Laughter bounces off tree trucks, surrounding me before dancing off into the woods in echoes. We’re riding single file along the scenic trails of Farragut State Park, conversations tossed back over shoulders or thrown up to those in front. Though the afternoon is waning, we have yet to exhaust ourselves or the sunlight. Lake Pend Oreille peeks through the trees, curious yet quiet, tired from a long summer and ready for the respite of cooler months. Even the birds are silent, surrendering the empty airspace to our voices and the murmuring hum of electric bike motors.
The roads are mostly empty as I drive in to the Beaver Bay parking lot a few hours earlier, the campgrounds striking me as strange and lonely without the bustling energy of summertime visitors. I park my car and walk over to meet the group I’ll be riding with today. Sandi Billingslea, Kelly Lyman, Jacki Swayze and Kari Veare greet me with warm smiles and eagerness to begin our e-bike venture today.
Sandi, one of the more experienced riders in the group, gives me a quick rundown of how to operate an e-bike. Some have throttles that enable one to ride without pedaling, but many, like the one I’m using, are solely pedal-assist. This means that how hard and fast I pedal determines how much assist the motor gives me. How many levels of assist there are varies from bike to bike; mine has three levels for example, but Kari’s is a newer model with five. Sandi explains how to use the gear shifter on the right handlebar, when I should shift, and how I can expect the bike to respond to the assist engaging.
Other than having a motor, more weight and a few quirks, riding an e-bike seems not too far removed from riding a regular bike. Nothing too exotic or crazy. Sandi sets my pedal assist to medium, which she explains will enable me to experience the assist without it taking over too much.
As everyone is getting situated, we essentially have the parking lot to ourselves due to the time of year, conveniently giving me my own little practice course. I feel the bike surge a bit as I start pedaling and the assist kicks in, not as jarringly as I’d imagined, and I’m amazed at how smoothly it takes on the lot’s upward slope. After a few laps, I’m feeling pretty good. I adjust my helmet and settle my grip on the handles. Time to hit the trails.
Aside from a loose plan to hunt for a trail down along the water, our primary objective for the afternoon is to explore Farragut. It’s a perfect day for a ride, with temperatures still around 70 degrees and a cool breeze. Beams of sunlight warm our backs as we pass through them, and I spot some trees just beginning to embrace the onset of autumn. The lake is occupied by a few lingering boaters, its glass-like surface reflecting the mountains and sky almost perfectly save for the pulsing of lazy ripples.
We come to a wider section of the trail edged in swaying grasses and fewer trees, the coniferous ceiling giving way to a cloudless blue sky. A solitary bench gazes out over Lake Pend Oreille, beckoning passersby to sit and admire the stunning vista. But we’re just getting warmed up, and the trail ahead veers off beyond it back into the trees, mysterious, beckoning us deeper.
I find myself towards the back of the group with Kari as we reenter the shade. Disengaging the assist, I tap my brakes for a stretch that narrows abruptly and weaves through a patch of young trees. Sandi, Kelly, and Jacki seem to glide right through, but Kari’s also taking it slower today because she recently had hand surgery. One of the perks of e-biking, though, is that one can participate in an outing where individuals are riding at varying levels of intensity without having to slow the whole group down.
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Hills are common bike-riding nemeses but today they’re simply part of the terrain. As I see one approaching ahead, I shift down a couple gears, pedal more intentionally, and arrive at the top with my heart rate up but my lungs not burning. Beyond this, the trail leads to an area with trees on one side and a grassy slope on the other, stretching down towards the lake at an increasingly steep angle. We take a few minutes to take in the sweeping panorama of Pend Oreille, breathe in the forest air, and share our mutual appreciation for the gorgeous area we get to call home.
Perhaps an hour later we come across this spot again, realizing with a laugh that we’ve gone in a circle. I typically struggle with some frustration when going in circles on trails because of the time and energy lost, but today I’m struck by how unconcerned I feel about it. We may have lost some time that could have yielded new sights, but riding with pedal assist means my muscles aren’t tired yet and my sense of adventure is still strong. The sentiment seems to be felt by everyone in our group, as the others haven’t stopped smiling and sharing stories since we started.
We go in circles a few times over the course of the afternoon, but Farragut’s beauty doesn’t cease to amaze nor do our spirits begin to fade. We discover a large lawn for events at the top of one hill; a string of cozy cabins overlooking the lake which Kelly and Jacki say they’ll all have to check out next year; broad stretches of trail we let our bikes fly along; and plenty of opportunities to laugh at ourselves.
Our ride concludes down at Beaver Bay, where the last of the day’s sunlight casts jagged shadows across evergreen-steepled hills and skips upon the water’s deep surface. I reflect while standing on the shore how our ride today has been less about reaching a set destination and more about the ride itself; about slowing down to feel the changing of seasons, getting to know a fun group of women, and experiencing bike riding like I never have before. I once thought e-bikes cheat one out of a workout. But finally giving them a chance has opened my eyes to how they enable riders of all ages and ability to push themselves to new levels; create a way for riding and socializing to coexist seamlessly; and make accessible for many the formerly unreachable beauties scattered across our beloved Inland Northwest.
By Abby Owens
Photography By Joel Riner
As Featured In: Winter/Spring 2023