WaCanId riders kick off 395-mile trek

SANDPOINT — Under a hazy sky and a red rising sun, more than 100 cyclists pedaled away from City Beach Monday to embark on a 395-mile journey. 

The WaCanId Ride — an annual six-day bike tour organized in partnership by the International Selkirk Loop and the Rotary clubs of District 5080 — takes cyclists through Eastern Washington, into the Canadian Rockies of British Columbia, and back again in a loop featuring some of North America’s premier scenery. 

“I think it's going to be really lovely — that’s what I’ve heard,” rider Brian Zehr said the morning of the event. 

Zehr, who lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana, is one of the many riders who traveled cross-country to participate.  

“Today is clearly the toughest day,” Zehr added. On Monday, participants rode 103 miles and climbed a total of 6,655 vertical feet on their way to Colville, Wash. 

Zehr is no stranger to long days in the saddle. In 1976 while in college, he cycled coast-to-coast from Oregon to New Jersey: a 2,500-mile odyssey. Nearly 50 years later, he continues to put miles under his belt. 

“This (day) is going to be the one that determines if the preparation I did was sufficient to get in shape,” Zehr said. 

“There aren’t many mountains in Indiana,” he added with a laugh. 

To help lighten participants' load, organizers will collect riders’ spare clothing and other luggage each morning and transport it in a trailer to the destination by the evening. 

That system has an added perk, according to Natalie Lambert of Montreal, Quebec. 

“The most important thing for us is there are people, if you're tired, if the climbing is too hard, they can take you and your bike and drive you to the hotel,” Lambert said.

“We have no problem doing that,” added Audra Cory of Florida.

For many, the event is a first opportunity to get to know North Idaho and the Selkirk region. 

“We read about how pretty it's supposed to be,” said David Marks of Phoenix, Ariz. “It seems like a really nice area.” 

Marks and his partner, Windy Marks, have a history of adventure racing — a multidisciplinary team sport in which participants hike, bike, and paddle through a wilderness area to a destination.

“It's not a course,” David Marks explained. “They just give you a map and say, ‘get from this point to this point.’” 

While the WaCanId Ride isn’t a competition among participants, the challenge comes from besting the daily mileage and mountainous terrain. 

“390 miles over five days is a good haul,” Marks said. 

After an early breakfast at Trinity at the Beach, riders donned helmets, flashing lights, and high-visibility clothing to head over the Long Bridge and on their way west. 

By Saturday, they’ll return; after pedaling 80 miles from Creston, British Columbia, cyclists will pass through Bonners Ferry, down the Pack River Valley, and eventually back to City Beach to complete the loop and put a bow on a 395-mile accomplishment.

    WaCanId Ride participants pedal up Bridge Street on their way to the Long Bridge and, eventually, Colville, Wash.