Adventure Travel Photography Blog
After two days of driving long distances to trails, I wanted something easy, so this time I left Hungry Horse Reservoir and hiked in Whitefish Lake State Park.
The Swift Creek Loop trailhead parking with a pit toilet can be found just off East Lakeshore Dr. The parking area is far more developed than my recent hikes to both Doris Mountain and Jenny Lake. I was the first to arrive this weekday, but by the time I finished ten cars filled the parking lot.
HAPPY HIKING!
After the long drive to Doris Mountain yesterday, I was a little leery about the drive to Jenny Lake. It is also located in the Flathead National Forest near Hungry Horse Reservoir. Fortunately, the drive up the well graded dirt road was short and easy. The parking was limited with one other car already there.
HAPPY HIKING!
The hike to Doris Mountain in Flathead National Forest near Hungry Horse Reservoir was the busiest hike I have taken in the last month. That said, I only ran into about five groups of people, and I had the top of the mountain to myself for the entire time I spent up there.
Still, for a Tuesday, it was a little more crowded than expected, especially given the drive to the trailhead. Much of the drive is on a long, narrow dirt road that switches back and forth up the mountain.
HAPPY HIKING!
I don’t think Stahl Creek Trail initially made my list of hikes in Eureka when I was sifting through AllTrails, as I prefer hikes to lakes over mountain tops. But, after spending two days making long drives into Ten Lakes Scenic Area, I replaced Link Lake with Stahl Creek Trail because it was a shorter drive and a longer hike.
I would suggest to anyone planning on hiking in Ten Lakes Scenic Area for more than one day, to plan on backpacking or staying up there without cell service to cut down the ratio of driving time to hiking time. If I weren’t in the middle of the selection process for building my townhome or needing internet to blog, this is what I would have done.
Instead, I spent three days driving back and forth from Eureka. The good news from driving is I saw multiple mama deer with their babies and a rafter of turkeys with their babies!
HAPPY HIKING!
After another ridiculously long drive into Ten Lakes Scenic Area (see my previous post Hike to Bluebird Lake for the other long drive), Annie and I set out to hike to Wolverine Lake. The parking area at the dead end is small, and a trailhead may be found on both sides of the road. The trail to Wolverine Lake begins on the north side of the road near the posted information board.
HAPPY HIKING!
For my first hike in Eureka, Montana, I decided on Bluebird Lake via the Highline Trail in the Kootenai National Forest. As with many of the hikes in Idaho that I completed the last few weeks, the 7-mile roundtrip to Bluebird Lake is also a two for one experience, with Paradise Lake being on the way. It’s a good thing, especially since the drive on both paved and rocky roads through the Ten Lakes Scenic Area is very long. At least I spotted a doe with two babies along the way!
HAPPY HIKING!
After my visit to Wallace, which was absolutely amazing, I continued north to Bonners Ferry. Bonners Ferry is about 30 minutes from Sandpoint and 1.5 hours from Coeur d’Alene, both popular Idaho resort towns. It is also rather close to the Canadian border, and sometimes my phone plan thought we were in Canada.
As always, when I visit small towns, my dog Annie and I check out the local trails. Bonners Ferry has many to offer. Below are a few trails in Bonners Ferry we hiked:
HAPPY HIKING!
The City of Wallace is a historic mining town nestled in the Silver Valley. It is engulfed in history and surrounded by the Idaho Panhandle National Forest. As a result, it is a very interesting place to visit and affords visitors many hiking options.
Below are a few hikes near Wallace I found:
HAPPY HIKING!
The last time I visited Stanley, Idaho was eleven years ago. I had hoped to visit last year during my three weeks in Idaho, but I was too early as it was still snowing. Considering I should have named my blog, Chasing 70 Degrees, snow is not in my future if I can help it.
Anyway, I finally arrived and spent several days camping and hiking in Stanley and and caught up with a few relatives.
HAPPY HIKING!
The Fourth of July Lake Trail is located in the Sawtooth National Forest 25 miles southeast of Stanley, Idaho. It is a little bit farther from Stanley as compared to Sawtooth Lake and hikes around Redfish Lake and Stanley Lake.
As a result, I saved if for the end of my visit, especially since it requires driving 10 miles on a dirt road. Upon reaching the road which led into a burned forest, I thought to myself, “what have I done?” Fortunately, the forest along the Fourth of July Lake Trail was mostly spared and only the drive went through charred threes.
HAPPY HIKING!