Ride the Wall celebrates 20 years

Over 50 bicycle enthusiasts took to the Trail of the Coeur d’Alene’s last Wednesday for the 20th annual Ride the Wall on the first day of summer to enjoy the 13 mile round trip.

Riders took off at 6 p.m. from the Enaville trailhead and once they returned they were treated to a barbecue dinner courtesy of the Snake Pit.

The 20th anniversary of the ride was very well attended according to event organizers.

“We had over 50 people pre-register this year,” Judy Blalack said. “Everyone had a good time and despite some of the road being rough from some of the rain we’ve had, the ride went very smoothly.”

Blalack and her husband, Verne, run the Silver Valley Fuller Center for Housing and use the event to generate publicity for their cause as well as fundraising.

Ride the Wall has had many iterations, but with the completion of the Trail of the Coeur d’Alene’s and the reopening of the Snake Pit two years ago, the event has found its permanent home.

The original Ride the Wall event was the brainchild of the late Silver Valley icon Joe Peak and was held at the Cataldo Mission before the bike trail was completed.

Riders would go from the Mission, across the river on the dirt road, and back down, and upon the end of bike ride the bikes would have to be transported back to Mission where all the cars were parked.

The event was moved to the Snake Pit once the trail was completed, but after Peak’s passing the event moved back to the Mission before Tom Richards reopened the Snake Pit and brought the event back.