I knew it would look like this, but it’s always worth a try: it’s only a few miles from home, and sometimes it’s nice to see a couple of favorite trail heads while they are still under the influence of winter. Today my pack stayed in the car: I didn’t try the snow packed trails to Blossom and Pear lakes on the Montana side of the pass nor test the even deeper snow up to Revett Lake on the Idaho side. In another month… but for now winter is still only a half mile higher than the valley.
When I visited Revett Lake in late summer of 2014 the tall stalks of Bear Grass flowers could be seen in vast quantities on the seep mountainside on the far side of the lake, although the flowers were already gone. I made a note then to return this year during the time that they would be blooming because it would be a magnificent sight. Well, today I paid another visit and although the Bear Grass is in bloom, they are very sparse compared to normal years and the spectacle I had anticipated was not there. It’s still a nice hike and a beautiful lake, and following are a series of photos of the trail and the lake, starting with a early morning view from just past the trail head looking farther back into the Idaho Panhandle National Forest.
Revett is located just on the Idaho side of the Montana/Idaho border at Thompson Pass, about 24 miles west of Thompson Falls, Montana. There road to the trail head takes off at the large parking area at Thompson Pass which is also the trail head for Blossom lakes on the Montana side.
Revett Lake is located in the Panhandle National Forest about a mile on the Idaho side of the Montana – Idaho border near Thompson Pass (Hwy 471), about 24 miles west of Thompson Falls, Montana. A good dirt road leaves the parking lot at the border and takes you about a mile to the trail head. The trail (Trail #9) is short, a mile and a half to two miles, and it is an easy climb of about a thousand feet to the lake. Despite rather heavy usage on the trail in the summer, no trash at all could be seen along the trail or at the lake and the day I was there I was all alone.
Revett Lake at 10 this morning. It is in the Panhandle National Forest just on the Idaho side of the Montana – Idaho border near Thompson Pass, about 24 miles west of Thompson Falls, Montana.
Thought this would look good with the WordPress snowflakes too. Pear Lake is found along the Idaho/Montana border in the Evans Gulch roadless area about five miles up the trail from Thompson Pass, past Blossom Lake and Upper Blossom Lake. Photo taken on 7/23/12.
While reviewing some photos taken during 2013, I was reminded of the diversity that we encounter here during the month of April. Following are a few photos taken in April, 2013:
April 1, Thompson Pass ~ I hiked a mile and a half on snowshoes over six feet of snow to find a trail head but was unable to find it because all of the signs and markings were below the snow level.
April 5, our first Crocus was in bloom in one of the flower beds.
April 11, Western White Trillium, Trillium Ovatum in bloom at the bottom end of Munson Creek.
April 13, Darkthroat Shootingstar, Dodecatheon pulchellum blooming just above the river.
April 18, Western White Trillium, Trillium Ovatum in bloom 2 miles up the Munson Creek trail. This was the fourth consecutive year that I caught the spectacular bloom of the trilliums in that one small area along the trail.
April 21, A sudden spring snow brought a relapse back to winter.
April 22, Most of the previous day’s snow had already melted down by the river.
April 22, Holboell’s rockcress, Boechera pendulocarpa was in bloom on a warm rock face just above the river.
