For todays adventure I returned to one of my favorite places to kayak, Twin Lakes Idaho. Twin Lakes is about four miles north of Rathdrum and twenty minutes away from my house.
It was overcast and breezy when I arrived at the small Kootenai County launch at the end of Par 3 Road. I like to use this ramp as there is no trailer parking causing most boaters to use one of the other two ramps on the lakes. Immediately I noticed that the water level was still very high from the melt off from this spring.
I cut across Lower Twin to the western and much less developed shore line and paddled north.
The east side of Lower Twin is heavily developed mostly with vacation cabins. The west side is much more scenic.
Some of the cliffs on the west side are significant.
The few cabins on the west shore of the lake are boat in only as there is no access by road to it. Some of them are very rustic.
Like these two.
At the north end of the lake a private bridge separates it from the Narrows, a shallow body of water that connects to Upper Twin Lake. Another boat ramp with parking and a vault toilet is located just past the bridge.
Exiting the Narrows you are treated to views of Upper Twin and the mountains that surround it. By now the wind had died completely and there were no other boats on the lake. Unlike Lower Twin which is long, narrow and relatively deep, Upper Twin is almost round and much shallower.
In the center above the smaller hills you can see the top of Mount Spokane where I hiked yesterday still with some snow at the summit.
I cut across the lake towards the southwest corner and the extensive lily pad flats and marsh land. As on Lower Twin one side , the north is heavily developed while the south side has only a smattering of boat in only cabins.
Like this one.
This is one of my happy places. Sometimes I’ll stop here to eat a snack and appreciate the view.
All good things come to an end and this is the end of the lake.
Now for the return trip through the Narrows.
Three hours after I started, I arrived back at the boat ramp. By now it was starting to drizzle. I beat the weather again.
A photo of my favorite landing spot on one of the few places along the shore that is not posted. I believe this section is owned by Inland Empire Paper. Notice I have thirteen years worth of invasive weed stickers from the State of Idaho. I’ve been on this lake at least once all of those years. FYI, the stickers are required in Idaho as part of the state’s efforts to prevent invasive species from out waterways. They cost $7.00 for kayaks.
Twin Lakes is in my opinion the best of Kootenai County’s small lakes for kayaking. There are still some nice undeveloped parts of the shoreline on both lakes and both lakes provide completely different experiences.
