Please note the Difficulty Rating of each hike and choose hikes within your personal physical limits. Space is limited, so be sure to sign up early!
Thank you for your interest in this hike! Unfortunately, this is an OLD hike. Please revisit our Current Hiking Schedule to select an alternative hike.
Take Highway 200 (east from Sandpoint) and in downtown Clark Fork turn north at the Chevron Station. Go past the school and continue up Mosquito Creek Road #276. Go past the Clark Fork Field Campus / outfitters to the junction of Road #2295. Turn right and go a little over a mile. Watch for signs for Trail #65. Turn left on road 2294. Turn left next on 2294A. Follow this a little over a mile to where the road ends at the trailhead. Look Up. If you get lost, it's always a left. Carpooling will also be available. Check with the hike leader for details.
Hike Description:This hike has been postponed to Sat., Sept. 15 due to smoke.
This hike will focus on whitebark pine – a rare and potentially endangered tree that occurs only in high elevation forest of the western US and Canada. Hike co-leader Mike Giesey is a recently retired Forest Silviculturist from the Kootenai NF and he is a member of the Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation. We will hike to stands of mature whitebark pine off trail and will be presented with ecological and morphological information about whitebark pine from habitat needs, current threats and recent restoration efforts in the area. Mike will also discuss restoration efforts the Whitebark Pine Ecosystem Foundation is engaged in. Hikers will return with a new appreciation for high elevation ecosystems and whitebark pine.
Note that elevation gain will be around 4,000 ft and the trip one way will be 4-5 miles, including off-trail across a rock scree. Please come prepared with appropriate gear for the day, snacks/lunch, plenty of water and a camera! Trekking polls are recommended.
