Idaho, Upper Coeur d'Alene River Trail — Sunday, May. 30, 2004

After thinking I was wet enough from hiking up Settlers Grove, we headed yet further north up the Coeur d'Alene River Road and after 25 miles more arrived where the North Fork Coeur d'Alene River turns away from the road. Here starts the trail up the North Fork into a stunning mix of flat river bend meadows, fascinating canyons, and huge cliffs. Also here began the hardest rain I've had to hike through in a long time! Sigh.... But the rains made the greens throughout the hiking really stand out with the beautiful river. I can't believe at one point in time the trailhead was across the river from present days location, causing you to have to ford THIS river? No way until, oh, maybe September. Crazy! Once over the headland to get into the canyon/valley the trail was so fun passing through the flat meadowlands of lush plants and shrubs. Not a minute after I told myself this sure looked like my chance to see a moose the trail went above the river floor a ways...MOOSE! Two of them, a female and then a male just below me, were out in the rain foraging and hanging out. The male was so huge and the starts of antlers were growing out. He peeled back his ears to listen in on me and Mittens to see if we were a threat, then just went about his business while I photographed him for 30 minutes. The female never came any closer...I wonder if a calf was over across the river with her? Mittens just sat...then bored with me there so long lay down and rested while watching them. ""Dad, those are sure big dogs!” The only time she came close to making noise was when four white-tailed deer bounded in front of the moose too! I was also enjoying seeing kingfishers and ospreys through this area and one grouse ran up the slope above us...I'd of never seen it if I had not had Mittens with me to always show me where they are! We hiked out after going in only 1.5 or 2 miles (too much photography to slow down progress can be fun!) and drove the 47 miles back to I-90. It was still so early...only 2:00PM...since our hikes were both so wet. I needed dry clothes and rather than try to hike Lone Lake in the rain too I opted for fun instead photographing so much of the history in the Silver Valley! I managed to VERY easily kill the next 4-5 hours shooting in Kellogg, Mullen, and especially Wallace, Idaho. WOW! The mining history is so thick, and Wallace looks so much like it could be 1899 again. I drove up to the Sunset Mine also, site of the terrible 1972 mine disaster that claimed the lives of nearly 100 men when fire broke out in the mine. Pizza for dinner and a very cold walk on the Centennial Trail before bed---it got down to 35 degrees later this night!