Failing in my attempt to secure lodging for a third night and stymied from visiting Many Glacier I weighed my options and instead of a third long hike that was not my first choice and then a late evening grueling six hour trip back, I decided to leave early and take my time and explore a little on the way home. My hikes at Siyeh Pass and Dawson Pass wore me out anyway.
I drove through Whitefish “underwhelming by the way”, then through Eureka “nice but no reason to stop”, then along Lake Koocanusa with it’s endless miles of road reconstruction. Lake Koocanuse, Koo for the Kootenai River can for Canada and usa for you guess it the United States of America, was formed by Libby Dam. Here they have a nice visitor center and public viewing platforms.
After driving through the town of Libby, my next stop was at Kootenai Falls. There is a parking lot with a picnic area along with a snack shop off of US 2 between Libby and Troy Montana.
Kootenai Falls is one of the largest undammed waterfalls in Montana.
This recreational site includes a pedestrian bridge over the BNSF Railroad mainline. Don’t worry, I checked before crossing to make sure my brother wasn’t coming.
A long pedestrian suspension bridge gives you access to the north side of the river and more views of the waterfall. If you’re afraid of these types of bridges then this one isn’t the one to overcome them on. It sways really good and the river is a long way down.
Here is the view of the bridge from across the river.
Kootenai Falls is managed by the US Forest Service and is a nice place to spend an hour or so exploring and enjoying the view.
Before Troy I cut over on Montana State Road 56 through the Bull River Valley towards Noxom. This is one of the most scenic roads in the area and goes through the middle of the Cabinet Mountains. About half way through it is Bull Lake.
Across the lake is Bad Medicine, a striking cliff formation that begs to be explored. As far as I can tell access isn’t easy.
A little further to the south is a four mile long paved road to one of the few old growth cedar groves left in the northwest. Ross Creek is well visited and maintained.
A short walk leads you from the parking lot to the giant trees. Moss covered boulders at the base of a cliff border the trail.
Some of these giants are well over four hundred years old.
They’re not quite the California Redwoods but they are in the ball park especially for here.
Walking through the grove is a relaxing experience.
About half way down the entrance road to Ross Creek is this view into the heart of the Cabinet Mountains. It’s not quite Glacier but it is only ninety minutes from my house.
Along State Road 56 there are several turnouts with scenic views of the Cabinet Mountains. I hiked a little here several years ago and hope to return in the near future.
The Bull River follows the highway down the valley. This valley has to be one of the prettiest places around.
I probably walked less than two miles at my various stops on the way home but it was a relaxing way to end my trip. Bull Lake in the middle of the valley has two campgrounds and would be a perfect place to combine a kayak trip with a mountain hike. Sounds like the basis for a future post.
On day one I discovered that I needed a two dollar on line pass to visit the Many Glacier area. I planned to hike to Grinnell Glacier on my second day but was unable to secure a pass. Disappointed I looked for an alternative and settled on the Two Medicine Lake area, the most under visited part of the park.
After checking in to my cabin as I hadn’t the night before, I drove about ninety minutes around Glacier national Park to East Glacier and then on to Two Medicine Lake. This is the “dry” side of the park and outside of it the habitat is primarily grasslands. This is also next to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation.
So I settled on Dawson pass as my goal for todays hike. It would be pushing it for me as it was a thirteen mile long hike with a twenty eight hundred foot elevation gain. I figured I had time as I got a much earlier start that the previous days hike. By 9:30 I was on the trail.
The first couple of miles were along the north shore of Two Medicine Lake. It was a pretty walk but there was no elevation gain, a fact that would cost me later.
While hiking along the shore line I watched the boat tours run up the lake. They offer return only rides for hikers who would like to save about two and a half miles of their journey. If I ever go again I would take advantage of this service. The last couple of miles heading back got to be a little painful. If you get a round trip ticket it saves five miles but no elevation.
The scenery along the trail is amazing and the first three and a half miles are relatively flat.
That gave me plenty of time to appreciate the small things. FYI, blue berries “AKA huckleberries” good.
And red berries “Chokecherries” no bueno. They may or may not be toxic but either way you don’t eat these.
About three miles in you hit the trail junction that either back tracks to the boat landing or continues to Upper Two Medicine Lake, a popular overnight camping destination. Here the trail really starts climbing.
On the way up a series of challenging switch backs this impressive monolith stands guard above you.
At the top of this climb you are treated to views back towards Two Medicine Lake.
After climbing this section of the trail with it’s incredible views the path levels out for about half a mile until the junction with the spur to No Name Lake. I opted to skip the short spur in order to push to the pass.
After the No Name Lake Trail junction the main trail started to climb steeply again. By now I realized I wasn’t going to make it to the pass. I had plenty of time but was figuratively out of gas and it was a long way back.
This was as close as I got and that ridge is still a long way away. Having to gain all of the elevation in the last half of the hike made it difficult. The boat ride would have saved a lot of time and effort as well and if there is ever a next time I would take advantage of it.
The scenery on the way was just as good as it was on the way up and the walking a lot easier. It was still hard on the knees and back though.
On the way back I took my time and enjoyed the small things. I failed to reach my goal but it was still a rewarding experience.
Just before I reached the trailhead I got a bonus. A group of bighorn sheep were grazing right in my path. If I had taken the boat back I would have missed seeing these amazing animals.
They didn’t seen too worried about me and as I waited and enjoyed the show about a dozen other hikers showed up and did the same. We all eventually managed to get around them by detouring around the trail.
So five and a half hours later I was back at my car. I figured I ended up doing about eleven miles and maybe eighteen hundred feet. On top of yesterdays hike that made for twenty miles and four thousand feet. Not a bad effort.
So I decided to go back to west Glacier by taking Going to the Sun Road across the park. To get to St. Mary’s I used Montana State Road 49. Looking back towards Two Medicine I was treated to this view. The road takes you through part of the Blackfeet Nation.
State Road 49 climbed over a pass and near the top this was the view. This is the end of the Rockies and the beginning of the Great Plains. From here it’s almost as flat as a pancake to West Virginia a couple of thousand miles to the east.
This is looking north towards St Mary’s across the rolling plains. The east end of Going to the Sun Road was about a twenty mile drive from Two Medicine.
The eastern end of Going to the Sun Road is dominated by Saint Mary’s Lake. The landscape is noticeably drier than that on the other side of Logan Pass. This photo is at the overlook for Goose Island.
As beautiful as Lake McDonald is Saint Mary’s Lake is in my opinion even prettier.
At Sun Point I took a short walk and enjoyed the late afternoon views.
The sun was setting in the west and it truly felt like I was on a road going to the sun. Now it was time to head back across the park. The road is fifty miles long and it takes at least two hours to transit Glacier National Park on it. Going around on the U.S. Highways is longer and faster but ends up taking just about as long.
I headed the rest of the way back up towards Logan Pass and at Siyeh Bend I saw this cascade I missed the day before.
So I get to Logan Pass at the end of the day and it’s still a zoo. The parking lot was closed and Park Rangers were blocking the entrances. I was glad I wasn’t fighting those crowds.
I enjoyed the slow scenic ride back down on the narrower west side of the pass. Going to the Sun Road from St. Mary’s to Logan Pass is a much better and safer road than the section west of Logan heading towards Lake McDonald.
Before it got dark I had just enough time to check out a small waterfall on the way to Lake McDonald. By now the hordes were mostly out of the park.
I stopped to take one last look oat Lake McDonald before I got back in cell phone land. I tried to buy a two dollar pass to Many Glacier for the next day but of course they already sold out. I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to take the drive cross the park again the next morning anyway.
One the first day of my road trip to Glacier National Park I discovered that you need one day permits to drive on Going to the Sun Road and to visit Many Glaciers and you can only get them on line. I lucked out and was able to purchase one for Going to the Sun Road as I was waiting in line to enter the park. It is a complicated system and not very conducive to spur of the moment visits.
Entering Glacier National park from the west I soon arrived at Lake McDonald. Scenic pull outs along the road provide beautiful views of the mountains on the far side.
Beyond the lake the Going to the Sun Road follows the river that feeds it upstream. The outlet for Lake McDonald is the beginning of the Middle Fork of the Flathead River.
I blew by the trailhead for Avalanche Basin. This is one of the most congested places in the park and the parking lots were full. I’ve been there and done that anyway and was looking for new adventures.
Just after crossing Logan Creek, the road turns northwest and really starts climbing. It doesn’t take long before you’re far above the river valley.
The views are outstanding but the road is narrow and winding. It requires your full attention. It would be nice if all large trucks folded their sideview mirrors in.
Having to purchase a day pass to drive on the road was a hassle. The flip side was that traffic was kind of manageable. It was still heavy but there were no delays on the way up.
I was heading for Logan pass to hike the Highline Trail. I always wanted to try it. The trail is way above Going to the Sun Road.
Well I got to the top and it was a zoo. The parking lots was completely full and the trailhead looked so busy that it was a turn off for me. The popular Hidden Lake Trail also starts at Logan Pass and I did that one years ago too.
I stopped at a smaller pull out down the slope to assess the situation when I saw this guy. It was nice to have a goat pose for my blog.
I decided to drive down the other side of Logan Pass and take a hike out of Siyeh Bend. Sometimes it’s good to have a backup plan.
According to the sign at the trailhead it was a nine mile round trip with about twenty three hundred feet of elevation gain. Sounds about right.
Soon I was in a thickly canopied forest.
I was glad I brought a can. I would have rather had a firearm but National Parks are very strict about that. It would have been nice to have had company just for the added safety but sometimes you have to strike out on your own.
The hike through the forest was nice but I was really looking for bigger views. The trail was easy to follow and crossed numerous small creeks. In September the streams are much smaller than they are early in the hiking season.
Probably over half of the hike was though this type of evergreen forest. It slowly opened up as I gained elevation.
As the canopy thinned I was treated to views of the mountains still far above me on a more regular basis.
After a couple of hours I finally hit the open valleys and could see Siyeh Pass which is really a low saddle between a couple of peaks.
One last stream crossing on a bridge of rocks .
Up in this high valley the scenery was truly epic. I only passed a few hikers who were on their way down and once I hit the open slopes I had the place to myself.
The trail passed by a small high country pond. I was surprised and a little disappointed that there wasn’t any wildlife to be viewed here.
As I continued to climb the trail towards the pass, the views behind me kept getting better and better. That’s Piegan Mountain with Piegan Glacier across the valley on the right side. Clements Mountain overlooking Logan Pass is in the distance in the center.
The final part of the hike to Siyeh Pass climbed up a series of steep switchbacks. By now I was running out of time.
At the base of Mount Siyeh I enjoyed the view of three small glacier melt off lakes. At the end of my hike I ran into three young men who started at 9:00 AM and hiked to the top of this mountain. They told me it was the best hike in the park. I’m afraid a hike like that is a little out of my league anymore.
I was this close to the saddle when I turned around. The effort wasn’t the problem, time was. I had a drop dead time to turn around. It wouldn’t do to be trying to find my way back in the dark in grizzly country.
On the way back I savored the view. These are exactly the views I came for. It reminded me of the line from the movie Jeremiah Johnson when his travelling companion told him the Rockies are the marrow of the world.
Soon I was back in the canopied forest. I was making the best time I could. As far as I knew I was the last person on the trail.
I recrossed all of the streams again on my way down.
By now I was nearing the trailhead and the shadows were starting to lengthen. I did pass a couple of people heading up and assumed they were either backpack camping or turning around soon. This is were the three mountain climbers caught up with me. They knew the park like the back of their hands and shared lots of tips on were to hike around Many Glacier which was my plan for the next day.
I drove back down Going to the Sun Road as the light faded. By the time I got back in cell phone land all of the next days passes for Many Glacier were already sold out. To keep my options open I bought another pass for Going to the Sun Road which I ended up not needing. The system the park uses to limit traffic was really working against me.
I started my day by leaving home at 5:00 AM. The drive took a good six hours and with the additional delays in securing a pass, waiting in line to get in and losing an hour from the time zone change, it was 2:00 PM before I started my hike. I was back to my car by 6:30. It would have been nice to have another hour to push it further, still 2300 feet and nine miles wasn’t too shabby. By the time I made it to my campground in West Glacier it was dark and the office was closed. They left a map and a key for me taped to the office door. Nice.
Yesterdays hike at the McKenzie Conservation Area on the north side of Newman Lake is a return to a local hidden gem. Thank you Spokane County. This was my fourth trip here this year. The trailhead is only about fifteen minutes from my house.
A simple gravel parking area provides access to about five miles of hiking trails. I hiked about four miles of them by taking the Bedrock Ridge Trail and returning on the Turtle Rock Trail with a side trip south through the marshlands to the property boundary and back. Oddly enough, Spokane County has another conservation area only a few miles to the south with slightly different spelling called Mackenzie next to Liberty Lake Park. If anyone who reads this blog knows why that is please let me know.
The first part of the Bedrock Ridge Trail winds through a nice mixed forest. One of the things I like about McKenzie is the tree variety. Pretty much every species native to the area is represented.
The two species of firs, Grand and Douglas often grow side by side. Douglas firs are not true fir trees and the needles grow out of the stem in a radial pattern. Grand firs have flat needles like a feather.
The Bedrock Ridge Trail gains a little bit of elevation and true to it’s name about a mile in you come to rock outcroppings near the high point of the trail.
Here you see Newman Lake for the first time on the hike. On the drive to the trailhead you get to see a lot of the lake from the the windshield. It is a scenic drive.
At the junction with the Turtle Rock Trail I went right instead of left to check out the wetlands on the south end of the conservation area.
Something had a sweet tooth. I saw more than one hive broken open and scattered. I imagine the first few licks of honey were awfully tangy.
I turned around and made my way to Turtle Rock. This is the only spot on the property where its possible to access the lake without wading through marshlands. Allegedly this was a favorite campsite for Native Americans.
Most of the walk back on the Turtle Rock Trail is flat and skirts wetlands.
There are some pretty big cottonwood trees in the lowlands along with cedars and hemlocks. The conservation area has several mature western white pines which is nice to see as they were almost eliminated from the region due to the white pine blister rust and over harvesting.
Another view of Newman Lake.
McKenzie Conservation Area is a nice place to enjoy a relaxing walk in the woods. The elevation gain is minimal and views are beautiful. That’s Mica Peak Idaho, AKA Signal Point, in the distance. There is another trail that crosses Newman Lake Road and climbs considerable higher up the ridge if you just have to get more of a workout. This loop adds another mile of two to the hike and gains maybe 400 feet of elevation. There are no views of the lake through from this trail.
Dishman Hills is a natural area made up of three units. Iller Creek is the northern most and highest of them. The Iller Creek trailhead is located west of Dishman Mica Road in a residential area of Spokane Valley.
The trailhead has limited parking which usually isn’t an issue on weekdays. As soon as you start there is a fork. I always take the right path and hike the loop counter clockwise.
This trail follows a dry creek bed at a moderate grade through a thick forest. It isn’t very exciting but it gets you to where your going.
At two and a half miles in you come to the Rocks of Sharon. These massive boulders are a popular local rock climbing destination.
I typically spend over an hour exploring the rocks. There are over a dozen of these monoliths lined up on the south side of the high ridge.
This is a perfect place to stop for a break and enjoy the views.
And the view is of the Palouse Prairie, an area of rolling farmland that extends a hundred miles to the south.
North of the rocks is probably the largest collection of antennas and satellite dishes I’ve ever seen. Pretty much every television and radio station in greater Spokane uses this site to transmit their signals.
Another view of interesting rock formations.
At the Rocks of Sharon there is a junction with the Stevens Creek Trailhead connector. By using this access point it is possible to get to the rocks by hiking less than half the distance and a third of the elevation. Drive there though takes an extra hour.
I had the place to myself for a good hour. I highly recommend hiking this trail on weekdays. It can get awfully busy on weekends.
I just wish I hadn’t tried to drive my truck up the trail. No really, this isn’t the first old abandoned vehicle I’ve come across hiking close to Spokane. This was on the East Ridge Trail just after I started my return.
If you hike the loop counter clockwise, you will return to the Iller Creek Trailhead vis the East Ridge Trail.
The East Ridge Trail is more open and you get views of Spokane Valley and Mt. Spokane in the distance.
To the west you can see Mica Peak with it’s distinctive radar dome.
Five miles and twelve hundred feet later, you return to the starting point. Here is a picture at the trailhead of a mountain ash tree.
I first saw this place while flying out of the Spokane airport over a decade ago. It looked so cool from above I did a little research, found the trailheads and have since hiked it about a dozen times. I was a little surprised that the elevation gain turned out to be well over a thousand feet. It is one of the best little hikes close to Spokane that I know of.
I took a seven hour drive to the high desert country of central Oregon to spend a couple of nights and explore. On my way to Bend, I stopped at Smith Rock State Park.
This wonderful park is located a couple of miles east of US 97 near the town of Terrebonne about twenty miles north of Bend. I paid the five dollar admission and started walking.
The Misery Ridge Trail is across the river the Crooked River from the parking areas and visitor center. This part of the park is crowded with sightseers.
I walked the loop counter clockwise and would highly recommend that direction. The hike begins with a series of steep switchbacks that soon get you away from most of the crowd. To your left are some shear rock walls that are a Mecca for rock climbers.
And to your right and soon way below you is the river that almost encircles the rocks. The switchbacks are challenging and wooden steps help you in s0me of the steepest sections.
It only takes six tenths of a mile to gain the little over seven hundred feet of elevation to the top. The vegetation on the summit consists of sparse desert shrubs and large juniper trees.
The views from the top are outstanding. You can see the distant Cascade Mountains to the west and appreciate the stunning rock formations below you.
I stayed up here a while to enjoy the view. It was sunny and for the time of year, reasonably cool. Signs at the trailhead warn hikers to bring plenty of water and I did. You can get dehydrated here in a hurry.
A short walk further and you begin the descent on the other side of the ridge next to a prominent rock pillar called Monkey Face.
Here’s the view of this rock from below. It’s pretty clear how it came to acquire such an unusual name. There are rock climbing routes up this feature as well.
Soon you find yourself next to the Crooked River on the far side of Misery Ridge from the trailhead. It is a photogenic stream.
You get to follow the river for a couple of miles back to the starting point which is a great way to wind down after getting your heart pumping crossing over the ridge. Here you can still see Monkey Face just left of center.
The River Trail has a new view around every bend.
At one point you can hear a decent size waterfall across the river but can only get a fleeting view of it through the trees covering the far cliff side. What you can see is awfully nice too.
About half way back to the trailhead I saw a couple of raptors circling overhead. It took me a minute to realize that they were a pair of Golden Eagles. They’re bigger than Bald Eagles.
The rocks are fascinating. The park has dozens of rock wall climbing routes.
And here are a couple of folks trying out one of them.
It took me almost three hours to complete the 3.6 mile loop with a total elevation gain of 908 feet. A lot of that time was spent just stopping to enjoy the views. There are other trails in the park that I would have loved to had time to check out.
I even got to see a couple of lizards. We don’t get them much in the Idaho Panhandle.
I made one last short walk to an overlook on the east side of the canyon to get another perspective.
I enjoyed hiking in Smith Rock State Park. The State of Oregon does a nice job of maintaining this beautiful site. I don’t know if I’ll ever make it out this way again but if I do I’d gladly hike this route again.
Smith Rock State Park turned out to be the highlight of my three day Oregon Road trip and the only adventure along the way worthy of it’s own post. You can check out the rest of the trip here.
I drove out to Heyburn State Park on the south end of Lake Coeur d’Alene to take a short hike on the Indian Cliffs Trail and to check out Idaho’s oldest state park.
Heyburn State Park was established in 1908 and is the oldest state park in the Pacific Northwest. The park is located between Plummer and St. Maries Idaho about an hour south of the City of Coeur d’Alene. The St. Joe River empties in to the lake within the park.
The trailhead for the Indian Cliffs hike was about two miles in to the park from the visitor center on State Road 5. Just after you cross the Trail of the Coeur d’Alene’s after Plummer Creek there is a parking area. At the first junction take a left for an easier limb and better views.
After the junction, the trail climbs at a moderate grade through a forest that slowly becomes more open above and parallel to Plummer Creek.
After three quarters of a mile the trail passes through an area that was impacted by a wild fire thirty years ago. The fire left many surviving ponderosa pines and the state worked to restore the original open floor habitat after that. It reminded me of long leaf pine/wire grass habitat in Florida.
After climbing about five hundred feet, we were treated to views of the lakes and wetlands below. That’s the mouth of Plummer Creek where it enters the lake.
Across the canyon we had a view of the railroad that still services the lumber mill in St. Maries. We got to see the weekly or so train that still runs on this line. This is the same line that I hiked on beyond St. Maries that is now abandoned.
As we got towards the top of the ridge the views got better. You can see the channel of the St. Joe River in the middle of the lake. Over a hundred years ago the Post Falls Dam raised the level of the lake flooding the lowlands on the south end of the lake. The river banks being somewhat higher still bracket the old river channel creating a “river in a lake”.
It was a overcast and for this time of year, a very humid day. It was the first time I sweated in seventy degree weather in many years. It did end up raining a little which is god send for the guys and gals that work so hard to keep wild fires contained. This tree looked like it had experienced more than one serious weather event in its time.
Further along the ridge there were rock outcroppings. For about a mile the views across the lake were unimpeded.
Indian Cliffs are not a straight drop off but there are boulder fields at the base covered in moss. A rolling stone gathers no moss.
After descending down the slope we were treated to a couple of surprises. Those of you that follow this blog know I love Western Red Cedars and this little grove was a gem.
A little further we came across one of the largest White Pines I.ve seen. Western White Pine were decimated many decades ago by an invasive disease and almost became extinct in there native range. Luckily some trees were resistant and the U.S. Forest Service has been working on using the genetics from these trees to breed a new generation of White Pines. This one obviously predated the blister rust.
After completing the just over three mile loop with a five hundred foot elevation gain we checked out the day use area for the park. The Trail of the Coeur d’Alene’s passes through it and in the distance you can see the bridge for the trail over the lake.
If not here’s a better view. The bike ride from Plummer to here is about seven miles and all down hill. The lake looked a littler rough today due to passing thunder storms. Glad I didn’t choose to kayak.
I took a sixty mile drive east to the Montana border at Thompson Pass to complete my annual pilgrimage to one of my favorite mountain lakes and as usual took a side trip on the way home to see some big trees.
From the turnout on the state line at the top of the pass, a short gravel road leads you to the trailhead for the Lake Revett Trail. The trail is very well made and easy to follow.
Unlike a lot of these trails that pass through thick second brush with limited views, the Lake Revett Trail quickly brings you to open rock slopes with big views down the canyon.
After crossing open rock slopes, the trail descends in to a mature forest with lots of big trees.
The trees, mostly hemlocks are covered with moss. Thompson Pass is just about the wettest place in Idaho receiving as much precipitation as the southern Appalachians mostly in the form of snow. This little corner of the Inland Northwest is almost a temperate rain forest.
By the end of August all of the snow is long gone and the streams start to dry up. Here the outlet creek from the lake above still has enough flow for a pretty little waterfall.
After crossing the creek, the trail climbs using a long gentle switchback. Somebody spent a lot of effort making this trail many years ago.
The walk to the lake takes less than an hour even with lots of stops to enjoy the scenery. The mountain to the west of the lake is Granite Peak.
To get a better view of Lake Revett I scrambled a little way up the lower slopes of Granite Peak. Going off trail can be rewarding and risky. The worst part is going back down hill. Without a trail the foot placement takes some serious care.
This is about as far as I wanted to push it. The ridge on the other side of the lake separates it from Blossom Lake, another mountain lake with a trail that starts right at the turnout on Thompson Pass.
It was a beautiful day for a hike.
The hardest part of the hike was bushwacking back down to the lake. A rough trail follows the shoreline. This photo shows the effects of snow loads on the trees as they grow. Almost anyplace with a steep slope had trees with curved trunks like these.
It was time to head back to the trailhead while taking plenty of time to appreciate the big views along the open slopes.
Sometimes it nice to check out the little views too.
One last look at the mountain scenery before returning to the trailhead. I wonder what the name of the mountain in the far distance is.
The ratio of effort verses reward makes this one of the best little hikes around. The drive time is well over an hour from my house, probably closer to two, but it is a scenic drive as well.
On my way back down the valley towards my next destination I made a quick stop in Murray, an old gold mining town. They still have a few of the original buildings from it’s mining days. Now the place is mostly a stop along the road for folks seeking outdoor adventures.
I love the old Masonic Lodge building. Murray has not one but two family friendly eating establishments and a museum. It is a great place to grab a meal and a cold beer.
Three miles west of Murray I turned off on Eagle Creek Road. A six mile ride on a road the becomes progressively narrower and rougher brought me to the trailhead for Settlers Grove. On the way I passed through a large area that experienced a devastating wild fire a few years ago.
A footbridge over Eagle Creek leads in to the old cedar grove.
The Eagle Creek fire burned all around the old grove. It took a heroic effort to save the old trees and I’m glad they did. It would have been ashamed to lose these survivors of the Big Burn in 1910. Only a few old growth groves managed to avoid being destroyed from that event.
Walking among these trees is a treat.
It’s hard to convey the size of these trees through pictures without something use for a scale. Some of them are estimated to be over 600 years old.
After walking through the grove it was time to drive back to Coeur d’Alene. Until next time.
For My Fourth of July, I hiked the Mica Peak Conservation Area outside of Spokane Washington. This 1700 acre preserve is owned and managed by Spokane County and was acquired as part of their conservation futures program.
Mica Peak at 5200 feet is a prominent landmark in the area made more distinctive because of the large radar dome at the summit which is visible throughout the region. The Federal Aviation Administration owns the site and for that reason the top of the mountain is off limits to hikers.
The trailhead for the property is located at the end of Belmont Road out of the small community of Mica which is about six miles south of Interstate 90 on State Road 27.
The first part of the hike travels on an old service road through about one mile of private property with open ponderosa pine forests on both sides. The climb is surprisingly steep and you can clearly see the mountain you’ll be walking up ahead.
The open forest with mostly a grass understory is typical of drier, hotter and often south and west facing slopes.
As you gain elevation the views open up. In this photo you can see three other hiking spots in the same frame. The high peak in the background is Mt. Spokane, a Washington State Park I visited earlier this year. The bare hills in the foreground are in Spokane County’s Saltese Uplands Preserve and the ridge to the left and in front of Mt. Spokane is Antione Peak which I recently visited and wrote about.
The variety of wildflowers along the trail was impressive.
As you gain elevation, the habitat becomes thicker with more fir trees and dense shrubs limiting views in sections. The main trail (service road) up the mountain is called Moonshine for some reason. I used the California Creek Trail, a single track, to make the nine mile loop.
This trail uses several switchbacks to climb the mountain. As usual the trails on Spokane County Conservation Areas are extremely well built and well marked. You’d have to try to get lost.
Near the high point of the California Creek Trail you hit open slopes with some outstanding views. The habitat also changes to something resembling an alpine landscape. It really isn’t one but it does look a little bit like it.
You are rewarded with big views of the Spokane Valley. Not everything out there is urbanized yet. There’s still some pretty farmland between the mountain and the city.
You can also see out to the southwest and part of the Palouse Prairie on the other side of the mountain.
This is about as close as the trail gets to the summit and the radar dome. It’s still a good half mile and two hundred feet of elevation away. A short descent from the trails high point brings you back to the Moonshine Trail and the long trip back down.
Fitting colors of some wildflowers for the day of the hike.
On the way down you pass by a couple more open ridges. Sometimes it’s nice to pause and appreciate small views too.
After this open ridge, the trail rapidly descends back through much thicker vegetation.
One more view out to the Palouse Prairie earned a look of that geological oddity, Steptoe Butte another place I have visited recently.
After four hours, nine steep miles and more wildflowers, I was back at the trailhead.
There’s considerably more trails that can be explored on this site. One trail connects to Liberty Lake Regional Park. Liberty Lake Park is a great place to hike, but I will have to wait until an extensive improvement project that is currently underway is completed.
The Antione Peak Conservation Area is an over one thousand acre preserve owned and managed by Spokane County. It is located on the north side of Spokane Valley and has three easily accessible trailheads. Today I hiked the entire length of the Emerald Necklace Trail with a side trip to the summit.
I started my hike at the West Trailhead off of Brevier Road. From the parking lot there is a clear view across the Peone Prairie of Mt. Spokane, the highest point in the county.
As soon as you leave the trailhead, you find your self in the “tall grass”. It appears that this part of the preserve was pasture or farmland in the not too distant past.
The trail system is very easy to follow and well maintained. At this point you’re less than a mile from the edge of suburbia but it feels like another world.
The old fields were carpeted with wildflowers.
As I gained elevation, the views opened up. To the south is the urban area of Spokane and to the west and south are views of the rural areas outside of town.
After less than a mile, the trail enters a more forested area dominated by open Ponderosa Pine habitat. This one appears to have grown out of a rock.
This part of the trail skirts to the south of the ridge line and summit. The south side of the ridges are also the sunny side.
A view looking up the hill on a clear cool sunny day.
Signage along the trail is very good. If you come to a fork with an unmarked trail it is not part of the trail system. After a little more than two miles, the Emerald Necklace Trail intersects the Summit Trail east of the peak. If you take the Summit Trail downhill, it leads to another trailhead.
A couple of weeks ago, I walked the loop from the Canfield Gulch Trail and came across this small pond.
On that trip I also came across a small moose. It is surprising how often I cross paths with these animals. I even see them swimming in the lakes when I’m paddling my kayak.
On the backside or in this case the north side of the ridge the habitat is dominated by fir trees and thicker shrubs limiting the views. In this opening there is a nice view of nearby Rathdrum Mountain in Idaho.
This little guy didn’t seem fazed by me walking past his stump.
Another opening along the trail revealed a nice view of the Peone Prairie. This area of farmland is on the way to Green Bluff, a local agri-tourist area.
The Emerald Necklace eventually reconnects to the Summit Trail and a short hike uphill gets you to the high point. Of course there’s a communication tower or more like three of them at the top.
The summit is partially forested and you have to walk around to see the views. This one is looking across the valley towards Mica Peak Idaho, AKA Signal Point.
On the way back to the trailhead I got to enjoy the meadows covered in wildflowers again. It was a very enjoyable and relatively easy hike. I estimate I got in about six miles with maybe seven hundred feet of elevation gain. It was a nice way to spend the last day of my first month of retirement.
After completing my hike, I headed over to a friends house to watch the Stanley Cup Finals. As the sunset, I noticed they have a nice view of Antione Peak from their backyard.
Spokane County has several very nice conservation areas, many of which I have hiked. Unlike state owned sites, Spokane County does not require a pass or permit. I plan on visiting some of these places this summer and hope to share my experiences hiking on them.
