For most of August my weekly hikes with friends were a no go. There was a massive amount of wildfire smoke in the air, and many days it was unhealthy to be outside, let alone exerting one' s self. Even if we did get up early to hike before it got too hot, the smoke just clouded up our hiking intentions most efficiently. Blech!
But the smoke is mostly gone as we finally got some much needed rain! Woo hoo! It's rained twice in the last week, and our day time temps have plummeted. We have gone from the 95-105 degrees to 68-75 degrees. I am not complaining either. It was kinda nice to put on pants for the first time in two months.
Which brings me back to weekly hiking trips. We decided to do a bit of a leisurely get-back-to-it meander for our first hike in a month, and Sandpoint has a perfect trail for such a pursuit, The Bay Trail.
The trail is super easy to get to. You drive into downtown Sandpoint, take a right to cross over Sand Creek as if you were going to City Beach, and take a left on the road the runs parallel to the ever growing complex of condos on Lake Pend d'Oreille's edge. I know people need places to live, but dang those condos are sprouting up like zucchini!
At the end of the condo road, next to the old water treatment plant is a parking lot at the trail head. There's plenty of parking, or at least there used to be, I have a feeling they are going to have to expand things as the trail has become a bit popular.
Honestly though, I get why. The trail is wide, graveled, groomed, and runs along the shore of the lake. There's something so serene about plodding through a tree tunnel on the lake's edge. About halfway down the trail people can unleash their dogs and let them run free, so if you are a pupper lover, the trail is a great place to see a plethora of dog breeds. My favorite dog sighting today was a mastiff the size of a pony. He was such a good boi!
My friends and I only see each other once or twice a month, and we are not the keep touch with each other daily type, so we let the orations fly as we take our hikes. Even with such good company though, I was often distracted by the glorious views of our massive lake.
At the end of the trail is a large gate that let's people know the terrors that lay beyond. By terrors I mean that the land past the official end of the trail is where an old smelter used to be and the ground is contaminated with lead. My friend J, an ever-caring and thoughtful soul cautioned me before we popped around the gate, "Now Kat, you better restrain yourself and not eat any of this dirt, it's not good for you."
Bless her, she's older than me and it's starting to show....
Anyway, our journey came to an end where private property begins, although I did snap a picture of this awesome lakeside abode:
I also mused that the paint on that dwelling was a lovely shade of green and probably home to even more lead than the ground we were currently standing on. To no surprise to anyone, J piped up and said I better not lick the trailer's paint also. I love that she cares.
On the way back I mused at the spring in my step. So much of August has been one big stress pile, so it was nice to be in a beautiful setting with great company. The hike itself is only three miles round trip, so it wasn't taxing in the least. However, we still went and ate afterward as we always do, because food, fitness, and fellowship are pretty much my favorite f-words ever!
And if you find yourself in Sandpoint and want a restorative, leisurely stroll, give The Bay Trail a try, you won't be sorry or sore.
And as most of the time, all of the images in this post were taken on the author's really rather efficient at counting steps iPhone.