Sunday, July 07, 2019

Roadside Attractions: Lightning/Trestle Creek Loop






Twas a rendezvous in the forest near Clark Fork yesterday.

Bill and Annie had already headed out with their fly fishing gear.  Barbara and I made plans to meet them somewhere along the Lightning Creek Road later.

We would come loaded with goodies from the Clark Fork Pantry:  sandwiches, chips and big cookies.

Bill also left me a radio so I could let him know when we had started down Lightning Creek Road.

The meeting came off without a hitch.
 
Before our arrival, Annie had caught, photographed and released a nice trout. 

So, once the rendezvous was complete, inspection of her cell phone photo elicited speculation and admiration for the pretty fish.

Then, we moved on down the road, turning off near the east fork of Lightning Creek and driving to a culdesac. 
Food came out, and visiting began.

After our gathering, Barbara and I set off toward Trestle Creek while Bill and Annie headed down the trail out of the culdesac for more fishing.

For Barbara and me, it was a lovely leisurely drive with several stops to totally enjoy searching for nice wildflower shots.

We had to search for the prime images because there were so many strikingly beautiful flowers along the roadside.
At one point, Barbara asked me to stop because she had spotted some Canterbury bells.

Once again, I can confidently say that there’s bear grass aplenty this year.

Can’t say the same about any huckleberry sightings.  We may have seen a few unripe berries, but hardly enough to plan a return trip up there with a bucket.

I’ll also confidently say that the pass dividing the Lightning Creek/Trestle Creek drainages, where Trail 55 takes off, has to be one of the most beautiful spots in North Idaho.

I’ve felt that way every time over more than 40 years of traveling that route.  My original observations came during summers working for the U.S. Forest Service.

It’s just as pretty now as it was then.  Happily, for the most part, forest recreationalists have taken care to see that the area remains as pristine as ever.

Overall, our adventure was fun, filling and fulfilling-----as they almost always are.

Enjoy the photos.

Happy Sunday.


























1 comment:

Chip & Lynn said...

Beautiful! Happy Sunday.