Mineral Point Trail, Sagle, Idaho
We will not forget any time soon how Barbarian Scientist and I learned early on how to share our time. I would go visit him for a weekend, and for him weekends were for staying up late, sleeping in, and completing chores. It was so painful for me. I believe weekends are for waking up early to chase some adventures. Any adventures. All of the adventures. One of the first weekends I spent with him was also a marathon weekend. I woke up early, ran my marathon, and he was barely waking up by the time the race was over. To say I was unimpressed is kind. But, it was the tipping point we needed. Since then, any weekend spent wasting time like that (if that sounds judgmental, then my goal has been met) is planned ahead of time so I can prepare for part of my soul to die. He has found his way to force compromises, though – like when we have camped somewhere and he got so drunk that he was unable to do any of the planned hiking the following day. Finding balance in relationships is difficult, especially when I do not want balance. I only want the excitement and the passion. Do not sign me up for the routine and idleness that seems to come with long-term relationships unless you want to see my soul crushed.
We have been so busy with work and fitness goals and packing and cleaning that we have not been getting out the way I need. Today we were meant to head out to Ancient Lakes to pound out some dusty miles, but we had a slow Barbarian Scientist morning and I compromised by offering a much closer and easier plan to hike the Lost lake Trail and Mineral Point Loop since I have not written about it yet. It has definitely been one of our preferred places. Not to be confused with Mineral Ridge, in Coeur d’Alene, it is north of town, on Lake Pend Orielle. The road to the trailhead is quite rough, but if there is no snow then a high clearance vehicle is all that is needed. If you do not have a car that can clear rough roads, you can park near the Green Bay Campground and take the connecting trail to get to the loop.
The trail that is on the lake side of the road offers nearly constant views of the Selkirk Mountains and Lake Pend Orielle. The connecting trail between the campground and the loop is slightly steep, but overall the trail is a constant up and down that does not feel severe at all.
Most of the trail is single-track, but I have never been out here when there is a lot of people, so it has never caused congestion. When you cross the road to the other side of the trail, it is a beautiful and easy walk in the forest. It is pretty wet back there during the Spring and the frogs are numerous and loud. The trail does not get very muddy, though, and there are a handful of simple log bridges over the creek crossings.
Lost Lake Trail
Lost Lake is a tiny body of brown water that is the home to countless birds and frogs. It was so loud here! Sam Dog was pretty unimpressed and got us through that area quickly.
The views of the mountains and Lake Pend Orielle are stunning. It is Idaho’s deepest and largest lake. I wrote more about the lake and the region when I wrote about Farragut State Park here.
Green Bay Campground
Green Bay Campground is a first-come-first-serve campground directly on the lake. It has a smooth pebble beach with incredible views. There are vault toilets and some picnic tables and fire rings. Housing developments are moving closer and closer to the area, so I do wonder how long this little piece of heaven will last for those who are out here to recreate.
As I said, there is a connector trail between the campground and the loop. Really, if you are only here for the views, there is no need to complete the loop or even find Lost Lake. You will be very happy just hiking the ridge to the campground and back where you have lake views the entire way. That is also where you are most likely to intersect with other people, though, so of course my preference is to take every step of the trail system and soak up the forest as long as I can. Today we walked 7.3 miles with 1,000′ of elevation gained. It was a good compromise and my soul remains in tact.
Evan’s Landing
Also in the Idaho Panhandle National Forest and on Lake Pend Orielle is another short hike I love, Evan’s Landing Trail. It is on the lake side of Blacktail Mountain. This trailhead is easier to get to, but there is no bathroom or map. This trail takes you two miles down to the beach of Lake Pend Orielle. When the water is low, the beach is easily accessible, but sometimes the lake is too high to get to the beach without some bushwhacking.
This location is one of my favorite sunrise spots in North Idaho. The only drawback is that to get to the beach, you are descending, which means to leave, you have to climb out. Something about the last half being more difficult just busts my brain sometimes because most trails make you do the hard work to the peak and then the way back is easier.
It is short, though, and the 1,000’+ elevation gained is a good workout, making the trail still feel like a rewarding enough workout.
Maiden Rock Trail
A slightly better workout and very close to Evan’s Landing is the Maiden Rock Trail. It is so close that it is on the same mountain as Evan’s Landing and the beaches are connected. Maiden Rock is also a trail that requires a descent first.
The trails are obviously very similar. I would not say one is better than the other, but the beach at Maiden Rock is bigger. It is often also busier, though. Hikers, backpackers, and boaters often land on this beach because it has a toilet, picnic tables, and fire rings.
It is named for the huge rock formation extending into the lake. It is over 300′ tall and extends 100′ into the lake. It is a major point of reference for boaters and hikers alike. If you look at the photo above, from Evan’s Landing, you can see Maiden Rock.
Gold Hill North Trail
Gold Hill North Trail is another trail in this area. Okay, there are a lot of trails, but I am just sharing a collection of short ones. Gold Hill North is in the Kaniksu National Forest, closer to Sandpoint. This trail is a little more difficult than the above trails, at 7-ish miles and 1,500′ of elevation gained.
Barbarian Scientist and I came out here in November and were lucky enough to have brand new snow contrasting the lingering autumn colors. I was in awe the entire time – it only would have been even better with some magic mushrooms! The trailhead is directly off Bottle Bay Road, with a bathroom and plenty of space. The trail is a series of switchbacks up to an incredible lookout of -you guessed it- the Selkirk Mountains and Lake Pend Orielle.
Moving On…But not quite yet
While we are were walking through the forest, thinking about how these are the last times we will be in these places, it felt weird. But okay. Even though Barbarian Scientist loves his lazy weekends, I can say that I wasted as little of my time here as I could. Of course, I often do not have any say because sometimes the cancer gets a vote. The only vote. Fuck cancer. I wish that I could leave it behind when we move. But, I am hoping that when we unpack in our new place that maybe I unpack the cancer differently. I have worked really hard to not settle into the ugly parts of grief, and even though it seems I have to revisit those parts on occasion to remember why I do not like it there, I am mostly settled into acceptance. It is an easier place to live. We may not have these exact views again, but perhaps I can have these exact feelings, and that is beautiful, too.