Lake Creek — Tuesday, Apr. 15, 2014

Eastern Washington > Spokane Area/Coeur d'Alene

We were planning a two night hike starting from Lakeview Ranch, connecting south on the Odessa Lake Creek Trail. The trip turned into an overnighter, as there wasn't enough water. We hiked to Waukesha Springs, followed the muddy creek down to the point where it goes over the cliff and found a small mud pit. Since we wanted to stay the night, we dug a hole in the creek, created a small dam, and let the hole fill with water. Once the mud settled, we filled reservoirs using a cup, then let the water settle, then filtered and treated the water. Cattle, elk and coyotes all use this spring, as well as other unseen wildlife. That was too much work for a few liters of water, so we decided to return home the next day. The trails are in good shape though very dusty. We camped using the basalt cliffs as windbreaks and were serenaded by coyotes and owls all night long. This is a remote place, so were concerned about the safety of the car, but it was fine and unharmed when we returned to the trailhead. If you go, plan to just do a day-hike, bring lots of water, and don't go in the summer - this is a spring or fall hike. There were some wildflowers, mostly arrowroot. The views of the cliffs are great and I'd love to see the lakes when they're full of water. We saw lots of birds, including a bald eagle. To get here from I-90, go to Odessa and continue straight through town. This will take you out to the road that is signed for the Lakeview Ranch BLM site.