Posted in Fun

Coeur d’Alene and a Day On the Lake

Well, we weren’t exactly on the lake, but we had a wonderful day around one. We weren’t precisely in Coeur d’Alene either. After leaving Montana, the next stop on our trip through the Pacific Northwest was the tiny town of Athol, Idaho, where we would spend three nights at Farragut State Park.

Panoramic View – Lake Pend Oreille 

Athol and the State Park is about thirty miles north of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. When we told friends and family that we would be in this area, the immediate response always came back “incredibly beautiful.” Friends and family proved right.

Large campsite – Farragut State Park, Athol, Idaho

Our visit here gave us a chance to do some hiking and take in some of that beauty. Farragut State Park is a vast campground, with large campsites situated under big Douglas Fir trees and other evergreens, providing campers with plenty of privacy. At the southern tip of the Park sits Lake Pend Oreille, a 43 mile long, crystal clear body of water, carved by a glacier during the last ice age. At 1,150 feet deep, Lake Pend Oreille is the fifth deepest lake in the United States.

Sailboat – Lake Pend Oreille

After spending the previous evening at one of the casinos in Coeur d’Alene, Helen and I agreed we needed different recreation activities for the remainder of our visit. She suggested we take a four-mile hike along the shore of Lake Pend Oreille. I was all in. 

The weather on this day couldn’t have been better. Clear skies and temperatures in the lower 70’s made for perfect hiking, and the sailboats were out in force, taking advantage of the light breezes moving up the valley created by the Coeur d’Alene Mountains on either side of the lake.

Paddling duo enjoying the lake

Paddleboarders and kayakers also dotted the lake’s surface, with none of the paddlers in a hurry to go anywhere. One paddleboarder even paused in mid-stroke to take a call on her cell phone. She was careful to hold it with both hands.

Phoning it in

Just like the boaters, we took our time squeezing out every bit of every viewpoint. At the mid-point of the trail near the Bayview Overlook, a rock carving reminded us why we spend time camping and hiking. I can assure readers; we’re not bored.

Words to live by

The walk back to the parking lot was just as fantastic as the hike out. A paddleboarding duo kept up with us for a portion of the return. We made it back to Lucy in plenty of time for dinner around the campfire. The star-filled sky took over when the sun went down.

Shooting the view

It’s all good when you’re Easin’ Along.

 

Posted in Fun

Kootenai Campground Came to the Rescue

Note: Did you notice something different? Earlier this week, Easin’ Along suffered a malware attack that required hours to sort out.  Just as I made my way through most of the problems, WordPress discontinued the Theme I have been using for five years and I am using a default theme that is not to my liking.  With internet connections that are spotty at best, I am not going to try to make changes in our current location, but please know that changes will be made soon, and real change will come when we return home.  For now, please join us in Troy, Montana for a relaxing time fifty miles below the Canadian border.

Kootenai River Campground

When we planned our trip to the Northwest, we had two objectives. First, we wanted to join up with our kids and grandchildren in Wyoming and deliver a trailer to our son, Justin. After that, we wanted to visit Banff National Park in Canada and camp alongside Lake Louise. We accomplished one out of two.

Happy campsite

About a week before the date of our reservation in Canada, an email arrived, notifying us that the border was closed to international travelers, including US citizens. COVID-19 had changed our plans once again, and we had five days on our schedule with no place to camp.  What now?

Rapids on the River

My first step was to turn to our favorite trip planning website and search for a suitable site within a reasonable driving distance of Hungry Horse, Montana, to spend those five days. We found Kootenai River Campground in Troy, Montana.  The reviews were excellent, and a location next to a river offered another opportunity for fishing. Fortunately, they had a site available for the blank spot on our schedule.

Me – Going after the big ones!

We arrived and received a warm welcome from Marcie and Chris, the campground owners.  Chris led us to a very lovely pull-thru campsite under the shade of some large cedar trees, complete with firewood in the campsite fire pit.

Ross Creek Cedars

The next morning, I rode my bicycle down to the Kootenai (pronounced Koot-nee) to try my hand at fishing.  The river is beautiful and large and FAST. The water runs so swiftly that it is difficult to venture out very far, so I had to work hard to get a fly out far enough to reach the pools. I ventured in, holding on to my wading staff tightly, and sent out a long cast toward the river’s middle. After a few casts, I began to feel comfortable with the current racing around my waders and settled down.  The weather was glorious, and I was just happy to be there.

Massive trunks on these trees

The fish were comfortable with me there too. After about thirty minutes, I realized that I had not “matched the hatch” with my fly assortment and biked back to Lucy empty-handed. I enjoyed the experience, nonetheless.

Kootenai River below the Falls

While camping at Hungry Horse, the couple in the trailer next to our campsite, suggested that we hike two Troy, Montana trails. She said we had to see the giant Cedar Trees at Ross Creek and hike the Kootenai River Falls trail.  We made plans to do both the next day.

Ross Creek Cedars, about ten miles from our campground, proved to be a real treat.  Enormous cedar trees created a canopy of quiet standing high above a fern-lined forest floor. Helen and I almost had the area to ourselves. The mile-long hike was just what we needed to stretch the legs before the long drive on the following day.

Kootenai Falls

We weren’t ready to quit, however. Kootenai Falls Park lay between us and the campground, and we stopped there on the way back from the Cedars. The crowd was a little more substantial at the Falls. The trail to the Falls started downhill to a swinging bridge then out to a viewpoint.  Unfortunately, this is about the place where the battery on my camera decided to die.  Thankfully, Helen took some pictures of the Falls and the scenic Kootenai River with her Iphone. The picture turned out well.

Swinging Bridge – Kootenai River Falls

Battery notwithstanding, we were grateful for the opportunity to spend some time in Troy–even if it was a second choice.  The area is beautiful, and the Kootenai River Campground is undoubtedly worthy of a return visit. We are delighted Chris and Marcie came to our rescue.  Now, if someone would be willing to rescue us from this swinging bridge, we would be forever grateful…We need to be Easin’ Along.

Posted in Fun

Easin’ Along Going To The Sun Road

Canyon – Going To The Sun Road

For those who might not know, the main road through Glacier National Park from the western entrance is Going To The Sun Road. This scenic highway will take visitors from one side of the Park to the opposite side–in a typical year. This year the road was closed at the boundary to the Blackfeet Reservation, which is about 12 miles from Logan’s Pass.

Panorama – Going To The Sun Road

On our last day in Glacier, Helen and I decided we needed to see as much of the highway as possible and do some hiking. Once again, we rose at 6:00 am and passed through the west entrance loaded with coffee and other breakfast essentials. The plan was to make it to Logan’s Pass Visitor Center and hike one of the trails adjacent to the Center known for the wildflowers and wildlife. The day started a bit overcast, but we were optimistic that good weather would prevail.

Tiny waterfall

At one of the overlooks, I stopped to take pictures of the canyon below. As I have said before, Glacier is a work of art. The gorges and the waterfalls all along Going To The Sun made for one spectacular drive. As we neared the parking lot for the Visitor Center, a Marmot came out to greet us.

A sign, posted at the entrance to the Center, said that the trail we intended to hike was closed. I walked to a Park Ranger and asked her what was up. She explained that some Grizzly Bears were chasing Mountain Goats in the area and had not left. That was good enough for us. The Grizzlies might miss a Mountain Goat, but, sure as hell, they would find me. We looked for an alternative hike. Before we left the Center, I took a picture of the mountains in the distance. In this picture, a Mountain Goat (spared from the Grizzly lunch menu) walks above the snow line as a fuzzy white dot. A gentleman from New Mexico with binoculars pointed him out to me.

Mountain Goat in the distance

 

Helen asked the Ranger for hiking suggestions. She told us to go to the last open mile of Going To The Sun Road and hike the trail to St. Mary’s Falls and, if we were feeling frisky, continue to Virginia Falls. I checked my frisky meter and discovered I was up for it, even though the hike was a six-mile round trip.

Streams along the St. Mary’s Trail

 

The first thing noticeable about the trail was the Fireweed and the other wildflowers I cannot name. Please comment if you are familiar with any of them. I also ask for help in identifying birds. St. Mary’s Falls and the area downstream to the lake featured water as blue as a gleaming Topaz. The crowd around the Falls was as dense as any we encountered all week. I saw no masks, and certainly no social distancing, so we side-stepped everyone and continued to Virginia Falls.

St. Mary’s Falls

Halfway to Virginia Falls, we met a Mule Deer feasting on Huckleberries. A large group of hikers waited patiently until he had his fill. Finally, the deer licked his chops and moved on. After my Huckleberry Bear Claw experience, I understand this deer’s cravings.

Mule Deer in the Huckleberries

 

Our hike to Virginia Falls proved rewarding. Water cascades over a rock wall for probably 125 feet, and the force of the water splashing on the rocky surface below, sent a cooling spray over us. We asked a young lady to take our picture.

Chilling out in the spray

What a day! What a week! Our entire visit to Glacier was an unforgettable chapter in this journey through the northwest. I probably took over 1000 pictures during our stay here and have posted a few of my favorites in a Gallery. Click here for the Gallery and click on any image to enlarge or start a slide show.

Wildflowers on the trail

 

We’ve moved on from Glacier with the intent to return and continue Easin’ Along Going To The Sun Road. If this section is a preview, we need to see what happens when we get to the Sun. Thanks for Easin’ Along with us.

As we drove away from Logan’s Pass, we spotted these Bighorn Sheep above the road. I took this picture through the windshield.

Bighorn sheep above the road