Backpacking Trout Lake
Well it has been a long time since I have posted anything to my blog. That doesn’t mean that I haven’t been doing anything, I just haven’t been writing about it.
Back in June of 2008 we went backpacking with some friends (Eric, Jackson, Brock, Kim, and me) up in the Selkirk mountain range just north of Bonners Ferry (just a few miles from Canada). We could not have asked for better weather. It was warm without being too hot and the sky was clear. Getting there was easy, the road was in good condition, in fact there were a few cars at the trailhead.
We arrived at the trailhead in the late morning and wasted no time getting on the trail. The beginning of the trail was a little steep; I think that everyone was nervous that the entire trail would be that steep. The boys didn’t have a lot of experience with backpacking; we didn’t make it more than a half a mile before both boys needed to refill their water bottles. Luckily there was a stream nearby and we were able to filter some water for their bottles. I must admit that I was a bit worried that this was a sign of things to come, but I was wrong, this was the only refill stop that we had to make. We stopped to catch our breath a few times but other than that it was a quick hike.
Near the end of our hike we came around a corner and could see the lake below. The scenery from hear was fantastic, you could see all through the valleys below. For the next bit, the hike was steep downhill to the lake. Once at the lake we looked around for a site that would hold our two tents. There were a few other hikers camping at the lake as well, we finally decided on a spot (the first one we had looked at). It was big enough for us but it was a complete dust bowl. After getting camp setup it was time to swim.
The water was very cold, but after that hot hike I was ready to jump in. The water felt great but it didn’t take long at all for me to be ready to get out. After swimming we proceeded with the typical camping stuff; fire, dinner, cleanup, bed.
The next morning we got up, made breakfast and then got ready for our planned day hike. The plan was too hike up to Big Fisher Lake for the day. Eric and I packed some daypacks with food and water then we headed out. I think that the kids enjoyed not have packs on, they liked being able to run up the trail and then wait for us to catch up. Once again the trail had spectacular views of the valleys on both sides of the ridge. It was wilderness as far as the eye could see. It had been a very long time since I was able to see that far, and in so many directions. When we arrived at the summit of the tail, overlooking Big Fisher Lake, we realized that we didn’t want to hike all the way down to the water (800 ft. below us) just to come back up again. We decided that we would eat lunch and then continue up the ridge until we reach the summit.
There isn’t a whole lot more to say about this trip, the scenery was fantastic, the hikes were a perfect length, and we all had a lot of fun. In the beginning I was a bit nervous, I hadn’t taken either of the boys on any hikes and I didn’t know for sure how it would go. I quickly got over my fears as I saw how much fun all the kids were having. This was a great trip and I look forward to doing it again next summer.
Trail Details
Length: 2.7 miles to Trout Lake, 4.4 miles to Bigh Fisher Lake from Trailhead
Elevation Change: ~1000 ft to Trout Lake, ~2200 ft to Big Fisher.
Maps
Google Earth
Photos
Click here to see the photo gallery
Getting There
Getting there isn’t too difficult. First you need to get to Bonners Ferry, Idaho. Then follow this map.
