I was booking my plane ticket to Denver earlier this year (an impulsive trip itself) when I got the urge to change my return destination. The plan was to fly home Friday morning, initially thinking I would have to work the weekend. After a schedule change, I had two extra days to adventure out West and I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity. So instead of Minneapolis, I booked a flight from Denver to Spokane, Washington. I had visited Coeur d’Alene, Idaho once a few years back and had been wanting to return ever since. This was the perfect opportunity to explore the city a little further and get a chance to hike in the Selkirk Mountains. My flight landed in Spokane at noon on Friday, and left for Minneapolis Sunday afternoon. I was determined to pack as much adventure into these 48 hours as possible.
After a whirlwind couple of days in Denver, I took off for the airport at 6 am on Friday morning. I have a strict ‘2-hour early’ policy when it comes to airports. Mainly because allowing extra time to get through security and to the gate eases my nerves, but also because airports are cool and I like to be able to take it all in. The Spokane airport is fairly small and easy to maneuver. It took about 30 minutes to grab luggage from baggage claim, check-in with the car rental, and get on the road. From here, the drive to Coeur d’Alene takes about 45 minutes. Make that 60 minutes if you stop at Cabela’s to purchase bear spray.
You can’t talk about Coeur d’Alene without mentioning The Coeur d’Alene Resort. It is a marvel sitting on the Northwestern tip of Lake Coeur d’Alene offering incredible lake views, numerous restaurants, spa packages, golf, you name it. Uncharacteristic for my hiking vacation, I decided I had to experience the Resort during this trip. When I booked my room the agent asked what was important to me. Price point was my main focus this time around, but you bet they’re going to accommodate whatever is it you care about most. The concierge and valet were extremely helpful right off the bat and the room was great, but it was later afternoon by now and I was ready to get to the great outdoors.
My Friday night adventure took me just north of Sandpoint, Idaho to Schweitzer Mountain. Schweitzer Mountain Resort offers a unique ski village in the winter, but the views are incredible for hiking in the other seasons as well. The drive up to the village is a little slower with lots of switchbacks, but the view pays off. I opted for the ‘Nature Trail’ for my hike. Starting at the base, the trail climbs up the mountain loosely following underneath the Great Escape chairlift and ending at the summit lodge known as Sky House. It’s roughly 5 miles round trip, and half of this is climbing a skill hill. I was challenged, and I was rewarded. The scenery along the way was incredible, but the 360° views from 6,400 feet up were breathtaking. The top of the mountain also brought some snow and 32° on the temperature gauge (queue my frozen hair). The Great Escape chairlift actually runs year round and was operational during my hike. With it getting darker and colder by the minute I tried to ride the lift down the hill. Unfortunately I wasn’t a part of the wedding party hosting a rehearsal dinner at Sky House, so it was another 2.5 miles (downhill this time) for me. I nursed a venti hot chocolate during the hour long drive back to Coeur d’Alene in an attempt to warm up. My first day was an exhausting success, but I still had a big weekend ahead of me.
I was on the road by 6am the next morning heading north to Bonner’s Ferry. It’s only about an hour and a half drive from Coeur d’Alene, but it takes another good hour to get to a trail from here. My destination was Pyramid Lake. It’s actually not that far from the town of Bonner’s Ferry, only about 20 miles. The problem is the second half of this trip is a dirt road littered with potholes and rocks, like BIG rocks. I did not go over 10 miles an hour and was generally in fear of ruining my rental car. Luckily I didn’t run into any other vehicles on my way up (or down), it’s basically a one-lane road. I was pleasantly surprised when I reached the trailhead. There was a nice bulletin board with trail info (including how to differentiate black bears from grizzly bears thank you very much), and four other cars parked in the lot! The anxiety of getting to this point was wearing off and I was excited for what was ahead of me. The hiking itself was fairly tame, moderately rated. There was an initial climb with some switchbacks, but otherwise felt like a low grade. It was late September so most of the trail was snow covered, my leather hiking boots fared well. The cool thing about this trail is by the time you get started, you’re already deep in the mountains. The views are incredible and only get better with each step. After 1.5 miles on the trail, it opens up to Pyramid Lake, and it was breathtaking. The sun was shining on a gorgeous Fall day, and clear blue skies highlighted the snow on the mountain side. I wandered out to a group of rocks bordering the lake to take in the view, it almost seemed unreal.
My adventures in the Selkirks turned out to be fairly tame, the only animals I came across on the trails were wolf tracks in the snow, which was fine by me. It meant $40 wasted in bear spray, but it was still money well spent. The drive back out to Bonner’s Ferry was just as daunting, leading me to take a breather at Kootenai River Brewing Company before heading back to Coeur d’Alene. My taste in beer can be summed up in two words: Blue Moon, so the Huckleberry Wheat Beer was right up my alley. The rest of my night consisted of watching the sunset from the boardwalk over Lake Coeur d’Alene, picture perfect.
My flight didn’t leave until early afternoon on Sunday so I took advantage of local hiking on Tubbs Hill. Located just next to The Coeur d’Alene Resort, Tubbs Hill is 120 acres of public land with miles of trails and incredible views. I opted for the roughly 2 mile loop around the perimeter, finishing with breakfast at Bakery By The Lake coffee shop and cafe. It was the perfect way to end my time in the Idaho Panhandle. There are so many places I still want to explore, but I would not hesitate to revisit the Selkirk Mountains and all of its surrounding beauty.
Related post: check out what I wore
