A Retreat from the Smoke

The state of Idaho has been hit by numerous fires.  It is hard to escape the smoke.  A few days ago we had 2 days of a red alert—it was unhealthy for anyone to be outside.  My eyes burned.  I coughed.  I had headaches and when I walked outside my chest tightened.  It was difficult to breathe.

My husband and I had planned to go camping but the question was where to go.  Could we escape the smoke?  Should we just stay home—inside with the AC running?

I was busy with an event I’m working on so it became Bob’s job to find the spot.  He decided that Trinity Lakes would be the perfect spot because they are at a high elevation and only 2-3 hours from our house.  Bob even called the ranger district to make sure the campground was open.

We loaded up the car and left late afternoon.  We took the freeway to Mountain Home and then drove up Highway 20, turning left onto Anderson Ranch Rd.  Soon we hit a dirt road which wound around the reservoir.  It was a narrow but decent road and gave us great views.  After a while we turned onto Falls Creek Rd.  There was a sign saying the road was not recommended for passenger cars.  People need to take that sign seriously.  Bob was driving our 1997 Rav; it’s not 4 wheel drive but does have a high clearance.  It does not have heavy duty tires.

The road was quite bumpy but Bob is a retired geologist and used to driving on back roads.  It was slow going.  No other cars passed us.  And then it began to really go up.  This is where it became more goat trail than road.  I think I could have walked faster.  At one point Bob had to stop the car and get out to move some rocks.  He had difficulty getting the car to move again—this was where I was grateful for his experience.  As we slowly bumped up the mountain my mind went to what we would do if we got stuck or blew out a tire.  There was no cell service and nobody around.  Luckily we made it to Trinity Lakes.  Bob wanted to stay at Big Trinity Lake Campground so we headed in that direction.

We were lucky to find a great campsite next to the lake—it even had a big supply of wood.  Only one other campsite was being used near us.  The sun was close to setting so we hurriedly set up the tent and I made a sloppy joe dinner.  Bob pumped up the air bed and started the fire. 

We noted that the air was definitely clearer but that our campfire was putting out a lot of smoke that blew directly on our table.  After eating our s’mores (of course), we crawled into our sleeping bags and were able to gaze at the stars above us through the netting at the top of the tent.  Confident that we’d have no rain overnight, we left the rain fly off.  I’m so glad we did—it was beautiful.

Late this morning we took a hike on a trail that begins just across the road from our campsite.  It got steep quickly so we took frequent stops to catch our breath.  We’re not used to breathing at 8,000 feet.  What we did notice was how clean the air is here.  I can take deep breaths without choking or coughing.  Unfortunately, there are many burned trees here from a fire a couple of years ago.  As we climbed we also noticed how dry everything is—some bushes had already died.  This seems unusual for late August.  In spite of this we did see a number of wild flowers, most of which were past their prime but still pretty.  The trail continued to climb and got steeper.  The trail was rocky in places and the soil unstable; we had to step carefully.  When we turned around we got a great view of the area and noted that we are just above the smoke.

We continued to climb and it got even steeper.  I nearly slipped a couple of times but managed to keep my balance.  Once we reached the ridge we got a view of Trinity Mountain and its lookout tower to our right (10,000 feet).  Below us lay Green Island Lake.  That was intended to be our destination.  However, Bob declared he was not hiking all the way down and back up again.  He had a point.  It was steep.

Once we returned to our campground it was time for lunch and relaxation.  It is so quiet here—just the sounds of the wind, and the various critters that are sharing their home with us.  (We’ve already had a squirrel in our car.)

Tomorrow we will be heading for home by midday.  However, we will NOT be returning by the same route.  Bob had told me that there was another route but it was longer.  I should have been suspicious; Bob is known for his shortcuts.  What he didn’t tell me was that the other route was the recommended one.  Of course it was.  I’m sure it’s faster.

I hate to leave our little retreat so soon but there are things to do at home.  It is good to get away, even for a couple of days, and especially when it allows you to breathe easier.

Written on 8/24/2015