Upper Ford Ranger Station Cabin, Kootenai National Forest, Yaak, Montana
We had two Honda Pilots packed full of gear for the wilderness, enough food for an army, and the fears, regrets, worries, love, and hope of five women (TrailKat, J-Go, Princess Hannibal, and My Therapist) needing a getaway from the routine of a long winter to celebrate Global Sisterhood Day and to ring in the Spring Equinox. Spring has been taking a long time to arrive in the Inland Northwest, and it’s taking even longer in Yaak, Montana, where we hid away for the weekend.
I secured a reservation for the Upper Ford Cabin in Yaak, Montana, a few months ago. I posted an open invitation in the TrailKat hiking group to join me for the weekend, requiring donations to non-profit charities as the RSVP.
I love adventures like this – remote, no frills, and extending into the weekdays (this was Saturday-Monday), because it means that only those who really want to be there will be there. I also think it means that those who do attend really NEED to be there, and this was not an exception.
Our ages spanned three decades, and our stages of life varied widely, but the need to be away from routine demands and let our laughter ring through the forest was the same for each of us.
Yaak, Montana, is a special place near the northern Idaho/Montana border. It has one school, which is one room. It has a city meeting center, which is a log cabin without glass in the windows. It has one store connected to the only restaurant/bar, which is the only place with human activity after 5pm. There were countless deer and even more stars. The air is so clean and crisp that you can almost imagine cutting stairs into the space around you so you can climb up to grab a constellation. Despite many more weeks of snow-covered ground, the birds are migrating in for the mating season and make their pleas for partners loudly from sunrise to sunset. The river was low but perfectly clear and swiftly flowing what snow melt it could capture. It was only beautiful.
We had no cell service, no electricity, and no running water. We had sad stories to unload and countless ways to bring one another to laughter until we cried, we laughed until we peed, and we laughed until it hurt. Being forced to face mortality sometimes makes me feel like I am watching my life from outside of my body. I had many of those moments on this adventure while witnessing these women submit entirely to loving one another and themselves, endlessly serving one another, and creating a space that demanded authenticity and humility without judgment.
Audrey Hepburn said, “I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it’s the thing I like the most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It’s probably the most important thing for a person.” We may have packed heavy loads of feelings with us, and we may not have solved any concern we brought with us, but maybe we did. Maybe we just needed 48 hours of only love and laughter. Maybe we needed to play games, read books, walk in the forest, and share everything we had. Maybe we weren’t meant to unload our worries on this adventure but instead be given what we needed to carry on. Or maybe it’s all bullshit. But, just in case it’s not, I’ll write on the side of believing we left that forest renewed and better for the future.
Our Itinerary
1. Mimosas and Bloody Marys at Cafe 95
2. Snow Falls Trail #189 in the Idaho Panhandle National Forest, Bonners Ferry, Idaho: I have been here many times but think winter may be the most beautiful.
3. Myrtle Falls Trail, near Snow Falls Trail: I have great difficulty capturing the shot I want of this waterfall on my phone camera. On this venture to the falls, we passed three men dressed like service members and carrying what looked like M-4s trying to make their way through the forest covertly.
4. Kootenai Wildlife Refuge Loop is near both waterfalls and my favorite lookout hike – Burton Peak. It covers almost 3,000 acres, nestled in the valley below the Selkirk Mountains. There are a few activity options, ranging from hikes of various distances to an activity center and an auto tour.
5. Upper Ford Cabin, Yaak, Montana: this cabin was wonderful, and I highly recommend it! It has a full-size bed, two twin beds, and a futon bed upstairs – the cabin is heated by propane and gets very hot upstairs by the end of the day. The main floor has the family/living room with the propane stove and a futon bed, a full kitchen with a propane stove and non-operating oven, and a small fridge. There is no running water, but there are a few pots, pans, miscellaneous dishes, and a simple charcoal grill outdoors. The toilet is an outhouse not far from the cabin. There is a picnic table and a fire pit with a fire ring and a grate to cook on. The fire pit is alongside the river and is incredible.
6. Yaak Falls Scenic Overlook is a stop along the highway between Idaho and Yaak. The Yaak River is part of the Kootenai River, running from BC, Canada, to Lincoln County, Montana.
7. Kootenai Falls, near Troy, Montana, is a must-do on any trip along Highway 2 between Idaho and Montana. It is the largest undamned waterfall in Montana and offers a small adventure for almost any road-tripper needing to stretch their legs.
8. MickDuff’s Brewing Company was our parting destination in Sandpoint, Idaho. We had a drink and lunch and discussed the highlights of our weekend before heading to our homes and families.
There is much to unpack, but I think most of it should remain private. I will end this with a quote by Erin Van Vuren: The universe just fucking knows when souls are wired to wreck the world together.