from his absolutely delicious grilled hamburger patties.

I don't know if there was anything even remotely resembling a semi-official census for the first two events in this series, but I'd guess that about 25 or so folks rode in OUGHT-SEVEN. In OUGHT-EIGHT I believe Clayton's interest was directed to a more conventionally formatted multi-day point-to-point ride with motorized SAG and (of course) official signup, liability waivers and entry fees. David pretty much took over the reins of our informal event, relocating (with popular support) to the Baymont Kellogg, a larger, newer, more upscale (and of course pricier) hotel in a more central location, with more nearby eateries as well as an in-house waffle bar. More folks showed up than we had for our first event, and probably a larger percentage were riding trikes – including sweet but shy, withdrawn Robin. Also unlike round one which included the scenic but unpaved Trail of the Hiawatha and the nearby Centennial Trail, this second event concentrated only on the ToCdA. We had a somewhat more accurate headcount of roughly 65 humans and maybe a half dozen canines at last year's event.

Various folks have talked about setting up other cooperatively open TOT-like events in different regions, and it has gotten a tad confusing to keep track of who's talking about which ride. As a result, and since it's too time-consuming to blurt out the whole Trikes Optional Tour of the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes some folks began referring to the original as the Idaho TOT. My personal preference for a more explicit designation, perhaps becoming increasingly more common, is that listed in the heading above, with the date included: Potato State Trikes Optional Tour 2010 or TaterTOT10 for short. A lot of folks, many of whom purportedly have limited vocabularies, social skills and/or attention spans still just call it: TOT.

• Monday: Round Trip to Mullan, about 40 miles; a gradual uphill going out with a downhill return. This route is mostly forested, along a rushing river. An easier alternative is to drive to Mullan and ride downhill only (20 miles); pre-ride cycle transport or post-ride vehicle pickup will need to be arranged, but there will be more info available on this topic before the ride date. Some of us are also planning a late afternoon and/or early evening cruise from Kellogg to Enaville (with lights strongly recommended) for dinner at the Enaville Resort, aka The Snake Pit.
• Tuesday: One-way Ride to Harrison, about 40 miles, mostly downhill. Except for the first five miles or so, this route is mostly away from traffic and civilization, passing meadows and various waterways. To minimize the need for shuffling transport vehicles, some cyclists may opt to stay overnight at a motel in Harrison or camp just across the lake at Chatcolet. An alternative shorter route for this relatively flat section of the ToCdA is an out-and-back of 20 to 40 miles by beginning at an interim waypoint, or doing an early turnaround with a lunch stop on your return at the Snake Pit for a [SERIOUSLY!] must-not-miss dining experience.
• Wednesday: Round Trip from Harrison to Plummer, about 35 miles, the first seven miles around Coeur d'Alene Lake, followed by an interesting stepped cycle-pedestrian bridge and a bit of a grunt climb going out. There will probably be a group lunch at a small cafe on the highway in Plummer before the high-speed return. As an alternative, less enthusiastic riders may prefer to turn around at the base of the steep climb for a round trip of less than 20 miles. We're expecting more than a few of us to (over)indulge in a decadent post-ride visit to the ice cream shop just up the steep(!) hill from the Harrison marina; you may choose to drive the two blocks, but it's well worth the climb!
• Other Rides: Some folks may ride on Saturday and/or Sunday. Popular venues are a road ride over the challenging Dobson Pass, or the rough gravel Hiawatha Trail just off I-90 at the Montana-Idaho border, about 15 miles one-way, which includes a 1.7-mile-long tunnel (lights required), fantastic scenery and a few other tunnels and trestles. Most cyclists ride this downward only and pay ($9?) to return by bus. Other TOTters will probably rack up some miles on the mixed Class I and II Centennial Trail, which mostly follows the river between Coeur d'Alene ID and Spokane WA.

Start times for the three most popular days on the ToCdA may range from as early as 7AM to as late as 10AM. Most of the folks on the ride will get together with other cyclists with similar interests and abilities to form smaller subgroups each day, and will also work together to sort out transport of trikes or autos for any point-to-point rides. There is a very good possiblity that we can take advantage of a local shuttle service, Northern Idaho Community Express (how NICE!). They have a 'regular' service along the eastern section of the ToCdA between Rose lake and Mullan, with a website.

I'm kinda sorry this service is so ridiculously cheap ($1 per rider) that you might feel guilty about using it, but I phoned, and confirmed that we can arrange pickup for 10 or 12 TaterTOTters (sans trikes) on Monday afternoon in Kellogg for a bus ride back to Mullan. For those folks who prefer to ride that section of the trail downhill only, this could be one solution. Drive riders and trikes to Mullan in the morning, leave the mother ships there while we ride back to Kellogg, and then have our transport drivers take the shuttle back to collect the motor vehicles. Some trikeys may opt for this approach, either to kick off an easier first day or save energy for a two-way pre-sunset ride down to the Snake Pit for dinner on Monday night.

NICE has also offered us shuttle service on a special contract basis to ferry some of our trikeys from Harrison back to Kellogg on Tuesday afternoon. The cost for this run would be about $100 total for up to about a dozen passengers. Again, this might be a simple way to allow TaterTOTters to ride that section one-way. It is a tad more complex in that trikes and some riders will need to find some way to entertain themselves (cruise along the lake; gulp great gooey gobs of ice cream?) while waiting (three hours or so?) for their trike transport vehicles to show up back at the Harrison Marina.

BOTTOM LINE: We'll need to decide if and how we want to use this service, and then call them as soon as we can work out a schedule for our pickup(s).

Again, in keeping with our 'Open Source' approach, there is no prohibition for anyone to rent rooms at the Silver Valley Inn or another nearby motel (or B&B) on his own. There are also several campgrounds available in the area where some TaterTOTters will stay in RVs or rough it by tent camping. If you're tempted to try the latter, please remember that The Weather Channel is fairly popular in this area in the Summer. The wild, drenching, electrically active thunderstorm that was really FUN to watch from the Baymont's portico in 2008 wasn't nearly as pleasant for the guys who started the night in a tent.

Finally, please note that the motel staff has asked us not to advertise our room rate, and for no one in the group to call independently, requesting the same or almost equivalent discount. PLEASE COMPLY WITH THIS REQUEST!

All you other TaterTOTters who feel motivated (by a sense of fair play, guilt or sheer gluttony) can bring any kind of salad, appetizer, chip-and-dip, side dish, dessert or beverage to share. As an alternative, some of you may (should?) opt to make your contribution to this hybrid potluck affair by tipping our Chief Chef (monetarily, not physically). You folks who are overly concerned about excessive duplication or (much worse!) gaps in the range of foodstuffs, or who want to (potato) chip in, but don't have a good idea what to bring, can impose upon Mrs. Answer Man to sort of coordinate our efforts. But really, that isn't likely to be worth the time and effort. Just relax and plan to enjoy; these things usually work out quite nicely even without ANY advance planning, as long as there's enough beer for Pete and the Canadians. Personally, I'm devoutly hoping Norene and Bruce Benton [BROL UserName Ratrat4563] will return to amaze us with exotically scrumptious high-carb foodstuffs, even though nothing may ever taste as good as their contributions to that 2007 Welcome Cookout after Pete and I had just struggled back up the Hiawatha Trail on small tired tadpoles, half-dehydrated with empty tummies (not even breakfast!), slogging slowly uphill through deep gravel. But you're encouraged to at least try to top it...

Act Three (DINNER!) will probably sort of mellowly meld into Act Four as night begins to make it hard to distinguish between the yams and the genuine, authentic Idaho potatoes. For the last two years most of us hung around the hotel portico or lobby, either discussing recumbent trikes or lamenting about the world's problems until a sensible bedtime, or somewhat later. A few stalwarts of our group – who probably prefer to remain anonymous – solved most of those problems (temporarily) with the help of various Scotch whiskeys. This highlight of the TaterTOT10 social calendar has come to be known as the Scotch Sipping Soiree, even though not all participants will partake of the potent potables provided by prarie potentate Greg and his (possibly potted) partners. There may also be a few beers consumed during the ongoing, and most likely impertinent, discussions – some specialty microbrews, some mundane and maybe even a few with their 'lite' labels hidden in brown paper bags. Non-drinking spectators and their digicams are not only specifically invited, but expected.

If you're a truly hardcore masochist for unflinchingly prolix narratives, you may also want to peek at my writeups about our trips from SoCal to previous TaterTOTs, which might provide a dash of reality for those of you considering long distance travel to Idaho. A good starting spot, which also has links to lots of photos from other participants is:

If you prefer poetry to prose, you may also opt to peruse:

IMPORTANT NOTE: We will need to receive this input data from all you first-time TaterTOTters, including uncluttered photos – flatteringly attractive, if possible – suitable to format as thumbnail jpegs in a landscape aspect ratio, 150 pixels wide by 100 pixels tall.

Last year's name tags were processed as 4X6 photos (either two-up or four-up) at Sam's Club, so that badges cost only pennies apiece.

We would want to get pix (and info) for everyone in your party, except dogs for which nametags are optional. If it's easier, you could send me a link to any photo publicly accessible on the web. There's a sort of tutorial on this topic available online here.

If the general consensus of event participants favors using name tags this Summer, the Supreme Autonomous Photo-editor (remember what I said about volunteers having the luxury of choosing their own titles?), aka the SAP, will uplink proof copies of badges for (almost) everyone attending TaterTOT10, and email each attendee the URL for his, her, their or its online review. You won't see anyone else's until we get to Kellogg, unless you're reasonably good at outguessing file names.