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Silver Mountain
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Snowfall Logs and Commentaries
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Lookout Pass
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Google Earth Animation
of the TWO Silver Valley Ski and Recreation Areas
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If you have the
FREE Google Earth program installed, you
may open these tours, or download them for future viewing.
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skiing_at_Silver_Mountain.kmz
last enhanced
Saturday, December 20, 2008
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skiing_at_Lookout_Pass.kmz
last enhanced
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
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These tours of points of interest include flights from either
Mullan up I-90 to Lookout Pass on the Montana border,
or from Pinehurst east on I-90 to the Silver Mountain resort. The tours
continue by looking at various runs on the mountain(s) from all sides...
as they were a couple of summers ago.
The Lookout Pass tour also looks down at the eight alpine lakes
that face the ski area from the south.
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If you have the
FREE Google Earth program installed,
check out these
LOCAL BICYCLE TOURS.
Notice that taken together, these seven trails make up a
185 mile route that promises to gain worldwide attention
for the variety of scenery and topography that it encompasses.
With that in mind, the
Friends of the Coeur d'Alene Trails presents this
amazing loop to the world as the
300K Bitterroot Loop.
A variety of
other bike routes documented with maps, elevation charts,
and milepost descriptions are available from the Friends website, as well as a
form to request copies of their popular
Recreational Trails of the Idaho
Panhandle map and brochure, now in it's ELEVENTH edition.
They printed 15,000 copies in May 2016 featuring their new Wallace store front
on the back panel, and 28 hospitality and recreation providers within.
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Mountain bike
Combo bike
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Alternate and Original Milwaukee Road
Avery to Plummer: 47 miles from Avery to St. Maries on the multi-use
Milwaukee Road Trail, and 19 miles from Saint Maries to Plummer on country
roads & Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes
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Road bike
- The Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes
72 miles on a paved bike path may be riden in three sections:
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Plummer to Harrison:
15.3 mile ride downhill to Heyburn State Park on
Lake Coeur d'Alene, across the Chatcolet Bridge and along the lake shore
to Harrison, population 267
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Harrison to Enaville:
31.8 miles of flat terrain from the Lake
along the Coeur d'Alene River through the isolated Chain Lakes region to
Enaville on the North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River
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Enaville to Mullan:
24.3 miles gradually climbing through a series
of small towns that make up the famous
Silver Valley, until Wallace,
when the grade increases to a maximum of 3% as the trail follows the
South Fork uphill to Mullan
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With
Silver
Mountain and
Lookout
Pass Ski and Recreation
Areas a dozen Interstate miles away in each direction,
the area around Wallace is a full-season
mountain recreation paradise.
Winter embraces alpine and cross-country
skiing, snowboarding, snowmobiling and snowshoeing. Fishing,
mountain
and road biking, mountain climbing, hiking and backpacking,
river rafting and kayaking, golf, and
motorized
exploration on two or four wheels
occupy outdoor recreation enthusiasts from spring to fall.
Bow, rifle and muzzleloader hunting for deer and elk
is naturally popular each fall. Moose tags are awarded by lottery to
Idaho residents who then have one chance per lifetime to harvest the
huge game. Black bears may be hunted
during the fall and spring, while mountain lions are
fair game September through March.
New in 2012, two zipline tours high above Wallace combine adventure
with spectacular scenery. Open May thru September, these are
the only ziplines on I-90.
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Google Earth looks
at the mountains and lakes around Wallace
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12 flight paths above
- Lookout Pass and Silver Mountain
ski areas
The mountain peaks and eight alpine lakes that surround Lookout
Pass are especially inspirational.
- 185 mile loop of diverse bicycle trails
- the 72 mile paved Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes
from Plummer to Mullan
- the multi-use Northern Pacific Trail between Mullan and Taft
- the Old Milwaukee Road from Taft to Plummer,
(mostly dirt road, but includes the non-motorized
Route of the Hiawatha)
- scenic and historic roads from Wallace
Take the tour of Burke Canyon and see what
the famous silver mining camps of Frisco and Black Bear look like
today...and what they looked like a hundred years ago.
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Plus,
All
21 alpine lakes within a 23 mile radius
of Wallace, presented in alphabetical order.
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If you have followed this website since 1998, you know that it is
my personal effort to bring attention to my adopted hometown.
Although I charge $100 to build a webpage for a Wallace business, I
host that page free forever. Therefore the major way that I receive revenue is
when readers chose to enter amazon.com
through a wallace-id.com widget,
either directly or via my
Wallace Store
 .
You only need to do this once if you then bookmark a page of your choice.
My tag will be part of that URL, and I will receive 4 to 6% of your purchase.
Thank you for your support,
Greg Marsh
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Annual Accomplishments
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- In 2002,
the readers of the Boise Weekly voted
Wallace to be the
"Best City in Idaho."
- In 2003,
Wallace was ranked 24 in a list of the top 30 places in the nation where
prospective second-home
purchasers could find the best value for their money.
- The Mayor joined with jubilant delegates to
Silver Summit
2004 to proclaim Wallace as the
Probalistic Center of the Universe.
They were inspired by the new scientific principle adopted by the EPA:
"If you can't prove something false, it must be true."
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The popular British TV personality and bestselling author
Danny Wallace came to town in 2005
and wrote a book called
Danny Wallace and the Centre of the Universe
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Silver Summit
2006
included a renewed
celebration of the
Center of the Universe.
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The world famous Sunshine Silver Mine, in operation from 1884 to 2001,
was refurbished by a
Wallace mining company,
and resumed shipping silver ore concentrate in
2007.
Mining prosperity, four-season mountain recreation and a sense of humor
were all found at the Center of the Universe.
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In April
2008, the New York Times compared
the current mining and tourism industries
in the Silver Valley with an emphasis on Wallace culture:
In High Prices, Moribund Mines Find a Silver Bullet.
Closing line:
"Wallace is the damnedest town," he said. "Wallace never gave up the mining
dream."
New York Times Slideshow:
A Mining Town Is Revived
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In October 2009,
Budget Travel magazine and budgettravel.com featured Wallace,
a place that mines its own history,
as #5 in a list of America's Coolest Small Towns.
"Every now and then, you stumble upon a town that's gotten everything
right: great coffee, food with character, shop owners with purpose.
These 10 spots have it all, in perfectly small doses."
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The American Planning Association presented Bank Street
with their GREAT PLACES IN AMERICA: STREETS AWARD
at our 2010 Wallace
Octoberfest Celebration.
The APA awarded Bank Street, Wallace,
the honor of being
a great place that "celebrates excellence in planning."
The Association presented Bank Street as #3 in a list of
TEN GREAT PLACES IN AMERICA: STREETS.
The American Planning Association is an independent, not-for-profit educational organization
that provides leadership in the development of vital communities by advocating excellence in community planning,
promoting education and citizen empowerment, and providing the tools and support necessary to meet the challenges of growth and change.
Their reason for choosing our street begins:
"During the course of its 126-year history, Bank Street has brushed up
against fate, and total ruin three times. ..."
more details
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In
2011, the town responded to the census
news that our population had decreased from 960 to 784 individuals by hosting
TWO MORE FESTIVALS, bringing the total number of major events for the year to
EIGHT!
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In 2012,
when we heard that
the famous Blues Festival in Ritzville Washington had been discontinued,
we jumped into the void with only three months lead time. The resulting
Wallace Blues Festival in July
was such a success that we were awarded the
"The Best Blues Event of 2012" by the Inland Empire Blues Society!
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In 2013, we had more time
to plan the
Second Annual
Wallace Blues Festival. As a result,
about 3000 folks enjoyed 21 performers on 6 stages over 3 days.
The
 photographic recap
of this outstanding event, featuring 71 interactive or animated photos
and complete biographical information, shows why we won the BEST BLUES
FESTIVAL for a second year in a row.
This Wallace accomplishments section is obviously incomplete. Bringing it up
to date is on my to do list. Greg Marsh
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Popular visitor attractions, in addition to the many gift,
jewelry and antique shops, are the
Sierra Silver Mine Tour, the
Northern Pacific Depot Railroad Museum, the
Wallace District Mining Museum, the
Oasis Bordello Museum,
and the
Sixth Street Melodrama.
The Wallace Swimming Pool was built in 1939 as a WPA project. Full
restoration was carried out by the community from 1999 to 2007 at
a cost of $265,000. The pool is open during the summer from 11 AM to 5 PM,
Monday thru Saturday, and from noon to 5 PM on Sundays.
Kids 12 and under are 50¢; everyone else is $1.
Lap swim: 5 to 6 PM, weekdays, 50¢. Night swim: 6 to 8 PM, $1.
The 2008 town map is presented in separate windows as a
1008 pixel, 96 dpi JPG image, a
10.5 inch, 300 dpi JPG print,
and as the original
PDF file.
An interactive map
of downtown Wallace, as it was in the spring of 2001,
may also be opened in a separate window.
Wallace businesses that
have opened, closed, moved across town or changed ownership since
then are itemized below this archival map.
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The Sierra Silver Mine Trolly
is about to run over the
Center of the Universe
on its way to the
Wallace BUSINESS page,
updated
September 18, 2017.
South Hill Stairs Project
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During the summer of 1996, Wallace was the location
of the spectacular volcano disaster movie
Dante's Peak, starring Pierce Brosnan
and Linda Hamilton. Fourteen years after the mayor of
Dante's Peak (Linda Hamilton) accepted
an award for the "Second Best Small Town In America," we accepted an
award from the American Planning Association for the
"(Third) Best Street in America" at the same location: the
intersection of Sixth and Bank Streets. ... A spot also regarded as
the Center of the Universe
 .
more details
However, EVERY year our village of 784 hosts an amazing range of
festivals and special events
that help make this the most unique and fascinating small town
in America!
For three days in July 2009, the 10th
Slippery
Gulch
celebration since 1920 was held in concert with an
All-Class Reunion and the town's 125th birthday party.
The graceful Girls of Slippery Gulch and the hilarious Wallace Men's
Culture Club made nine, five-act stage performances in the packed Civic
Center.
For the holiday season, you
can order the two hour, 15 minute DVD,
Wallace Idaho's Slippery Gulch, 1920 - 2000,
two different T-shirts and/or the Culture Club poster!
So when you think "stocking stuffer"
in the months ahead, remember your special times in Wallace,
the most festive small town in America.
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Twenty-two interactive photos from the 1910 Fire Commemoration and
2010 Huckleberry Festival, August 19 - 21, are presented on a new
"Photos and Winners"
page, along with key references about the Great 1910 Fire,
and the complete list of winners from the
annual 5K Huckleberry fun run.
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Huckleberry Festival 2010
5K Race Results
Huckleberry Festival 2014
5K Race Results
Huckleberry Festival 2017
5K Race Results
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Historic Wallace
Blues Festival 2012
ambiance
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Shoshone Medical Center, Kellogg
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Wallace Junior/Senior High School
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After a fun day spent
hiking, fishing, rafting, mountain biking, motor biking,
4-wheeling, fishing, hunting,
and/or picture taking somewhere
in the vast North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River Basin,
visit the ever-expanding and very historic
Sprag
Pole Museum in Murray Idaho, just 24 miles from Wallace
over Dobson Pass. Murray (pop. ~100) was the central city
of what was the last great gold mining stampede in the Lower 48
(1883-1885), and became the Cradle City of the
Coeur d'Alene Mining District.
This district, now centered in the Silver Valley, has been producing
silver, gold, lead, zinc and copper continuously since 1884.
Have a good meal and a learning experience at the same time.
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Mining
Companies associated with the Silver Valley
(page last updated on
May 14, 2014)
Books about Hard Rock Mining
(page last updated on
August 12, 2017)
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From 1884 through 2016, the Silver Valley produced
1.248 BILLION OUNCES OF SILVER, as well as gold, lead, zinc, copper and antimony.
In 132 years, the Coeur d'Alene Mining District has produced metals valued
at $7,608,677,000. In 2016 alone, the district produced metals
valued at $164,702,000. Unfortunately, national metal prices have dramatically
decreased while local production costs and repairs have increased, leading
once again to a depressed, but improving, Silver Valley metals market.
Happily, 2016 silver production was up 28% from 2013.
While the table does not show gold, copper and antimony
production, their value each year is reflected under Total.
Remarkedly, 8000 Troy ounces of GOLD were produced in 2015.
This information is provided by the Wallace District Mining Museum.
Be sure to visit them when you are next in town!
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Silver
Troy Ounces |
Lead
Tons |
Zinc
Tons |
Total
Value |
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1884 -
2000 |
1,165,815,000 |
8,236,243 |
3,272,706 |
$5,767,435,000 |
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2001 |
7,732,000 |
20,984 |
2,789 |
$47,589,000 |
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2002 |
7,307,000 |
10,091 |
2,259 |
$42,351,000 |
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2003 |
5,987,000 |
12,935 |
2,532 |
$39,707,000 |
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2004 |
5,554,000 |
12,174 |
2,995 |
$53,452,000 |
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2005 |
4,483,000 |
14,560 |
4,080 |
$52,014,000 |
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2006 |
4,957,000 |
16,657 |
6,537 |
$99,136,000 |
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2007 |
4,284,000 |
18,522 |
8,009 |
$127,164,000 |
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2008 |
5,034,000 |
20,483 |
9,386 |
$133,354,000 |
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2009 |
5,958,000 |
25,233 |
10,616 |
$145,565,000 |
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2010 |
5,635,000 |
24,426 |
9,286 |
$183,424,000 |
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2011 |
5,303,000 |
21,235 |
7,305 |
$251,523,000 |
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2012 |
2,316,500 |
2,632 |
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$81,240,000 |
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2013 |
3,602,700 |
13,544 |
3,793 |
$122,509,000 |
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2014 |
4,860,900 |
24,676 |
8,159 |
$157,446,000 |
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2015 |
4,517,800 |
27,066 |
8,139 |
$139,166,000 |
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2016 |
4,979,700 |
34,316 |
10,787 |
$164,702,000 |
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Total thru 2016 |
1,248,327,000 |
8,535,777 |
3,369,378 |
$7,608,877,000 |
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If you have the
FREE Google Earth program installed,
you may visualize travel from Wallace over Dobson Pass to the
North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River and then up Placer Creek to Murray:
wallace2murray.kml.
The presentation includes two dozen placemarks and a "hang gliders'"
tour of the route.
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You may now also visualize travel from Wallace up Burke Canyon past the
lost mining towns of Gem, Frisco, Black Bear, Yellow Dog, Cornwall,
Mace and Burke, to finally circle above the Glidden Lakes on the Montana
border:
wallace2burke.kml.
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One Outstanding Weekend in May 2012
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The 27th Annual Northern Pacific Railroad
Depot Museum Festival and Classic Car Show on May 12, 2012, was very well attended
with over 300 vehicles on display in historic downtown Wallace.
See photos, video and the winners.
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Due to fantastic spring skiing conditions,
SILVER MOUNTAIN reopened for
a FREE "Silver Sunday" on May 13, 2012,
courtesy of Dave Smith Motors. Check out more
photos
and the updated
2011/12 snow log
commentary for this first-ever event.
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Please Note:
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If you are a regular visitor, you know that
wallace-id.com
is an 19 year work in progress, from which I
receive only trivial financial rewards. If you have found my efforts useful
to you over the years, please consider making this the path you take
when you go shopping at
amazon.com.
Without leaving
wallace-id.com,
you may search for
and obtain information about any product in their inventory by
using the adjacent widget.
Select a category in the dropdown box and/or type a few keywords in the text box.
If you proceed into
Amazon's
domain,
please bookmark your favorite page when you leave,
and use it when returning to shop in the future.
You should see "t=historicwalla-20" as part of the bookmarked URL.
I receive a 4% or 6% commission on items purchased
through Amazon's secure shopping cart when you enter from
Historic Wallace Idaho.
Or you may simply make a direct contribution to my ongoing effort to
popularize Wallace and the Silver Valley by using the PayPal button.
Thank you for your support.
Greg Marsh, Ph.D.
Marsh Scientific Services
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If you are new to this page, please leave a bookmark or share it with a friend:
Wallace is at the center of
a universe filled with mountain recreation and Old West history
that you will want to visit more than once.
Please tell me what you would like to see on this and other pages at my
Historic Wallace Idaho webworks.
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Greg Marsh, Ph.D.
doing business as
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greg4mss@hotmail.com
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Please visit my other websites and websuites:
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Northern Idaho's Silver Valley
Four Season Mountain Recreation Paradise:
two ski resorts, two long bike trails, a dozen
alpine lakes, bountiful wildlife and backcountry
solitude in harmony with 133 years of mining history
and legend
silver-valley.com
homepage updated January 18, 2017
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©1998-2017,
Marsh Scientific Services,
Greg Marsh, Ph.D.
http://wallace-id.com/index.html
last update on Wednesday, September 20, 2017
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