8 miles of hiking • 4000' elevation gain •
I was up in Bonners Ferry, Idaho, for a wedding this weekend. We had hoped to camp out at Roman Nose Lakes and fish in the Selkirks, but the road was impassible to anything but very high clearance trucks (foot-deep mud), and still wanting to hike, we looked for something else in the area that would be doable Sunday afternoon. (Although we did see a very cool moose and her calf).
After breakfast at a greasy spoon in Bonners Ferry, we started back toward Sandpoint, and made our way up toward Scotchman Peak, which is just off the Montana Border. This hike came recommended as one with good views, and I also happened upon awildman's blog post (quality site, BTW), which had some great pictures, so we thought to give it a try.
This hike is only about 8 miles, but has some Defiance-like steepness, for about 4000' and 4 miles up. Mid-eighties temps made for a bit more effort, but the 360º views at the top made up for it. The peak overlooks Lake Pend Oreille and the Cabinet Mountains, and you could see for miles—it's the highest peak in the area, if I read correctly.
At the top, there were several mountain goats, including a kid that was a bit camera shy. Short on water because of the heat, we enjoyed some snowfield sno-cones at the top while enjoying the view. The hike down, of course, was a breeze.
This is a nice little hike if you're in the area. A final note: be sure to get driving directions before leaving—we meandered a bit before finding the right road to the trailhead.
