Round Lake State Park, Sagle, Idaho
Two years ago, I would never suggest Round Lake as a hike unless you asked for suggestions for a place to take children or seniors or the very unathletic. How rude. Truly. Within that time, I was watching what was happening to my so-called peers as we tackled big goals and set our sights on bigger goals, and how ugly I saw them becoming in their efforts to make hiking and backpacking seem like they are for the elite, while I was becoming sicker and having to humble myself with “lesser” adventures. Each step we took built miles between us, with me no longer being included by those “very special” people on those so-called elite adventures. I still tackle big goals and continue to set bigger goals, but the people I do that with now are far more pleasurable, and more than anything – they are inclusive. I do not have to apologize for not being strong or fast anymore, but even better than that, I am better able to reach other people who want to be on the trail but are intimidated for one reason or another. After all, if this lady whose own body is killing her can do these things, then maybe you can, too. That line has not failed yet.
This forced growth mindset taught me that these adventures alone do not make me special. They do not make anyone special. It is cool to hike. It is cool to ultra-run. It is cool to backpack. But what really makes a difference is how I am doing these things. And I will write more on that later.
This brings me back to my previous shitty attitude about Round Lake. It is a beautiful little spot in North Idaho (yes, the N has to be capitalized, and it is “North”, not “Northern” because the people who live here will go to any stupid extent to ensure that the world understands they prefer not to be associated with southern Idaho, where people are more prone to care about human rights and education) that has a small, shallow lake (55 acres and 34′ deep) with a short beach (1 mile) and a few miles of hiking trails. The trails are well-maintained and give you some variation between dirt and rocks and roots through thick forests to bridges through wetland areas. There is nearly no elevation gain on the main trails, and this is a place you can go all year if you have the right equipment for winter. As I have gotten sicker, I have had this fantasy about reserving a campsite here and setting it up as an aid station and inviting fellow adventurers to come to do some ridiculous adventure like completing one 1.8-mile loop every other hour. Why? Honestly, because I am probably an idiot. But, it sounds fun to me just to be with rad people and challenging one another to test the limits of our endurance.
Round Lake is in the Appendix of 100 Hikes in the Inland Northwest: Stewardship and Trapper Trails connect to circumnavigate Round Lake in this park, which is 2 miles west of US Highway 95 and south of Sandpoint, Idaho. Park headquarters has brochures for this interpretive hike, just one of the several features in a concentrated 142-acre state park package of camping, picnicking, swimming, and fishing.
