SneakersPub

By: Mike Powers
Far into the mountains of Northern Idaho, above the rivers and streams that flow in the lower valleys lies a small little alpine lake that could have possibly been sent down from Heaven. Crystal clear water with native brook trout abundant in it's waters, Revett Lake is truly a wonderful marvel to see and is one of the most beautiful lakes of the many alpine lakes scattered throughout the North Idaho mountains.

With a short jaunt of only 4 miles to the lake's shores, Revett Lake's easy trail gives the hiking enthusiast incredible scenery from the beginning to the end of the hike. Because the trail is only accessible from June through October, I find that June is the best time to hike this trail as the greenery is especially lush and the trail is not dusty. Along the hike's journey is a gorgeous spectacular waterfall that flows heavily during the late spring giving another reason for June being the best time to go.

With the high point of the hike reaching 5600 feet above sea level, the 4 mile round trip excursion has an elevation gain of only 500 feet from the trail head making it a relatively easy hike for just about anyone. For the campers in your family, this hike is perfect for that first overnight backpacking trip. On the shores of the lake, there are several well established camps already to go with areas to pitch your tent and build that warm fire.

Along the trail we came across one of my favorite mountain flowers, Xerophyllum tenax. Can someone tell me how to pronounce those two words? Actually, this is the technical name for Bear Grass, which is plentiful in the springtime at Revett Lake. Maybe you have seen this flower on your hikes and didn't know the proper name for it. The flowers of the plant grow on a stalk that can be up to 6 feet tall with many small flowers. The flower is creamy in color, saucer shaped and has a sweet aroma.

When walking along Revett Lake's trail, be prepared to see moose, dear, coyote and even bear. Grizzly bears are probably not going to be around this part of Idaho but certainly black bear are abundant. My friend tends to be deathly afraid of bears and gets nervous every time we hike together. She carries a canister of "bear spray" which is really a larger version of pepper spray and can shoot much farther. In reality though, if you do come across a bear, just make a great deal of noise and most likely the bear will turn away and will never be seen again for the remainder of your hike. ( I try to tell my friend this but she still is nervous).

Next to the Revett Lake trail, just over the Idaho and Montana border, are two sweet little lakes called Blossom Lakes. In my next article, I will tell more about our hiking into these two lakes along with a funny story that happened along the way.