Wallace by iPhone
As many times as I've been here, I never get tired of exploring what Wallace has to offer!
From the Wallace Chamber of Commerce:
Danger, intrigue, passion, great wealth, heroics and comedy are set against the breathtaking backdrop of northern Idaho’s Bitterroot mountains. Those are the elements of the 12 decade story of Wallace. The entire town of Wallace, Idaho is on the national Historic Register.
I think that you all know me well enough by now that I'm not one to take pictures of the traditionally photographed parts of a town .... even one as pretty as Wallace. I'm funny that way. Wallace has hundreds of buildings that date from the town's early silver-minig daysand most of them are still in use. The downtown area is quite lively and hosts a great many restauarnts, pubs and shopping opportunities for visitors but it managaes to NOT feel like a hokey tourist spot. Locals and tourists sit side-by-side in most places.
I always swing by the place after I finish a hike to Stevens Lake and I'm never disappointed. The place that I normally stop at, The Silver Corner, was undergoing renovations so I wasn't able to get their greasy burger that hits the spot after a hike so I had to go without this time. Thus, I had some extra time to walk about and find things that drew my eyes.
Wallace may be slightly behind the times but that's to be expected for small Idaho towns and, in some ways, that can be quite a benefit. They don't have a Starbucks or fast food joint on every corner. Walmart is not gonna move in, either. There's room for improvement or upgrading in some areas but the lack of development has allowed so many of the great pieces of its history to stay in place and for them to be revered and allowed to be a part of the present and future. Everywhere you look in this town you'll find countless angles and colors and reminders of its colorful past. This was my first time really taking time to photograph some of these things and had I more time, I could have spent many hours poking around.
I'll be back again just after the first snows to hike to the lakes again and I'm certain that I'll be coming back to Wallace again. This time, I'll make certain to create extra time to take it in properly.
Stevens Lake by iPhone
I've already told you about this trip to Stevens Lake in a previous post so I won't bore you with the details again. I suppose that I could add some cute poetry but I suspect that you'd rather see the pretty picture.
There may have been some skinny-dipping involved. The water was as chilly as you might expect so I didn't last long.
As the trail winds through several types of forests and gains elevation quickly, every bend and turn provided a new view or a new type of forest to walk through.
I so thoroughly love every aspect of the Stevens Lake Trail. It's my favorite escape valve in North Idaho.
Stevens Lake - iPhone - danscape (18 of 69)
Stevens Lake by GoPro
One of my favorite places in all the Inland Northwest!
From the All Trails/NatGeo website:
Stevens Lakes is a 5 mile out and back trail located near Mullan, Idaho that features a lake and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for fly fishing & hiking and is accessible from June until October.
I love this place! When I need a one-day escape from the world, I often head east to this getaway nestled in the Bitterroot Mountains just outside of Wallace, Id. Though I wouldn't call it an easy hike, it's really only steep in a few short places. Really manageable for most hiker. What I always find amazing about the trail is how it winds through a few different geographic zones.
In one area, you'll be surrounded by cedars and walking through great dampness. A little while further you'll be on an exposed rock slide face that is more dry pine. Just a bit further and you'll be walking under deciduous trees and have very different shrubbery surrounding you.
Let's not forget the lakes. This most recent trip showed them at the lowest level that I've seen. We had an easy winter and it was near the end of a dry summer so it wasn't unexpected. Nor was it disappointing. The water was still clear and cold. The ancient deadwood logs were still scattered along the banks. As I was alone up there, I did go for a skinny dip in the icy water. As I am a wimp, it didn't last long. The chill was washed away within minutes of stretching out on a rocky bank and soaking in the sun.
The nap induced from the warmth made the short trip to the upper lake a slim prospect. I would have had to circle back around the west side of the lower lake and head up. Not a hard scramble but my time was running short. Had to get back to Wallace.
Again, I'm thankful to the good folks at Huppin's for the loan of the Go Pro. A cool tool for capturing interesting angles.