July 31...it begins
Bob, WD, and I arrived at the ICT Trailhead at around 9 am after a pleasant evening at Outlet Bay Campground on the shore of Priest Lake.
The northern terminus of the ICT is towards the end of a 14 mile dirt rd and eventually finds the TH that is 8 miles short of Priest Falls which marks the ICT's northern most point.
So, to start a southbound hike, my day began by walking 8 miles north!
The trail leading to Priest Falls was absolutely superb as it wound its way through enormous stands of cedar, hemlock, white pine, spruce, and over occasional creeklets. The canopy of these 100 ft+ trees blocked out most of the morning sun, so the temps were surprisingly cool.
Devil's Club and fern were the primary groundcover/understory, with huckleberry bushes making a ripened but infrequent appearance as well. The vegetation was abundant and the rich, earthly smell of humus filled the morning.
The trail was essentially flat and recently maintained, so the footing and tread were excellent. About 6 miles in, I passed an active trail crew (Conservation Corps) chopping roots and improving water bars. Thanking them for their efforts, I hiked on.
I soon came to Priest Falls, a steep, blocky drop encircled by cliffs and set back into an alcove of sorts. I found it to be quite scenic and a fitting marker to a journey's start or end...certainly more aesthetic than the slash cut of the official US/Canadian Border which was just 1/2 mile distant.
WD and I ate our lunch and relaxed for an hr, enjoying the crystal clear waters and playing a brief game of fetch, before reversing our mornings effort.
A half hr later we found Bob who was just rolling up his sleeping pad from an afternoon nap. Packed up, we made our way casually back to the TH and the van.
The remainder of my afternoon has been spent double checking my gear list and planning out the mileage breakdown for the coming section of trail.
Always one to contribute, WD has spent his afternoon catching flies, rolling in the dirt, and enjoying the occasional treat.
Our 16 miles seemed to go smoothly today for WD. He was quick to find a stick to play with at each break, so I took that as him enjoying himself. Here's to hoping he continues to find that enthusiasm in the coming weeks!
Camp tonight is near the TH. Skies are clear, my mind is clear, and I am excited about the next ~50 days of walking.
Thanks for reading.
BrianAugust 1st
I packed up and began a ~4 mile rd walk beneath heavy, wet skies before turning off FR 1013 and finding Trapper Trail 302 a few minutes away.
While the skies had let up a bit, even if had been raining hard, I am doubtful many drops would have ever made it through the dense tree canopy above. The trail was in good shape although a few blow downs blocked our way as we contoured through the forest, bypassing marshy spots along raised, cedar planked boardwalks. Nice to stay out of the mud, but very slippery!The forest floor is a thick criss-cross of downed timber so it was amazing to watch a white tailed deer prance and bounce silently through the mess.
Eventually the trail curved toward the northern shore of Upper Priest Lake and then contoured along its birch lined banks, dipping in and out of the forest and past some nice (boat occupied) campsites.
Most of the campers were just emerging from their rain soaked tents to greet the morning. No smells of morning breakfast to tempt me into a Yogi-ing Session.
Further along, the trail climbed above the lakeshore and as I write I am perched atop a lakeside cliffband, watching the skies as some blue breaks through. WD is drifting in and out of a nap on a soft bed of moss. We've hiked ~10 miles by 10 am, so it looks to be causal day ahead of us as we only have another 9 to do before finding camp.
My typical approach to a long hike is to walk the entire day...primarily because I enjoy walking and experiencing a place in the morning, afternoon, and early evening which gives me a more complete sense of the landscape through which I walk. The end result is a full day and usually ~25-30 miles. However, knowing WD needs a break in period, I've decided to try to hike the majority of our 20 mpd days in the morning. Getting 12-15 miles in before lunch and then taking a 2 hr break will give WD some good nap time and a recharge for the afternoon. The afternoon 5-8 miles can then be easily and leisurely accomplished.
Having the flexibility of time throughout the day will also be helpful with regard to rte finding, blowdowns, and other time intensive debacles when they arise. Of course, I'll continue to overthink this and likely settle on some other conclusion...
It is also likely quite obvious that this will be a challenge for me to sit still for a good portion of the day...nothing worse for relaxation than a routine habituated walker and an OCD dawg, but relax we will damn it!
Lunch found us at the clear waters of Caribou Creek...a shallow ford across colorful stones. During lunch a family showed up on their way to Upper Priest Lake. I offered a discounted group rate for piggy back rides across the creek, but they declined, retreated, and then emerged downstream a few minutes later hopping from rock to rock and managing to get across.
WD and I will fritter away another hour at the creek before pushing on for the final few miles of the day.
Shortly after our lunch break, we followed ATV trails out to East Ridge Rd. I had to make a brief detour from the ICT as the rte down to the shores of Priest Lake were indiscernible amidst the dust and clamor of large machines, but the way was obvious to East Ridge Rd albeit a bit earlier than planned.
The Lions Head Campground of Priest Lake State Park was completely full, but I located a bathroom and a water faucet and made use of both. From this point another ~5 miles was in store for WD and I. Unfortunately those miles would be a road walk. More unfortunately, the majority was paved and it seems Friday is a good day to haul lumber as well as (obviously) heading to the Lake for the weekend. After the first dozen cars and trucks WD and I grew accustomed to moving off the shoulder, looking away, and then pressing forward.
As much as I would have liked to put the hammer down and bang out the mileage, WD needed a lesser pace, so we trudged along until arriving at North Creek where we scooted down and over the embankment. Walking up the creek a few minutes I spotted a nice camp spot on the opposite shore which was out of site of the roadway and just out of earshot of the traffic.
Skies look 50/50 at the moment so I've set up the shelter which WD is already enjoying atop his sleeping pad...snoozing the afternoon away.
BrianAugust 2nd
After one of the most fitful nights of sleep that I can recall, I decided to sleep in and finally packed up around 8 am.
The morning rd walk was an easy start to the day but grew tiresome quickly. I scanned the maps and came up with a alt rte on closed logging rds that would drop me back onto East Shores Rd, just a mile up from Indian Creek Bay. The penalty was an initial steep climb, but this was easily justified given the weekend traffic and the shoulder-less rd I was avoiding. The logging rd was a welcome respite from car and truck traffic, as well as plodding pavement in the morning sun.
I passed a few large beaver dams before descending back to the main rd where the steady flow of traffic continued. Referencing the maps again, another rte appeared... non-paved, closed logging rd. Bingo. I hung a left up Indian Creek and then crossed the creek on a gated bridge.
I am creekside, in the shade, soaking my feet. The morning is still cool, the skies are blue, and WD just found the perfect nap spot after circling 5 times.
After our short siesta, we began a steady climb on the alt rte. The trees were thin so the sun was bright and warm. As I climbed higher, some of my first sizeable views of Priest Lake began to unfold... strange... considering I'd been paralleling the shoreline on the low rds!
Eventually we climbed to an old logging rd that appeared to contour south nicely and connected directly with the ICT at Hunt Creek. The temps were slightly cooler and a refreshing breeze blew. Around midday we came to a creeklet and bashed into the woods a bit to find some shade and a nice stop for lunch and a nap. 1.5 hrs later we emerged from our shady haven, fed and rested.
The logging rd was obvious and we continued along it before re-joining the ICT and beginning an initially steep climb up towards Hunt Lake. All told, the alt rte saved us from walking ~10 stress filled miles on paved rds. As we climbed upward, we passed a few families with buckets in hand picking huckleberries, but overall there was little traffic, pedestrian or otherwise. Someone had used marker and paper plates to note each 1/2 mile along the rd...this constant recognition of our progress made for the perception of slow going, when in actuality we were cruising along at 3 mph. It reminded me of the last few kilometers of the PCT which is marked every kilometer...after having walked 2,658 miles the slowest part of the entire trip were the 7 km into Canada...
WD was dragging a bit, so I carried his bags for the majority of the climb. We seem to have an understanding that if he goes after squirrels, then the bags go back on, thus he was well behaved.
At the moment it is 4 pm and we are ~2.5 miles from camp and taking another extended break. This area of Hunt Creek burnt and was re-seeded in 1953, so it is interested to see the growth of the last 55 yrs.
We'll hang out, do a WD doggie massage and eat here before pushing on. Ending the day yesterday at 3:30 drove me nuts as I had ~5 hrs to sit around before it was dark enough to try to sleep. WD was indifferent, but maybe in Naples I'll get a book...
After our break, I managed to get us into a pickle in the late afternoon. A combination of criss-crossed logging rds, dense vegetation, and an untimely dose of my ego has us a bit misplaced this evening. Nothing to be too concerned about as I know generally where I am, where I need to go, and a sense of how to get there. The catch at this point is just trying to figure how crappy it is going to be to do...off trail is not particularly easy in this environment!
Anyway, due to my decisions WD is thoroughly whipped this evening. Fortunately his wee doggie brain has no idea what is likely in store for us tomorrow. I am certain he will sleep better than myself this evening.
Thanks for reading.
BrianAugust 3rd
The morning began early with a wet nose in my ear. 5:15 am, and WD is hungry. Instead of simply rolling over and going back to sleep, I figured an early start to our problem solving would be wise. Fed, packed, and happily ignorant of what lay ahead, WD set off first. We managed to follow a good game trail for the first 40 mins of the morning and the bush whacking was minimal.
Reviewing maps last night, I decided that I must have turned too early on an old logging rd instead of continuing on a well used rd to the obvious TH to Hunt Lake. I managed to keep pressing forward though... obviously for the worse, until I had managed to bash my way to the opposite ridge of where I needed to be. Regardless, where I was offered a decent approach to getting back on track so I ruled out backtracking. As long as I could climb a rounded ridge, locate a cliffband, and then contour onto the shores of Hunt Lake, things would be alright.
Once the animal trail disappeared, WD and I continued to gain some elevation based on my guess as to our position from occasional glimpses of surrounding terrain. After 20 more minutes of very deliberate foot placement, I felt confident that I was above the cliffband and started my contour. Bushwhacking is never much fun, but working across slope in steep terrain, with a short legged companion is challenging. Often times WD would simply find his own way, but more often than not, he'd follow me which was not always to his advantage. Many times I'd give him a jump assist...convincing him to leap while I tugged at his lift handle on his harness. This was effective to get him to clear large blowdowns.
As we continued on, WD's enthusiasm for honoring my alpha role and its associated decision making was starting to wane. Occasionally he'd decide to simply stop...watching me negotiate some deadfall, clamber through thick growth, or otherwise struggle and he'd need a fair amount of coaxing to follow. While I am a fan of pushing myself, it is not fun to watch someone or something being pressured to do something that they would preferably avoid... particularly when you cannot make any attempt to justify your actions verbally!
Finally, the brush began to clear a bit and we descended granite slabs to the outlet of Hunt Lake...thankful the tedium of the morning passed without injury! Traversing around its right shore, I found a nice water-side slab to take a break, refuel, and watch the fish jump as the sun crested the ridgeline above us.
After our break we continued upward with the intent of finding a saddle and dropping into Fault Lake. Supposedly there is a rte marked with orange dots, but I never found them, nor spent much time looking.
Descending from the saddle into the Fault Lake drainage, the terrain changed...slightly alpine in flavor and feel. The granite ridges and peaks of the Selkirks extended north and south, each with a cirque and lake in the basin below. I picked my way through the marshy areas and tried to stick to the granite that lined the subtle ridges, before contouring to just below the shores of Fault Lake and stirring up a Bull Moose. I noticed a short section or two of old, constructed trail, but certainly not anything distinct.
Three groups of people were camped at Fault Lake, and WD and I enjoyed a break in the warm sun and a cool drink before packing back up and pushing onward.
The descent to Pack River rd has been straight forward as it follows single track until linking into an old rd which is now overgrown and a bit brushy. Lots of people out on the trail today, 2 groups of horsemen, and 2 groups of hikers. Always nice to see folks out enjoying the woods. Indian Paintbrush, Aster, Fireweed, and a few other colorful plants lined the trail.
At the moment we are taking a long 2 hr break at Gunsight Creek for lunch and nap. The creek is quite nice... granite slides and steep steps that give the water something to do as it follows gravity.
After our nap and lunch we continued down trail towards Pack River Rd. Seems the Selkirks have a bit of a rainshadow effect as the trail was dusty and the vegetation comparatively sparse compared to the western flank of the range. The trail lazily switchbacked and soon crossed McCormack Creek. Some recent `flood event' gouged out a trough in the lower creek and each creekbank a jumble of logs and rocks.
A mile later I came to Pack River Rd. Since meeting people on this side of the range, I've been quizzing each one on their knowledge of any existing trail from Dodge Peak to White Mtn and down to the MacArthur Wildlife Refuge. Although the official ICT, it is a stretch of trail that seems to be a black hole for accurate info. A friend checked it out for me and he was unable to locate either end of the trail, and of those quizzed today, a confused look was the typical response. In addition, there are supposedly private property issues as well.
As such, I've decided to follow the rec'd alt rte from the Idaho Parks and Rec Dept....~12 miles on Pack River Rd out to Hwy 95, and then 7 mile paved rd walk into Naples and my first re-supply.
While I'd love to gain some firsthand knowledge about the rte, this seems the more reasonable decision. If I walk the ~5 miles up the dirt rd to the trail, and then end up having to backtrack, that would insure that dog food (and human food) would fall short of needed supply.
With the decision made, we set off down Pack River Rd, hoping to get another 5 miles in before finding a camp. Each creek we crossed we'd take a 20 minute break for drinks, and huckleberries.
The road itself is pretty busy, but all drivers have been courteous and slow down when they pass.
Camp tonight is just off the rd, river side. There is a nice pool established just off the bank and I had a quick dip and clean up before dinner. Always helps my outlook when I feel clean!
With the Pack River Rd rte, I should have ~15 miles tomorrow to Naples and my first resupply. Here's to hoping the ~7 miles of pavement has an ample shoulder...
BrianAugust 4th
The day did not hold much for me in my mind when it started. Rd walks are rarely fun, and I saw no reason for the coming miles of pavement to be an exception.
The morning was cool when I set off and I made good time down Pack River Rd to HWY 95 which was already quite busy at 8:30 AM with Monday traffic.
With WD on leash, we set off with ~8.5 miles to Naples, ID. I made an effort to stay positive by resorting to `negative affirmations' such as:
"I may be on a road walk, but at least the shoulder is lined with trash and broken glass!"
"Despite there being a stiff headwind, at least the air smells like diesel!"
"Although the logging trucks are speeding by dangerously close, at least my feet hurt!"
"WD might cower with every passing car, but at least that makes him try to go between my legs for protection and almost make me trip!"
Yes...a morning that lasted entirely too long.
I kept trying to find some sort of alternative...walking the railroad tracks or walking the trough between the railway and the roadway (moose, deer, raccoon tracks) but really, I decided early on that if I walked the road I would at least be walking the most efficiently which, while miserable, would at least decrease my time spent walking this stretch. So...the road it was at least until the MacArthur Wildlife Refuge where I was able to take a County Rd ~4 miles into Naples. Nice rd, no traffic, but still a road and tough on my feet.
I swear, every mile of pavement is equal to 2 miles of trail.
But...with every spirit killing rd walk, there is often times a karmic payback at the terminus, and most certainly Naples, ID qualifies.
One reason I like to hike is the people I get to meet and learn about along the way. More often than not in such small towns the over-riding characteristic of most individuals that inhabit the place is an effortless authenticity. They are not making an effort to relate nor appeal to you. They are just themselves, and that is what they do. As long as you show up with no sense of entitlement, you'll be treated like family. Common humanity is where things start...all else is gravy.
WD was happy to arrive as well because he has found a patch of lovely green grass to roll around in and got a can of Pedigree at the General Store to gorge himself. Happy dog, full stomach.
I am happy to arrive because of the place itself and the people here. Naples has a great General Store...the old school kind with everything from trade-able paperbacks, machetes, guitar strings, hardware, automotive supply, grocery, liquor, ice cream, and PO...all under one roof and run by friendly folk.
Just next door, in the former Naples Hall is a bed and breakfast (www.naplesinnidaho.com) run by Jeneen Schuler and her Blue Heeler Molly. GREAT place, and I'll be camping on the lawn tonight. Laundry, showers, an ample bookshelf, and Jeneen herself create the perfect hiker stopover. I am tempted to take a rest day here tomorrow. I feel fine, but I am sure WD would appreciate having a day off to eat Pedigree and wrestle with Molly. Food and Women, a universal theme for all male creatures...
Thanks for reading.
Brian
