Mini Road Trip

Here's yet another loose end all tied up, something I've been wanting to do since I discovered its existence shortly after moving back to Idaho, promised myself I'd get to this summer no matter what, feared my foot injury would keep me from doing: a trip to view Copper Falls!

My Goldilocks criteria for a hike came together perfectly on my chosen day. Rain over the weekend washed the forest fire smoke drifting over from Washington out of the air and brought the hot temps of the previous week down to comfortable 70's. The weatherman predicted a beautiful day with what he calls "poofy" clouds and that's exactly what I got.

I nearly backed out though when I pulled up maps to see exactly how to get to the trail head leading to the falls. I had it in my head that it was about 30 to 40 minutes north of me. Couldn't spot it around the Bonners Ferry area where I thought it was. I finally found it, as far north of Bonners Ferry as Bonners Ferry is from me, a scant mile from the Canadian border. And in the heart of grizzly bear territory. After the summer of angry bear activity not long ago, I'd decided to mark this part of the Panhandle off my list of explorations. But geez, I wanted to see that falls, and the bears have been behaving themselves this summer. And the hike to the falls is less than a mile. Just put on your big girl pants and GO! I packed up my directions and some lunch, hung some bells from my bag and crossed my fingers I'd not be the only one on the trail that day.

It took about an hour and 20 minutes to drive the 66 miles to the trail head on the good 2-lane highway with occasional slowdowns for small towns and road construction. Growing up, my family did not explore this part of the Panhandle much, so north of Bonners Ferry these were new vistas for me. But oh so familiar vistas that reminded my why I wanted to move back out here, vistas that touch my heart. Along the way was an overlook with this sign I've added to give you an idea of my route (click on it for a readable version). It is oriented to match the mountains one is viewing to the west, with south and north to the left and right. #1 was where I was headed.

All along the way I kept getting snatches of mountains. Yes, northern Idaho has got some mountains! The ones from this overlook are over 7000 ft in elevation, although from the photos it's difficult to grasp their grandeur. Of course, more impressive when there's still snow on them.

I'd had some misgivings about driving so far "just" to look at a waterfall, but this drive to them was filling a need I'd forgotten.

“Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray.” Rumi was so right. This land, these mountains, the falls I was headed to; these are the things I really love and that draw me and renew me.

The trailhead was a couple of miles off the main highway, up a well-maintained gravel road that wound up the mountain. You're at about 3400 ft now. Several cars were parked there, assuring me I'd not be the first or last up the trail which also wound its way gently up towards the falls (I believe it's 150 ft elevation in .5 miles). Benches to rest on along the way, signage to point out things of interest. I love forest service trails like these.

The trail forks to take you to the overlook, rounding the hillside where one first hears the sound of the falls.

And then the reward, Copper Falls itself, plunging 150 ft from high above you to the rocks below you.

But it's not just the sight of the water cascading down the rock face that moves me. It's the sound of the water filling my senses.

This sign tells a little more about the falls (click to view readable version), including that its frozen version in winter draws ice climbers.

Drawing my eyes from the water, I notice things that always fascinate me about the tenacity of nature. Trees pay no attention to the lack of soil but find ways to take root in the rock.

And there's so much cooling moisture from the spray of the falls that moss grows thickly on this rock face. This is a really huge patch.

And perhaps you can see the other thing that has always fascinated me about northern Idaho, the way the rock strata has been turned on end as the plates collided and the mountains were pushed skyward.

I always find it hard to pull myself away from views like these, but I knew the other fork of the trail wound downward to the little stream below the falls. Not a lot of water this time of year but so much cooler down here. You can just see the bottom of the falls in the background.

Couldn't quit clicking my camera away. These sorts of cool and quiet places with a bit of running water is where I spent my childhood and where I now go to renew.

Glimpses of the creek through the rocks and fallen trees.



And the all important sound of the crystal clear water as it makes its way downstream.

Rocks! There are huge rocks here and there, I believe left by the ice age glaciers. That huge one behind the tree.

And a large flat one by a bench.

And this one with 4 squished together trees at the back of it.

And huge tree roots, covered in bark. Makes me wonder what the circumstances were for the root to be exposed like this.

I've tried to cut down on the number of pictures I take of bark textures but this kind still makes me try to capture what's going on, a kind of weaving that I can't quite figure out.

Ready to continue down the trail, I turned around and was faced with this behemoth. What was making it look so fuzzy, so soft?

Lichen! Half of the tree was covered in a green lichen.

But as I rounded the tree, the other half was this rusty orange.

So much character, and it's been pecked at, something making holes looking for bugs probably, or maybe even a place to hang out.

Just to give you a better idea of its size, I leaned my 60" walking stick against it.

And it was so tall, taller than I could get in my frame.

The trail continued to wander along the creek for a bit before heading back up to the trailhead. My final picture as I was nearly back at the road, this smooth loaf of a rock (about 2 ft long) covered in various lichens. This sparked some design ideas . . .

Driving home, still soaking up the views that catch my breath, I knew this drive was definitely worth my time. There's more to explore north of me but a little closer next time. I'm already planning my next foray. As Elaine Scarry writes in her essay On Beauty and Being Just:

"...the pleasure we take in beauty is inexhaustible. No matter how long beautiful things endure, they cannot out-endure our longing for them."

Idaho, its mountains, lakes, streams and woods, is my beautiful thing I'll always long for. It's why it was so important to move back out here. No place like home, as they say.