Harrison Lake, Boundary County, Idaho
I’m not rich,
and I don’t always say the right things,
but I can show you how to enjoy hard work
and take you to beautiful places.
I met Barbarian Scientist in early 2019. We decided to be serious about one another, but having both had marriages and divorces in our past, a commitment required many serious conversations and compromises.
I have always believed that work days are for work. Days off are NOT for work. Bill paying, errands, chores, and anything like that are done on my work days. The weekends are strictly for playing. That was something I would not compromise.
When merging our lives, Barbarian Scientist and his son had to choose to adopt my “work days are for work” lifestyle or plan on not seeing me on weekends while I was exploring the world.
That means I gained two exploring partners. To watch them each grow to be interested in the wilderness and the abilities of their minds and bodies has been one of the greatest pleasures of my life. It has not, and is not, always easy to lead them on trail. There have been many miles where my belief in their abilities and my love to connect them to nature were the forces that kept them putting one foot in front of another.
After believing I had experienced many easy challenges with them, our first autumn together, I took them to Harrison Lake, in the Idaho Panhandle National Forest and the Selkirk Mountains, in North Idaho. It’s a short but steep trail, with an elevation gain of over 1,400’ in less than 2.5 miles. Additionally, although we had not experienced snow for the upcoming winter in town yet, locations at higher elevations had, including this trail.
It is hike 49 in 100 Hikes in the Inland Northwest, described as “one of the most ruggedly beautiful alpine lakes in the Selkirk Mountains, at the headwaters of the Pack River, offers plenty of rewarding options for scrambling up granite talus to higher elevations for views into key habitat for endangered grizzly bears and mountain caribou.”
The road to the trailhead is rough, but careful driving can get you safely to the destination. In October, the trail had snow, and the higher you climbed, the more there was. The trail is wide and well-kept by trail maintenance crews, with some areas you can see through the trees to incredible views of the surrounding mountains along your way.
Your ultimate goal might be Harrison Lake, a beautiful alpine lake with crystal clear, cold water, or you might explore further and try to climb to Harrison Peak. The lake alone is rewarding, with the peak looming over the forest and peeking over the lake. We hiked to the lake and did some log and boulder hopping around the shore, but when the then-tiny human is geared up, we will return and follow the directions on Inland NW Routes to get to the summit.
Cell signal was nonexistent, and this trail is in bear country – black and grizzly. Be prepared. There is a bear-proof locker near the campsites at the lake.
Pack your inflatable and swimsuit and discover this adventure your way!
