Lunch at Grass Mountain Lakes

Tuesday we braved the chill and the hunters to hike up to Grass Mountain Lakes. We arrived at the trail head about 10 am. There were two horse trailers in the parking lot and the sky was spitting snow. Expected high of 34 degrees. Cold! The trail was covered in a couple inches of snow, so we could tell we were the first on the trail that morning other than the rodent, fox and deer.

In some places through the trees it was difficult to spot the trail. Only a few horse hoof prints under the snow gave it away. Out of the trees the path was clear and the colors were amazing.We were bundled up pretty good, but still had to stop and pull out an extra pair of gloves & neck gaiter Gordy was carrying. I was enjoying spotting all the little tracks in the snow. Then in some thick trees we came across some wide oval shaped tracks. Much bigger tracks than what we had been seeing. The oval was about 4" from side to side with no claws on the toes. We didn't see any big cats watching us from the trees, but you can bet we kept an eye out.Note how nicely my "I am not a deer" flag on my pack blends in with the flora. I'll have to ask around and find out what these bushes are called. The stems & leaves had both turned the same rich rust color, like they had been painted. Right before the first lake the trail opens up into a perfectly flat meadow. Here we found more interesting big tracks. These were oval from end to end, and did have visible claws. My boot measures about 4 1/2" across the bottom of the laces. Owwww-ooooooOOOO! If there hadn't been snow on the ground we wouldn't have been aware of all the critters around us.
Down by the first lake we could see a hunter's camp set up, so we didn't go all the way down to the water. Instead we continued on to the second lake and checked it out. There didn't see to be a connecting trail from there to Coffee Cup, so we bushwacked up the hill until we found the trail again.
Gordy made us some hot beverages and a delicious lunch of teriyaki chicken and rice on the saddle with his MSR stove. Lunch with a view!
Those freeze dried meals really are handy. I've only tried the chicken & turkey flavors. One of our customers said the chicken & noodles tasted exactly like the turkey tetrazzini, but I could tell the difference. The turkey tetrazzini had big pieces of asparagus in it! We took some more pictures and enjoyed the view in all directions. It was a gorgeous day. We could just make out the Seven Devils in the distance. A couple of hunters came up the trail while we were eating lunch and continued on up the ridge, but they were the only ones we saw on the trail. Never did see the ones on horseback, so they must have camped farther in. During the drive down there were several pickup loads of hunters cruising up and down the road, especially around Goose Lake & the campgrounds.
We had kids to pick up from school, so we booked it on down to the car. There just wasn't enough time to hike into Coffee Cup Lake. Next time we will bring the kids with us so we have enough time. Coffee Cup is just 1/2 mile past the saddle but not at all visible from where we had lunch.

October Picture Challenge

Just fer fun, we thought we would start a once-a-month contest to test your familiarity with area attractions, landmarks, etc.....the first person to correctly identify the above picture wins a $25 Mud Creek gift card. Woo-hoo! Hope this one isn't too tough for y'all. Just e-mail us your best guess, but keep in mind that broad answers can be trumped by a more specific one. The winner will be notified in the November Mud Creek newsletter.

Heavens Gate Lookout

School was delayed a week this year, so we were able to sneak in an afternoon at Heaven's Gate Lookout with the girls the last week of August. This is a great place to take out of town visitors who have seen all the local lakes & trees already. From the lookout you can see 4 states; Idaho, Oregon, Washington & Montana. Canada too, I suppose, if you have really good eyesight.

It was surprisingly chilly for late August, but then the whole summer has been very mild. Here we have the gang bundled up & posing at the parking lot sign, before heading up the trail.

To get to the lookout from New Meadows, you head down to Riggins turning left on Seven Devils Road. Seven Devils road climbs up through an interesting residential area and then turns to dirt after a few miles. Once you arrive at the top you have a choice of parking in the large lot, going on to Seven Devils campground, or continuing on to the lookout parking area. From the lookout parking area, you have a 3/4 mile hike up to the lookout itself.

Excellent views in all directions. Here Gordy is looking north, with the seven devils behind him. Below is looking down towards the parking lot. You can see Oregon & Hells Canyon in the distance.

They did a great job with the signage. This one points out six of the seven devils: Black Imp, The Goblin, The Ogre, Tower of Babel, She Devil and He Devil.

Don't forget to pack a picnic lunch. Only one bench to sit on, but plenty of rocks.

The views from the lookout restroom can't be beat. More modern facilities can be found at the main parking lot, but this one certainly has it's charm.

I wouldn't want to make the climb back up to the lookout from the facilities in the dark.Looking towards Montana.Another must see is Seven Devils Lake. To find it you drive to the campground, park near the marked trail head and hike about 1/2 mile. It's a very small lake, but it gives you a taste of the seven devils lakes that can only be accessed by several hours of hiking.

Loon Lake Loop

The Loon Lake loop, either on foot or by bike, is one of those things we have wanted to do for a long time. Last summer we were riding every Tuesday and the Loon Lake loop was on the list of things that were going to get done...then it was on fire, and no longer an option. That's what procrastination will get you!

This Tuesday when Gordy's ride with a friend fell through, we decided at the last minute to ride Loon Lake Trail. We made rushed arrangements for the kids to have a place to go after school, packed up the bikes and headed up Warren Wagon Road to Secesh Meadows. Gordy liked the public phone booth Secesh offers:

Not far past Secesh Meadows is the Chinook Campground and the Loon Lake trail head. We had opted to do the shorter 11 mile loop, rather than the 20 mile loop from Ruby Meadows. The trail heading downstream starts nice, wide and level. Very soon it starts to climb and the edge drops away to the Secesh River below.

I haven't been on my mountain bike much this summer, so I just didn't realized how much of my carefree biking attitude I lost when I crashed last summer. The more we climbed the more I realized what a big chicken I had become.

Speaking of my big crash... this lovely couple came into the store the other day. I don't think they have been in since they were here visiting last summer. So they were telling me about being at Burgdorf this weekend and how a mountain biker there had taken a big fall, huge gash on his head, split his helmet in two....and of course, right way, "we though of you!" they said. Hmm. Yes, the fame of my 'mad skillz' lives on.

The trail climbed and dipped for 3.3 miles along the Secesh, according to my odometer. I walked the parts that really wigged me out. Gordy did not walk.Looking downstream from the bridge:At 3.3 miles (or 4, according to the guidebook) you have the option of crossing the river or continuing on to Whangdoodle Trail. I think this is a hotsprings but I need to do more research to be sure. I just liked the name.

We crossed the bridge and started the climb through a considerably more fire-swept area. It was steep climbing for a third of mile or so. I fell off my bike twice here and the second time managed to clear out my odometer with my flailing. Mad Skillz!

I found that taking pictures was a perfectly valid excuse for stopping along the trail. Gasp, wheeze, pant.The trail goes in and out of the burned areas. I kept kicking myself for not seeing this before it burned.

Impressive number of bridges built along the trail.

Some feathered friends along the trail.
Here Gordy has found a solution for what to do with the bag of crackers while trying to snack along the trail. You simply hang it off your pack strap with an ordinary household clip. Genius!Looking upstream from one of the bridges.

The area is clearly recovering from the fire. It was beautiful even with the fire damage, and will be spectacular again one day. Mother Nature doing her thing.

Backpack Gear Review

We took the opportunity to field test quite a few products on our Seven Devils trip. Here is what worked and what didn't.


Gregory Backpacks: I had the Jade 50 and Gordy had the Z55. I loved mine. Lots of great pockets for organizing my stuff, easy to to use & comfortable. When I first got it I was concerned it wasn't big enough (50L) to hold all I needed for a multiday trip, but turns out it was perfect. A bigger pack would have been like a bigger purse, I just would have filled it with random stuff. Gordy liked his too, but would have been better off with the next size up, the Baltoro 70.

Eureka Zeus 2 classic performance backpacking 2 person tent:
Yays:

1. Super fast & easy set up & pack up
2. Compact (little bigger than a loaf of bread) and light (3 lbs, 14 oz.) for packing
3. Well designed and manufactured with useful features

Nays:

1. The opening only allows easy entrance/exit for one occupant, whose head the other must climb over to get in or out
2. Snug accommodations for two average sized adults
3. Single layer tent, so doesn't breath well, so sweats like a hog in moist weather

Overall impression: Awesome fair weather backingpacking tent for 1 (luxurious) or 2 (cozy).

Thermarest pads: We used the Trail Pro's. These are shaped, so if we didn't have mummy bags I think I would have thought it was too narrow. 2" thick and super comfortable, didn't feel any rocks or lumps through it. Light too, under 2lbs.

Thermarest Lounger: This is the sleeve you put over your thermarest to turn it into a lounge chair. It remained a sleeve and not a chair for the entire trip. Too many mosquitoes to consider lounging around camp! It did seem to do a good job of protecting the pad from punctures & tears.

Sierra Designs sleeping bags: Gordy had the Wiiiiiiild Bill 20 with climashield. Judging by his snoring, it worked great. I had the Solar Flare 15. Loved it. Both bags have thin straps on the bottom that your mattress pad slips through, so you stay on the mat all night. I was concerned about condensation in a tiny tent & the down fill sopping it up, but the Drizone shell fabric really does repel water. And it weighed less than 3lbs. Wild Bill was 3.2 lbs.

Granite Gear stuff sacks: Super light Airbags worked great for organizing clothes, food etc. We also used the drybloc bags for sleeping bag stuff sacks. We used an Airpocket to keep our maps & guide book sheets in. This had a loop to hang it from the outside of my pack, where it was always handy.

Hiking Poles: These were absolute lifesavers! Like Gordy says, they are training wheels for backpackers. Really helps distribute the pack weight, and saves your knees on the descents. Adjustability was key, as you could shorten the poles for uphill climbs, and lengthen them for downhills. Gordy tried the Atlas poles we sell with our snowshoes (minus the powder baskets). These worked great except he was jealous of my Black Diamond flip lock's (faster adjustablity) and padded wrist straps.

MSR Whisperlite stove: Boiled water super fast and seemed easy to use (ok, Gordy was camp cook). We took the 11oz fuel bottle and used about a 1/3 of it.

MSR Blacklite Gourmet cookset: Way more pans than we needed. One would have done fine, as we were not feeling nearly as gourmet as we thought we might feel.

MSR Dromedary Bag & Hyperflow waterfilter: The dromedary bag is a bomber, super awesome way to carry extra water. Worked really slick with the hyperflow water filter too. The Hyperflow was really fast and light. Connects to your camelbak, nalgene bottles, the drom bag, etc to make refilling easy.

GSI Fairshare Mug: A 32 oz mug with a screw on lid and a hole in the handle to attach to your pack. We used them for holding snackies during the day and our dinner/breakfast dishes. The lid kept the bugs out & dinner spill free. Clean up was a snap, just put in half a cup of water, a drop of Dr Brommer's, screw the lid on, shake & fling ( the water inside, not the mug).

Thermarest Compressible Pillow: That's right, I brought a pillow backpacking....and I would do it again! Come on, it was only 9 oz.

Mountain House freeze dried meals: The chicken & noodles and Turkey Tetrazzini were both great meals. Add water, wait 8 minutes and dinner was ready. Perfect for novice mosquito harassed backpackers and really very filling. We did not get around to the Apple Cobbler, and the Tiramisu had too strong of a coffee taste for me. Gordy liked it.

Badger Anti-Bug: For some reason, this was the only bug repellent we brought. It worked amazingly well, especially for a non-deet product. I have no bites on my arms or legs, but do on my face and head where I neglected to apply it. Bonus, it makes your skin feel nice and soft. You don't get that nasty dipped-in-chemicals feeling you have after a day of deet.

Random things not used: deck of cards. Teva sandals. My raincoat (had fantastic weather). About half of the food we brought (either the elevation or the physical exertion, we just were not as hungry as we were led to believe we might be. Go figure). MSR Packtowl (used it just barely, probably not enough to justify). Extra flashlights.

Random things we did use: Gordy's raincoat (anti-mosquito layer), AMK adventure lite first aid (great size & weight, useful stuff), paperback book (back support the first night, read it the second), big black garbage bags (backpack protection at night) GSI rehydrate spoon (specially shaped spoon for freeze dried pouches, worked great!) Guyot designs Microbites (5 in one spoon, fork, knife spatula tool).

Random things we wish we would have brought: mosquito coils, bug proof suits, some sort of float tube to float all around the lakes.