Diamond Lake, Superior, Montana
Diamond Lake, in the Lolo National Forest, near Superior, Montana, is in Appendix A of 100 Hikes in the Inland Northwest: Diamond Lake has a small, primitive campground with a pit toilet reached from Dry Creek Road, which is south of Interstate 90 between Superior and St. Regis, Montana. The trail goes to Cliff Lake, which has campsites in a cirque below the Montana-Idaho border, making it a destination for novice backpacking trips.
When I chose the trail to Diamond and Cliff Lakes, I was still working on hooking Barbarian Scientist and his spawn to the wilderness, and a Montana trail can never fail. This adventure occurred during the Covid-19 quarantine. Quarantine economics were savage for so many, including all of my children, who were barely young adults, where every dollar not being made while everyone was not working was devastating for their futures. This required many families to rely upon one another, and we were no exception. Some of the boys moved back home. They needed the security and the space to reevaluate their futures as they were forced to see the unforgiving world being handed down to them.
The return of some of the boys meant Sam Dog became my dog! Well, not really. But yes. Sam came to our family because the boys stole him from his previous owner, who abused him. That abuse meant that Sam was overflowing with fear and insecurities and needed structure and loads of reassurance. Every minute of every day. His weakest point was and still is, driving in any kind of vehicle. But I wanted to try it to see him on trail.
Sam LOVES hiking. The boys have had him on trail previously, on college fraternity excursions that I probably want no details of. So the boys knew he loved the wilderness, but this was my first time.
This pup is so happy on the trail. He is so attentive, so excited, and has no anxiety. The wilderness truly transforms all of us, and I’m thankful for that.
This great adventure feels low-key on your body, at 3 miles and only 600’eg, but is anything but low-key for the rest of your senses. The surrounding forest is lush, the trail is well-maintained, and the lakes are pristine.
