Off the Beaten Path in the Silver Valley

Today Raymond Pert, Inland Empire Girl and myself went off the beaten path and did some hiking up the North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River. There accounts of the trip are here, here and here.

We drove to the Kingston exit on Interstate 90, and followed the River Road up past Prichard, past the Shoshone Base Camp to a sign that told us to turn off to see Fern Falls and Shadow Falls. You drive about 4 miles to the parking lot, and it is your typical unpaved forest service logging type road with a special feature of a kind of washboard type of cement pylons across the road to help with water I guess. We arrived at the parking lot, and headed up the trail.

Here are some shots from this hike.

Then we headed toward Murray, and went to the Settler's Grove of Ancient Cedars. Some of these trees are over 1,000 years old. It is a very peaceful, calming place to hike.

Both hikes are very easy and would make a good day trip for anyone in the area. Both places would make wonderful opportunities for beautiful photographs. Both trails get pretty steady use, but not crowded at all, are are very clean and free from garbage, (except the idiots who had a campfire and left glass beer bottles and a cardboard Bud Light box next to the fire sight.)

Both places are hidden Silver Valley treasures I'm sure you would enjoy.

"Up The River" Beauty

This week's sibling assignment given by Inland Empire Girl has to do with going "Up the River". RP's post is here, and Inland Empire Girl's post is here.

For those of us who grew up in the Silver Valley, going "up the river" means traveling to the North Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River. This isn't to be confused with the South Fork of the Coeur d'Alene River that runs through the towns of Mullan, Wallace, Osburn, Kellogg, Smelterville and Pinehurst.

At Kingston, the two forks merge into the main fork of the Coeur d'Alene River, and travels west through the Chain Lakes to the town of Harrison, where it flows in Lake Coeur d'Alene.

For my assignment, I would like to share with you some pictures showing the beauty up the river, and the areas surrounding it.


I love this river.

If you know where to go, other treasures await you off the beaten path, like Fern Falls...
and Shadow Falls.

Right before you arrive in Murray, Idaho, there is a road that takes you to the Settler's Grove of Ancient Cedars.
Ancient Cedars tower above you providing a cool retreat on a hot summer's day.

If you head past Murray, you go east over Thompson Pass toward Montana. Here is a view at the top, looking back over the Silver Valley.

So, do you wonder why I love living here?