We (Dan and me) started out early a.m. and headed out of Sandpoint towards Bonners Ferry ID (we were about 39 miles from the Canadian border just after going through Bonners Ferry) and then on into Moyie Springs (population 536). I remember some of this area as a kid as I lived in Troy when I was in HS. Kee-rist! That was a long time ago.

It’s all quiet and lazy, with zillions of trees, deep canyons, rivers, streams, wildlife, and lakes – totally beautiful but damned if I would want to live there again…especially winters. B-R-R-R-R-R!

Leaving Moyie Springs brought us to this bridge (we wanted to walk out on it to get a shot of the canyon it crosses but alas…no foot traffic path) so we climbed down underneath for one shot, hiked up to the viewpoint for another, and the picture of the sign should give the depth of what we were looking at. In my youth, before the bridge was built, my family traveled the two lane highway that clung to the side of the canyon to get to…God only knows where we were going. It was beastly, it took forever as the highway curved it’s way down to the bottom of the canyon, crossing the dam, and then back up the other side. The first picture is – obviously – the sign. The second is the bridge and canyon from the viewpoint.

We climbed down a steep embankment – about 30 yards – underneath the bridge, hoping for a better viewpoint of the canyon but I wasn’t in the mood to try to hang by my fingertips and get a shot so this is it. The first is the underside of the bridge, the second is the canyon. BTW there was a dirty looking sleeping bag right underneath the bridge up at the top of the embankment, appearing as if someone had or still sleeps there. YIKES!

After leaving this area, we trekked on down the highway, running almost parallel to the Kootenai River as we went. It’s an incredible river. A massive body of water that looks calm in some places and totally frightening in others; always a beautiful blue green color. We drove through Troy MT. I spent my last three years of high school there – graduating with about 25 other students. The town hasn’t changed much in the last 41 years. This is the high school (still looks identical to what I remember it) with the same wood Trojan guy standing on the pole out front.

I graduated with honors and was voted ‘most likely to succeed’ and ‘wittiest’ in the class and received a scholarship to go to business college but I didn’t take it (long story, short ending). I distinctly remember crying my eyes out after graduation because I had no idea what I was supposed to do – yet knowing that it was time for me to GROW UP and be on my own. I didn’t have a plan or a clue. I often wonder how many kids feel that same way. It’s like being kicked out of the womb. START BREATHING ON YOUR OWN, DAMN IT!!! I still don’t have a clue. And if you read Gary Carson, I’m not very bright or intelligent either. Psst! Gary, I’m not a nice person, so get over it already. Slam away, feel at ease, it’s your blog, do what you want with it without tempering it down to include the ‘nice person’ crap.

Dan and I took a drive down to the main street of Troy. There are three bars there in less than a 1,000 yards, not much else. I can’t remember ever going down there when I lived there in school. We lived out of town and had to bus in to school and rarely had the opportunity to even go into town for high school events so I was a very sheltered child. The bars: (the motorcycle carving is over the door of the Home Bar.)

I didn’t see a sign with the population of Troy today. I can’t imagine that it’s over 1,500 to 2,000 people. We drove out Lake Creek Road to two different places I lived in. One of the houses is gone and another stands on the property – back about 200 yards. The other house is still there. What a flood of memories.

Back to the highway and our original journey; Kootenai Falls is between Libby and Troy. Years ago I had made this same hiking trip while in high school and then later as an adult. About the only thing that has changed here is there is a sophisticated walking trail to take visitors to the pedestrian over pass that crosses the railroad tracks, park type bathrooms for male and female visitors, a chain link fence that keeps pedestrians from crossing the RR tracks – runs about 500 yards along the area, and the swinging bridge across the Kootenai River has been reinforced over the years. The pedestrian overpass bridge is brutal but necessary I’m sure. I have no idea why I didn’t take a picture of it but maybe next year. I did take a picture of the sign representing a description of Kootenai Falls but it didn’t come out worth a damn due to the fact that it’s kind of red and the lettering is recessed in white so it’s not going to be posted.

The trail splits and the left side goes to the bridge, the right side goes to the falls. The first picture is the bridge from the trail viewpoint. The second picture is before stepping onto the bridge (which sways like a bad mofo if there’s a plodder in front of or behind you – and only five people at a time are supposed to be on the bridge). The third picture is to the left, the fourth picture is to the right – that’s the direction the falls are in.

The Kootenai is truly a screamer, with white water all year long. These pictures are from the other side of the bridge as we hiked up and down and checked out a variety of trails. The first picture is after the river has crossed under the bridge and is heading towards Troy. The second is after hiking up closer to the falls and the falls are visible. The third is where we have moved up closer to the end of the falls.

The two main characters of the adventure, Dan staring at a break in the rock after he wanted to go out on the point (which I adamantly did not want him to go out on), and the break was strong enough that he felt he couldn’t make it safely. *whew* The second is MOI. The third is a view of the river as it flows towards the swinging bridge.

Lots of brush, different trails, and lots of ideas, on our part, for our trip next year and how we want to hike (at least part of) the Kootenai Trail which is marked and branches off up between the mountains from the Kootenai River, and we were back across the bridge heading for the falls. It’s almost impossible to describe, the sound of the water is overwhelming, the view is totally stupendous, and the water spray catches one with just the right amount of cooling on a hot August day. This is a MUST SEE if you are in the area.

I believe there are three rock islands in the midst of the falls. The first picture is from the highway side on the trail, just below the falls. The second is of some little yellow and purple beauties that cling to life in the rocks. The third is what I believe is a fossil.

Ladies and Gentlemen, the Kootenai Falls! Hell, these pictures don’t even do it justice. You really would have to be there.

I like this, people should do more of these and stop with the need to deface and destroy:

After about three hours of hiking and climbing, we were climbing the pedestrian RR bypass and jumping into the Steed. We headed for my brother Ken’s place for an afternoon of target shooting (yes, GUNS) and dinner before heading back to the coach and Round Lake State Park. This adventure was a trip back in time. Some places in the world never implode buildings just to build new ones and bring in the tourists. It was a long, wonderful day.