Elk Summit on Labor Day

On a relatively spur of the moment decision, Sarah and I decided to actually try camping on Labor Day weekend.  See, Coeur d'Alene was hosting a Hydroplane race over the weekend and it was promising to bring about 60 thousand people to CDA.  We decided it'd be a good idea to disappear.  After a little deliberation I remembered what my Dad told me a couple weeks prior, "Elk Summit used to be busy, it's almost vacant now."  Perfect!

Saturday we headed out on the long drive towards Powell and finally made it to our turn.  The 15 miles to the top was basically one big washboard, so we were happy when we got there.  Ooh, so was Lucca.  We borrowed a crate so she was happy riding in the back of the truck, but I swear, when we let her out once we found a campsite I think she vibrated off the tailgate!

As a quick disclaimer, I was having issues with condensation and exposure...so my photos stink.  BUT, I have a bunch of Sarah's that are very nice!

View up the road toward Hoodoo Lake / Elk Summit

Elk Summit meadows

As a kid we fished Hoodoo creek a lot.  Of course I had to do it again!

So now I'm going to have to back up a little, let's say...oh, about 20 years.  When we lived in Powell, Elk Summit / Hoodoo lake was the holy grail of fun for a kid.  It usually meant camping, fishing, riding bikes, and messing with the moose that would come in to the now-nonexistent salt lick.  Or, the moose would mess with us.  I remember once we found a crate of rotting apricots and threw those at a bunch of moose for a while.  Yea, smart.  Then one morning we were dabbing lures off a little bridge and this one cow moose really didn't like us there.  She circle around far into the timber, then come running down the trail and across the bridge.  Us kids would scatter up trees and the moose would go back to the salt lick.  We'd return to the bridge, and pretty soon we'd here "thump thump thump" coming down the trail.  She was back and so back up the trees we'd go.  A little exercise before breakfast was good for everyone I guess.

Hoodoo Lake on Sunday morning while the weather moves in.

Blah, trying to be creative I guess.

This pond is just full of cutthroat and gorgeous brook trout.

For one of us kid's birthdays, my Mom graciously took three of us little hellions up to the lake for a weekend camping trip.  We fished circles around the lake and finally retired to our little tent for the night, while my mom slept on a mattress in the bed of the truck.  Late that night, us boys woke up to a bear in camp!!  It was RIGHT IN CAMP and growling as it rummaged through our food and getting ready to maul us!  We bravely got our flashlights and went out into the dark to investigate.  Yea, smart.  We didn't see any bears, didn't see any eyes reflecting in our lights...but the growling remained!  Finally, all our little lights focused on the pickup...where my Mom was sleeping soundly...and consequently snoring!  Disaster averted, we were finally able to get some sleep.  Amazing what a kid's imagination can do isn't it?

Elk Summit Guard Station...looks like an old photo doesn't it?

True light

So back to present-time.  There were more people up at the lake than we anticipated, so we didn't get a campsite up there.  Then my "preferred" site at a place called Muleshoe was taken, so we backtracked to a little meadow I saw on the way up the road.  Turns out it was a great little campsite and it had a dandy pool in the frigid creek right next to it.

So yea, between a close fire a couple years ago and beetle-kill, there was plenty of firewood.  Glad I brought our own and no saw!  :(    Woulda been nice to get rid of some of the hazards around camp.

Lucca was the first one in the water

Sarah was the second

View upstream toward our pool

View downstream

Well overall, to make a long story short I basically just played the whole time we were there.  For me it was just a good time being a kid again.  I fished the creek near our camp, the lake, the creek near camp, the creek in the meadow, the lake...etc.  Just having a dandy time bouncing around and reminiscing.  At one point I was pretty embarrassed about fishing the creek in the meadow, as most of what I was pulling out were fingerling sized brook trout.  But then, I began sight-fishing the bigger fish...and if I could get a fly in the water without them seeing me, I could usually get them to take it.  But it was gin-clear water and it was hard to remain concealed unless I had the rare shadow around.  That's when I figured, if a guy can sight fish in a meadow and still catch them, than that was pretty darn good!

Now, we will go to Sarah's camera and fill in some gaps.

A better view of our pool

Looks like another old photo...classic Lu-dog pose

Yea, I fished the little creek

And...Lucca would literally follow my fly

Nice cutthroat out of Hoodoo Lake.  The pup ALMOST got this one in her mouth.  She was in the water chasing it around as I was trying to get it to shore.

Can you see her on the rock next to me?  She really does like fishing...it's weird.

Sarah's activity while I was being a kid

Sarah's activity, part two!

And she got in!!  It took some convincing, but we both took a full dunk in that frigid water.  Since I forgot my bathing suit, I decided not to enlighten the world with Sarah's photos of me getting in...

She doubles as a rescue dog

Okay, now I must explain.  I brought the sarong strictly for these photos.  Having seen multiple sarong photos of my floatin' buddies at various locations, I had to imitate!!

And...let them know I was jealous!!

We had a great, quiet weekend up there.  It was just a shame we had to ruin it by driving so much.  But we made it home safe and sound and plan on returning to our "new secret spot."

I was going to scout for elk and use this as a possible elk hunting area.  Even at the end of August it dipped into the low thirties at night.  If it snows while you're camped up there, you'd better be heading out or you'll be leaving your stuff over winter, so that's a no-go.  BUT, Butch wanted me to "check out the firewood situation."  I think we woulda been covered.  ;)

This sums up the trip...