Little Harrison Lake

Elevation Profile
to Little Harrison Lake

This week's hike was one I've been thinking about since last summer. Just South of our district, Little Harrison Lake sits nestled in a secluded basin in Sandpoint's district of the Idaho Selkirk Mountains. Although no trail to the lake exists, it can be reached via a moderate scramble over the ridge from Beehive Lake. Because this lake is harder to reach than many others, it offers more seclusion than it's very popular older-sibling, Harrison Lake.

Mountain Ash

Once again, Justin joined me for this trip and we set out Saturday morning. According to the forecast, weather for the weekend was mostly cloudy with no apparent threat. When we reached the Beehive Lake trailhead on the Pack River Road, we were dismayed to see 5 other vehicles already there. Although we assumed most of them would be at Beehive Lake, I was worried that maybe one or two of the groups might have scrambled over to Little Harrison. The idea of sharing the small lake with a couple noisy-groups really made me grumpy and after contemplating whether to stay or find somewhere else, we decided to take our chances and go for it.

Beehive Lake

The 3.7 miles to Little Harrison Lake consist mostly of steep switchbacks that wind uphill to Beehive Lake. When we reached the lake, we were pleased to find a number of (noisy) groups camped out. Hoping that the owners of all the vehicles were staying at Beehive, we left the trail and pushed up the steep ridgeline separating the two lakes. After completing the 2,400 foot climb from the trailhead to the ridge, we were treated to fantastic 360 degree views of the rugged Selkirk Mountains.

Little Harrison Lake

Little Harrison Lake

Panorama from Ridgeline

Little Harrison Lake

Little Harrison Lake seems to sit in a bowl of pure granite, giving it a deep-blue sapphire color unlike that of the other lakes within the Selkirks. I had gazed upon it during a trip to Beehive last summer and instantly knew that I would return to scramble down to the hidden gem. From the ridgeline, we could see that there was no one at the lake and so in high-spirits we dropped the roughly 500 feet down boulders and cliffs to the water below.

Little Harrison Lake

Harrison Peak

After finding a spot on the granite slabs along the Northern shore, we set up camp and built a fire. Although it was still overcast and some clouds were low on the surrounding peaks, we left our rainflys off, hoping that it might clear up and we'd get to view some stars. It cleared up just as we went to sleep and we did see stars, however just like at Snowshoe Lake, we were woken up by the pitter-patter of rain around midnight and we both scrambled to get our gear covered.

Little Harrison Lake

Sunset

Sunrise on Little Harrison Lake

Sunrise on
Little Harrison Lake

Sunday morning, we awoke to a sunrise with whispy clouds. Although the warmth of the sun felt good, it was cold out and the light was spotty as the sky once again clouded up. Our plan for the morning to was to traverse the high-elevation basins between us and Harrison Lake, summit Harrison Peak, hike down the Harrison Lake trail, and then road-walk back to Beehive Lake trailhead. After packing up, we climbed out of camp and began following the bottom of the ridge North. The hiking was fairly-easy for an off-trail trek, as we crossed subalpine meadows scattered among large fields of boulders, all while the high cliffs and granite slabs of the ridge towered above us. Throughout the journey, the rain and strong winds came and went as the weather fought to make up it's mind.

Meadow above
Little Harrison Lake

We covered the 2 mile traverse in roughly 3 hours and found ourselves standing on the ridge above Harrison Lake. Very high cliffs stood between us and the trail below and as we attempted to route-find our way down, we kept hitting sheer-drops. Up until this point, the trek had been not much more than a moderate scramble, but now were unsure as to how we would get down. After finding a cliff with a set of ledges that we hoped we would be able to down-climb, things got a little scary. I went first by scooting down my butt on a steep slab of mossy-granite with little to hang on to. Bracing with basically only my feet, I got to the bottom of the slab which then dropped into an even-steeper grass slope, with more cliffs below it. Unsure of what the route in the cliffs below the slope was like, I lowered myself down in the grass and clawed my hands into the dirt. After a slippery and exposed descent of the grass slope, I found myself standing on a narrow ledge of rock above another 30 feet of vertical cliff with no further way down. Justin too slid down the granite slab and watched from the ledge above the grass slope as panic set in and we considered our options. Not knowing if it was even possible to climb back up the slab we had butt-scooted down, Justin gave it try. After a few minutes he yelled down that he had made it and after calming myself down, I pulled my way back up the grass. Heart racing, I reached the top of the grass, however I was unable to find a hand-hold and pull myself back up and over the lip of the first slab. Justin once again worked his way back down to the ledge, braced his feet and was able to pull me up and over. As we slowly inched-backwards up the slab, it began to rain again, making the situation even more dangerous. Fortunately, we made it back to the top of the rock and took a few minutes to sweat-out the adrenaline and reconsider our route. We headed back uphill and cut south, finding a much more mellow path down the cliffs.

Little Harrison Lake

Harrison Lake with
Harrison Peak
in Clouds above

When we finally reached the Harrison Lake trail, Harrison Peak was hidden in the clouds. The rain was still coming in regular intervals and after the cliff incident, we decided we had had enough and it was time to go. So we set out down the trail and hiked the couple miles down the road to the car.

I have visited many of the backcountry lakes in the Selkirk Mountains within the Bonners Ferry and Sandpoint Ranger districts and Little Harrison is one of, if not the prettiest. This place is incredibly beautiful and the remote/hard-to-reach location ensures a good chance of finding solitude.

Fault Lake

Elevation Profile

Sorry this is a short post, but I've had a very busy week due to busy days and various camps. Although my usual 3-day weekend was cut short due to a work camp, I still managed to get out and spend Saturday night at Fault Lake. This beautiful lake sits at 5,980 feet in the Sandpoint Ranger District of the Idaho Selkirks. Gaining around 2,900 feet of elevation over 5.8 miles, the trail climbs from the Pack River into a subalpine wonderland that holds the lake in a large granite cirque below Hunt Peak.

A peek at higher elevations

Getting closer to the high-country

Halfway up the rough road that leads to the trailhead, I was stopped by wash-out ruts half the size of my little car. So, I parked on the side there and began the extra 0.8 mile road walk to the trailhead. When I got to the trailhead, I was not thrilled to see 6 vehicles parked there! Not the night of solitude I had in mind. A half-hour into the hike, I ran into a group of 10 high-school aged friends slowly on their way up the trail. They let me pass and I hiked on not knowing much about the lake and how it would accommodate so many people. I also noticed fresh tracks along the trail from a visibly large group of horses. All of this left me second guessing my plan, but I was already in to it and not turning back.

Really opens up around mile 4-5

Fault Lake from the south

Near the 5 mile mark, I ran into a group of 3 camped out in a meadow below the lake. They told me the group of horse riders were only up for a dayhike and that there was plenty of space at the lake. The lake was spectacular and I quickly found a campsite on a ledge above the rocky shore. I proceeded to explore the ridgeline to the south of the lake and caught a glimpse of McCormick Lake on the other side. By the time I got back down, the 10 person crew had shown up and the horse-riders were leaving.

McCormick Lake

Fault Lake

Campfire on my ledge

Full moon rising

I was very worried at first when the large group made a lot of noise while swimming and throwing rocks in the lake. However, as the sun began to dip down, the group retreated to ridgeline I had explored earlier and although I could see the light of their fire, I could not hear them and therefore had a very peaceful time. Just like clockwork, as the sun dipped down in the west, the full moon came up in the east. Very few clouds loomed in the sky, providing a great view of the moon and stars.

Sunset to the east

Fault Lake

Fault Lake

An unnamed pond

Fault Lake from the north

The next morning, I woke up early and explored the ridge to the north of the lake. A short scramble to the top provided great views of Gunsight Peak and Fault Lake from a different angle. After that, I packed up and hiked out.

The outlet falls below the lake

Fault Lake

Two Mouth Lakes

I am happy to say that I finally have a full backpacking-trip report for your enjoyment. The weather cooperated and allowed me to get out on this holiday weekend. No fireworks for me though; just the sparks from a campfire in a place I consider to be paradise. This weekend's excursion took me to Two Mouth Lakes in Idaho's Selkirk Mountains, one of my top five favorite campsites from last summer!

My elevation profile

Water on trail

The trail to Two Mouth Lakes climbs about 1800 feet over the course of 4 miles. For the first 3/4 mile, the trail follows an old road that is hot/dry and overgrown with alder. It climbs steadily through forests of western hemlock, subalpine fir, and Englemann spruce. There is even a section with some of the largest western white pines I have ever seen, with one roughly 4 1/2 to 5 feet in diameter. Being that there is still a substantial amount of snow in the highest reaches and temperatures are hot, there was seasonal runoff everywhere. After about the first mile, water covered much of the trail whether it was flowing like a stream or just overly swampy/muddy. Even through the sections with wooden walkways, water flowed up and over with no place to go. Fortunately, I wore a pair of Gore-Tex shoes and my feet stayed dry as I sloshed right through.

Snow before the pass

Southwest from the pass

As the trail neared the pass at the 3 1/3 mile mark, I hit heavy snow. The higher elevation area still contained patches 2 to 4 feet deep. However the trees began to thin out making navigation much easier, just slow-going as I kicked in steps uphill. Once on top of the pass, views of the surrounding area really opened up, including a fantastic view of Harrison Peak. From there, the trail descended gently towards the two lakes. 

Looking across lower lake outlet

Two Mouth Lakes sit in a large, marshy basin at around 5800 feet. The two very pretty lakes are surrounded by subalpine fir, Englemann spruce, and even some whitebark pines. The trees here tend to be stunted and twisted from the high elevation/wet conditions and are well spaced making the basin feel more open and viewable. Giant boulders are intermingled with grassy areas, dotted by marshy pools and flowing-water lined with huckleberries, round-leaf violets, and glacier lilies. If I were a moose, this would my home. This area is designated official grizzly bear habitat but unfortunately I did not see one or any wildlife for that matter. Small patches of snow were scattered throughout the basin, but not so much as to prevent me from finding a dry spot to pitch my tent.

Waterway connecting upper and lower lakes

Lower lake outlet

West across lower lake

Sunset on lower lake

Upper lake

There was no one at either of the lakes when I arrived and that night I enjoyed the the lower one all to myself. Friday morning I awoke to the sun peeking over the trees, announcing that the weather for the day would be clear. I had packed enough food for two nights and decided to leave my camp and explore the surrounding area. First, I made the short 1/2 mile trek to the upper lake which  is larger than the lower, but not as scenic in my opinion. It lacks the quaint-grassy feel of the smaller more marshy lower lake where I prefer to camp. At the base of the peaks to the south of Two Mouth Lakes, there sit two more lakes known on my map simply as lake 6291' and lake 6321'. Neither one of these name-less lakes has a trail to it and I decided it be worth the trouble to bushwhack up to these rarely-seen gems. The trek to these lakes includes a climb of about 600 feet over 1 1/2 miles. The majority of the climb was on the north aspect of a hill and therefore was almost entirely over snow. The snow actually made the hiking easier as it kept me elevated above the brush and provide good solid footholds. I wore my crampons and used my trekking poles which made the trip much easier. The lower lake sits in a granite cirque below a name-less peak and the snow-surrounded water was still mostly frozen. The larger upper lake, which sits in the cirque at the base of Harrison Peak was almost completely thawed out. Harrison Peak is a very recognizable feature in the southern Selkirks and I hope to summit it eventually from the other side. Even with the snow, the trip to see these remote lakes was well worth it.

Lake 6291'

Lake 6291'

Harrison Peak above lake 6321'

Sunset lower lake

My campfire

That evening, a number of other hikers arrived at the lower Two Mouth Lake. Although it was no longer my own "private" lake, they were courteous and quiet and I still had a very enjoyable 4th of July as I watched the sunset. It may sound dumb and cliche, but to me personally, wilderness is what America is all about. These places offer freedom from the problems of the modern world and a chance to live more simply, if only temporarily. I hope that future generations will understand that the land is one of the factors that makes this country great and we must leave some of it wild.

"In every walk with nature, one recieves far more than he seeks." -John Muir

Waterway connecting upper and lower lakes

White mountain heather along shore of lower lake

Red, white, and blue sunset on lower lake

Waterway connecting upper and lower lakes

My campsite