Yesterday one of my roommates and I got out of town to go hiking in Northern Idaho, about 40 miles from Spokane. We spent the day near Coeur D'Alene, hiking the Mineral Ridge Trail. As it turns out, Northern Idaho was explored for its gold prospects back in the day, and along this trail some of the historic test pits remain.
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| Old gold pit cave |
I suspect there were many more caves than I even saw, but most of these looked like sink holes or shallow pits that didn't go very far into the ground.
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| View from the top of Mineral Ridge |
The air was cool and dry, and smelled of fragrant pines, reminding me of some trails I've hiked in the Northeast. The forest was all conifers, ranging from Ponderosa pines, to douglas firs, to yellow larch that were, indeed, very yellow. Red squirrels scurried about and ravens cawed from the treetops, but otherwise the forest was peaceful and quiet.
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| Scenic overlook of Lake Coeur D'Alene |
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| Awesome float houses |
After completing the 2.5 mile loop up the ridge and back, we took a scenic Forest Service road up another peak that was high enough to be shrouded in dense clouds. Here the ecosystem resembled more of what you might expect for the coastal Pacific Northwest, with dense, wet woodlands and a winding, rushing brook.
Eventually the road got pretty sketchy with potholes and rocks though, so we turned around and drove to the town of Coeur D'Alene.
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| Cove at Tubb's Hill |
Here we stopped at a place called Tubb's Hill, a 120 acre park in the town. It was surprisingly one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen! With rocky cliffs jutting straight out from the lake and seemingly endless hidden coves and trails, Tubb's Hill was truly an unexpected gem, and I can't wait to go back and explore it more!
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| Beach at Tubb's Hill |
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| Turkey crossing |
At the end of the day, the only wildlife that we saw were the squirrels, ravens, and a huge flock of turkeys in Coeur D'Alene, but nonetheless it felt great to get outside and the fresh, fragrant air and wander new parts of the region.
Expecting snow the next couple days, so keep your eye out for wintery photos soon!
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