Wolverine-Ten Lakes Scenic Area

 August 16, 2011

One of my favorite places is Ten Lakes Scenic Area and one of my favorite hikes is the hike to Wolverine Lake. Usually, people are celebrating 4th of July at the Terriault Lakes campgrounds but not this year. It was well after the fourth before the road was clear all the way to the lakes. It was even later to get in to Wolverine. I have been told by the ski mobile people that at one time they had to dig down eight feet to get to the cabin that is at Wolverine. Unfortunately, I don't have a photo of the cabin because I forgot to take one. But, It's in great shape with a brand new roof!

On this particular outing I had the great good fortune to have my friend Nick hike with me. Nick is from California and I wanted to share with him what I think is a very special place.

Nick takes a pic of Little Terriault Lake

I told Nick it was only a forty five minute hike up to Wolverine. I don't know where I got that idea because it took us more like and hour and a half. The trail is a truly lovely one wandering through forest shade and sunny fields of wildflowers.

Nick & Koty take a break amongst the wildflowers

Wolverine Lake is, in my opinion, one of the loveliest little lakes anywhere. The water is so clear you can watch the fish leisurely swim by. And the water color changes from deep blue to turquoise depending on the light. Sheer granite walls rise up in front of you in a rather dramatic sort of way. They even still had a dab of snow left on them. Utterly amazing for the middle of August.

I don't know how I managed it but I got water spots on my lens and wrecked this image but I'm putting it in here anyway because it will at least give you an idea how pretty and dramatic a landscape it is. All of the photos here were taken with a little Panasonic point and shoot. I left the big dogs home for probably the first time in my life.

Nick at Wolverine Lake

I had prepared a picnic lunch for us and we ate in total beauty and solitude. It was a real treat to share this spot with someone who had an equal appreciation for the beauty and grandeur of it.

Lunch Break

We had the lake all to ourselves for our time there and that was great good luck because as we returned down the trail we met two groups on their way up to camp. If you are ever in the area and you have the time, it's around thirty miles on a mostly a dirt and gravel road to the trailhead, I highly recommend a walk up to Wolverine. Unlike Glacier, you won't find a lot of tourists here.

©Kinsey Barnard

Sophie Lake - Swisher/Gateway Boat Camp Trail

Friday July 15, 2011

Today I decided to head on over to Swisher Lake Trail. On the way over I could reisit taking a photo of this hayrake. I was intrigued by the color and design. Funny how something as mundane as a piece of farm equipment can present you with such pleasant eye candy.

Hayrake

It's amazing to me how all the water has so completely changed the landscape. I drove right by Carpenter Lake and didn't even realize I had. I didn't recognize the turn because everything looked so different with all the vegetation growth.

I sure didin't miss Sophie Lake. The lake is so high it touches the road. Normally, it's about 75 feet to the water.

Sophie Lake, Montana

The water was so high the picnic tables were pretty much underwater.

Sophie Lake Picnic Area

Swisher Lake

Swisher is a fairly nondescript little lake. It is where the Gateway Boat Camp Trail begins. It's about 6.5 miles to the boat camp which is right on the Canadain Border. The boat camp is on the Koocanusa. My walk was fairly uneventful and I never reached the boat camp. I got way about halfway I veered off the trail and was drawn down to the lake shore. Really amazing how high the water is. The local paper says the lake is 18 ft. below full pool. They had better hope it doesn't hit full pool. There is still so much water flowing out of the mountains I would be surprised if we hit it. In addition to all the snow melting we have been having gully washer downpours in the afternoons.

Without further adieu I am just going to throw up some photos of some of the things that I saw.

Lake Koocanusa looking north into British Columbia

Looking west across Lake Koocanusa at the West Kootenai and Robinson Mountain, Monatana

Some of the driftwood that has washed ashore.

Fleabane

Thistle

Thistle Bud

©Kinsey Barnard

CHOPPING WOOD & RAIL CAR GRAFITTI

This week, much to Koty's disappointment, was spent mostly working in the forest cleaning up and chopping wood.

ONE LOAD DONE 100 TO GO

I must say, except for all the fallen trees, the forest is particularly beautiful this spring. The grass is more green and lush than in some past springs. Over the years I have noticed that the forest has it's own rhythm. It's hard to put into words what I observe but it's kind of like the forest has a wardrobe and every spring it chooses which costume to put on. The differences are subtle to be sure but they are there.

WHITE DAISIES

One thing is for sure the wildflowers are out in force. When I stop my sawing and chopping and just look and listen I never fail to be amazed at my good fortune. I am completely surrounded by beauty and it touches me everyday.

WILDROSE

The predominant wildflower where I live is the wild rose. I think there is nothing more pleasing to the senses than the aroma of rose. Every June, on one special morning, it seems the majority of roses decide to bloom at once. On this morning, when I go out on my deck it's as though my entire world is engulfed in rose perfume. It is the most amazing experience. I really look forward to this day each year.

COLUMBIAN GROUND SQUIRREL

My old pals the ground squirrels are back with a vengeance. The little buggers reproduce like rabbits and really tear things up. They are much like prairie dogs in that regard. And, to add insult to injury they sit up and chirp (laugh) at me like this one was doing. Looks like I'll have to start up my trapping operation.

TOBACCO RIVER

Where I live there is no such thing as mail delivery so one must go to town to fetch it. This is somewhat of a source of annoyance as the box is mostly full of junk. And, I am a source of annoyance to the post office because I don't clean it out nearly often enough.

Anyway, this week we combined a walk along the Tobacco River with our postal duty. The river is flowing bank to bank, as high as I have ever seen it. The trail starts near the old railhead and goes all the way to Rexford. The trail is called the Kootenai Trail and it's a very lovely walk along the river and through green pastures.

KOOTENAI TRAIL

The trail starts at the end of the railroad line. These days not a lot goes on in the rail yard. Mostly just shipments of Canadian timber headed south. But, every bit of unused track is stuffed with idle rail cars. Several of the cars have now been decorated with grafitti. It always amazes me, the amount of artistic talent that goes to waste. These pictures I thought were quite good/interesting/colorful so I include a few examples.

RAIL CAR GRAFITTI

RAIL CAR GRAFITTI

RAIL CAR GRAFITTI

That pretty much sums up our week. Hope yours was a good one too. And, remember to stop and smell those roses. Many of the best things in life really are free.

©KINSEY BARNARD PHOTOGRAPHY

Many Glacier Will Have to Wait

Well, howdy. Did I get a big disappointment this week. Mom packed up Clementine, hooked up Shadow and I thought we were headed for Many Glacier. The plan was to go to Kalispell, get Clementine some routine maintenance and then head on over to St. Mary's.

The work on Clem was scheduled to take about four hours so we took off for the Great Northern Historical Trail.


The "trail" is a tarmac walkway but very nice and lots of things to see. It heads west from Kalispell and takes you into a very pretty rural area.


There is an amazing array of birds to be found on this walk. We saw beautiful meadow larks, blue birds and mountain swallows. Pictured above a mountain swallow sitting on a post. View full version.



We also spied this little robin who had built her nest on an old trestle beam. View full version.



Then there were these painted turtles doing, well, what ever they were doing. There really were a lot of critters to see on this, really, not very primitive trail. View full version.


Before log we started to see nasty looking clouds forming and a few people we met started talking about winter weather over on the east side. Mom called the park and sure enough they were expecting snow. Well, that was the end of our trip. Mom wasn't about to drive all that way to sit in Clem for a week. We high-tailed it home in the rain. Mom could be heard grumbling for two days as she hauled everything back out of Clem. Full version.


So, we've been amusing ourselves around here and took another walk along the Tobacco River where we came across this old car which looks like it has seen better days but mom thought it was kind of photogenic. Okay, so mom's a little daffy. :) Full version.


Mom was very delighted when we came across this blue-winged teal pair. Full version.

Anyway, I guess it's never a good idea to get too married to plans cuz they sure have a way of changing. Darn! But, mom says we will give it a go again when the weather improves. So, I wait impatiently.

©Kinsey Barnard Photography

EEL LAKE & WINCHESTER BAY

Spring is certainly taking it's own good time getting here. We are still in Oregon waiting for winter to end in Montana. Here in Oregon it has been tough to get any outside time between rain drops.

We did find a small break in the weather and drove down to Eel Lake and Winchester Bay. Eel lake is a pretty lake and there is a very nice hiking trail that goes for about three miles along and above the shore. We did see some signs of spring, some flowers beginning to bloom and creature activity.

There were a number of Canada Geese winging in and out. They look so cool when they skid on the water to land. There were a few other wild things out and about. That slug for example.

But, the very most coolest thing we saw was this steelhead. Eel lake has a fish ladder for steelhead and salmon. Just as we arrived at the ladder this huge, and I mean huge, steelhead tried to leap straight up the dam instead of using the ladder. Boy, if only mom had been camera ready what a photo that would have been! Needless to say this guy's ambitions were a bit too much for him and he fell back into the stream. We never saw him try it again.

After Eel we drove up to Winchester Bay. This is another little harbor with fishing boats and such. It was not as interesting as some we have visited but it was nice. I asked mom which harbor village on this trip she liked best. She said she would have to go with Ilwaco. Ilwaco you may recall is just across the Columbia River in Washington.

That pretty much sums up this day. I'm gettin kinda anxious to get home to Montana. I hope the weather clears soon!

©Kinsey Barnard Photography

SHORE ACRES & NEARLY LOST IN SOUTH SLOUGH

Ok, so we headed back to Shore Acres. You remember, the place they don't even let dogs out of the car! Being the loyal, patient dog that I am I kept Shadow company.

As you can see from the photos mom got all fascinated with rock and sand formations that she found along the bluffs.

When she was finally done we headed for the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve. Now there's a mouthful!

When we got there we decided to skip the Interpretive Center and head straight for the trailhead. As it turned out that wasn't such a smart idea. At the trailhead there was a holder for maps but there weren't any. We aren't the type to be intimidated by being map less or clueless, so away we went.

The trail meanders down a kind of dark little rain forested valley with a pretty creek running alongside the trail. Again, as you can see for yourself, mom got fascinated, this time by these big yellow blooms called Skunk Cabbage. After taking a bunch of pictures we continued on down to the slough.

The trails started going every which away. We came to a big deck about 20 feet off the ground that overlooked the slough. I saw a squirrel on a tree trunk beside the deck. Not realizing what I was doing I made a leap for the rail and the squirrel, about the time I realized there was nothing but thin air where I was headed mom grabbed me and pulled me back from the brink. I would have hung myself for sure. We both nearly had heart attacks. Remember the old saying "Look before you leap"? Well, I'm a believer now!

We continued wandering, having no idea where we were going. Mom said that surely we would find a sign that directed us to the Interpretive Center but we never found one. Eventually, we decided to try and retrace our steps. Mom said not to worry as they would come looking for us at closing if we hadn't found our way back by then. They'd see Shadow and come looking for us. We found our way back, thank goodness, and headed over to the Center where we found out it was closed until Tuesday. This was Sunday!

If you're in Coos Bay and like to walk trails we can recommend this place. We also recommend you pick up a map before you wander off! :)

©Kinsey Barnard Photography

Geraldine & Horseshoe Lakes

September 8, 2007

Well, for crying out loud! There wasn’t a lot of sleep going on around here last night. About two o’clock this morning the heater blower came on and all it was blowing was freezing cold air. Not that cold air bother’s me so much. Mom got up and started trying to figure out what the heck was going on. I could hear her mumbling about the heater being broken. She finally drug out the old manual and discovered that when the temperature goes below freezing outside the electric heater doesn’t work and you have to switch to gas. I sure wish she would get this stuff figured out. I need my beauty sleep! Finally, at about 2:30 it was lights out again.

After the evenings follies we didn’t get off to a very early start. When we did head out it was to the Geraldine Lakes. The trail is down near Athabasca Falls on 93A. The trailhead is about 5 miles in on a single track, dirt road. The first Geraldine Lake is about 1.5 miles up the mountain. It really wasn’t worth the climb. There is a big waterfall at the far end. We tried to get to it but threw in the towel after scrambling over boulders for a time and concluding we were never going to get close enough to for any kid of a photo. Mom read in a hiking book that the Geraldine Lakes beyond are pretty cool but it was more scrambling up the mountain over rocks and boulders so we decided to pass. Well, mom decided, I woulda done it! As it was, mom took a pretty good flier coming down the mountain. She slipped on a wet tree root and planted her behind right in the mud! She did take a bunch of photos of native plants. She loves plants and stuff you find in the forest.

Our next stop was Horseshoe Lake. The lake is only about a five-minute walk from the highway but it’s quite pretty. It was kind funny really because we had just slogged up this muddy trail to the first Geraldine for not much of a site and here was this very beautiful lake practically on the road. Of course, there isn’t much serenity here for that very reason. Apparently, lots of people come to this lake to jump off the rocks. Yikes! I wouldn’t like that. I like cold but I’m not all that fussy about water. Humans sure can be nutty!

We headed back to the campground. I stayed outside and held court on the picnic table. I don’t know what mom was doing probably some editing. After awhile some elk came wandering by and I made quite the ruckus and had to come in. That was the end of my day.

Until next time ....

JASPER, ATHABASCA & THE VALLEY OF THE FIVE LAKES

September 7, 2007

Well, we finally had a morning without mishap. The only problem was it was raining and the mountains were shrouded in clouds. We took off at 7:00 am anyway. Our first idea was to go to Edith Clavell Meadow. Unfortunately, the higher we went the more rain and clouds we ran into. We went as far as the hostel, turned around and went back down the mountain. Turns out dogs can’t go there right now anyway as they are doing some kind of Caribou reclamation project. They didn’t want my kind disturbing them. It seems wolves are caribou natural predators and dogs remind them of wolves. That being the case, imagine the impression I would make! That’s ok. We respect that sort of thing totally.

We headed on down 93A and came across a big bull elk fording the
Athabasca River. Thanks to poor lighting conditions, and me, mom didn’t get any keeper photographs. She misses more shots thanks to my irrational exuberance. As soon as she rolled down the window I tried to jump out while making a pretty impressive racket. I don’t mean to do it. I just can’t seem to control myself when I see wildlife. I just want to get after it and completely forget my manners.

A little farther down the road the same thing happened again only this time it was a pair of wolves, one tawny and one black. The tawny was huge and wore a radio collar. The black was much smaller and I couldn’t tell if it had a collar or not. Anyway, I repeated my performance trying to jump out the window and screeching my lungs out. I thought mom was going to strangle me. The thing is, I’m usually in a crate but Shadow is too small so I’m just in the backseat. As soon as a window goes down I’m there. I know mom’s windmill of a mind is working overtime on a solution. I hope it isn’t too awful. I really am sorry but I seriously can’t help myself. Anyway, I thought these guys might be cousins or something. I wanted to get their attention!

We continued on down 93A. Mom was not a happy camper. We stopped at Athabasca Falls. The place was crawling with tourists and it was raining. I got left in the car while mom went to check it out. Bummer.



We then headed back north on the Icefields Parkway (93) and stopped at a spot where they launch white water rafts on the Athabasca River. We walked along the riverbank for about an hour. Mom took some photos of mushrooms and stuff and a little animal mom later identified it as a pine marten. After that we called it a morning. Went back to the campground, ate lunch and took a siesta.

Around two thirty we hit 93 South again. It was still mostly cloudy. We headed for The Valley of the Five Lakes. This is a really neat place to hike. We got rained on some but we also had some sunny moments. The trail is well traveled but since we were there later in the day there were not very many people around. The five lakes, which apparently don’t have names just numbers, are crystal clear and some have that incredible green/blue/turquoise color. We spent about three hours hiking around these lakes and I think mom may have gotten one or two photographs that met her standards. This was especially good, as she gets a little cranky when she doesn’t get any photos that light her candle, so to speak. ☺

That’s about it for this day. Hope the weather is better tomorrow.

Until next time ...

Lakota Sunrise

©Kinsey Barnard

THE WEST KOOTENAI & LITTLE NORTH FORK FALLS

Ha! Ha! Mom couldn't make it another day without getting out for some hiking and photography. We were out doing some watering in preparation for departure to Canada when Scott, our neighbor, came down the road. He said he was off to the West Kootenai with a pal. He also mentioned they were going to stop by and take a look at some waterfalls.

After Scott hiked off I could see the wheels turning. No sooner were we done with the watering than mom says, "We're outta here!" To which I replied, "Yippee!" We piled our gear in the pickup and were off in a flash. Mom knew exactly what waterfalls Scott was referring to. She'd been meaning for us to take a trip over there and this chance encounter pushed her over the edge. :)

I have mentioned the Kootenai Forest several times. In fact we live smack dab in it. It's a really big forest. If your interested you can find out more about it here Kootenai National Forest .

We live on the east side so we had to take the bridge to get across the Koocanusa. On the drive down we saw a beautiful osprey gliding around. We also saw an eagle but he didn't care to have his picture taken.

When we arrived at the trailhead to the falls who do we see coming down the path but our friend Scott and his friend James! Humans have no idea how like us dogs they are. They met like they hadn't seen each other in a coon's age. I have no idea how long a coon's age actually is but I gather it's a long time. It had been about and hour and a half seen we'd seen Scott!

Mom had been a little concerned that there wouldn't be much water coming over the falls as it was so late in the season and it has been so dry. But the guys said there was still quite a bit. They took off for their hiking trail and we took off for the falls.

It's isn't much of a hike, like less than a half mile. As short a hike as it is it's very pretty. You hike in the shade along the creek, cross a bridge and there, in like a grotto, is Little North Fork Falls . It was nice and cool in there. I like cool!

Since the walk up to the falls wasn't much of a hike we drove back down the road about a quarter of a mile to a trail we had seen on the way up. We hiked up this trail for about an hour until the wind fall got so bad we couldn't go any further. This is grizzly country but we saw no sign. We did see beautiful, old growth ponderosa. While we were walking along I nearly jumped out of my coat when one of those old beauties must have given up the ghost. There was this crack that sounded like a gunshot (I don't like guns!) and then this whomp as it hit the ground. It was no where near to us but boy it sure sounded like it.

All in all it was a great day!

Until next time ....

©Kinsey Barnard