My middle daughter and I decided to take a short but well needed sabbatical to the wild lands of northern Idaho. Simply being a 13 year old girl presents parenting issues, but one thing I've grown to appreciate immensely is her willingness to just go off the grid. There is no complaining about wanting to get back home, needing wi-fi, checking Snapchat or Instagram, yada, yada, yada. So, we charted our course and got lost.
We found the trailhead without issue, thanks to a VERY kind lady with the St. Joe National Forest. A sincere shout out to Ginger at the St. Maries Ranger District office who saved me several hours of heartache had I taken my original route. She gave me a much better alternative that was easy peasy. The Dodge Ram at our launch pad.
The trail was relatively easy going, with (believe it or not) NO mosquitos.
We arrived at destination unknown after a couple of hours. My daughter's biggest concern was that we didn't see anyone else. That made pops VERY proud.
Here is the view from the back porch.
We were in the land of giant cedars and granite. Much of this country is beyond comprehension in terms of how steep and rugged it is.
And I do mean giant cedars.
The fishing was really surprisingly poor, but late in the evening we finally found a deep run where Krista was able to catch her desired quarry, the bull trout. It was fun watching her land this fish on a 5' ultralight spinning rod.
This cutty followed. Both were the biggest fish of the trip.
The final bushwhack. Getting to some of these holes was quite the adventure and we brought home a few battle scars.
I managed to yard out a decent number of 10-14 inch cuts on parachute patterns. The water was VERY cold, to the point of being painful to stand in. I can't think this helped the fishing. This was the last fish of the trip, courtesy of a Panther Martin.
Some random scenery and Henry shots.
It's fun to watch a young adolescent girl be content in the woods. She's okay just being there. She doesn't have to catch a lot of fish. It's just the experience and the presence, and I pray she always holds on to that.
It was an exercise in patience for me. I don't typically stop every 5 minutes for a rest break. However, the world didn't end either. It was a great opportunity to simply enjoy life together. In light of what has happened in our nation this week, culminating the Dallas shootings, that isn't to be taken lightly.
Our trip home was cool and rainy. We took the road less travelled and stopped for burgers and milkshakes in Montana. Henry got a piece of bacon at the drive through. Don't overlook the small moments in life, sometimes they are priceless.
We found the trailhead without issue, thanks to a VERY kind lady with the St. Joe National Forest. A sincere shout out to Ginger at the St. Maries Ranger District office who saved me several hours of heartache had I taken my original route. She gave me a much better alternative that was easy peasy. The Dodge Ram at our launch pad.
The trail was relatively easy going, with (believe it or not) NO mosquitos.
We arrived at destination unknown after a couple of hours. My daughter's biggest concern was that we didn't see anyone else. That made pops VERY proud.
Here is the view from the back porch.
We were in the land of giant cedars and granite. Much of this country is beyond comprehension in terms of how steep and rugged it is.
And I do mean giant cedars.
The fishing was really surprisingly poor, but late in the evening we finally found a deep run where Krista was able to catch her desired quarry, the bull trout. It was fun watching her land this fish on a 5' ultralight spinning rod.
This cutty followed. Both were the biggest fish of the trip.
The final bushwhack. Getting to some of these holes was quite the adventure and we brought home a few battle scars.
I managed to yard out a decent number of 10-14 inch cuts on parachute patterns. The water was VERY cold, to the point of being painful to stand in. I can't think this helped the fishing. This was the last fish of the trip, courtesy of a Panther Martin.
Some random scenery and Henry shots.
It's fun to watch a young adolescent girl be content in the woods. She's okay just being there. She doesn't have to catch a lot of fish. It's just the experience and the presence, and I pray she always holds on to that.
It was an exercise in patience for me. I don't typically stop every 5 minutes for a rest break. However, the world didn't end either. It was a great opportunity to simply enjoy life together. In light of what has happened in our nation this week, culminating the Dallas shootings, that isn't to be taken lightly.
Our trip home was cool and rainy. We took the road less travelled and stopped for burgers and milkshakes in Montana. Henry got a piece of bacon at the drive through. Don't overlook the small moments in life, sometimes they are priceless.
