Backpacking… sort of

ByMatt

It’s good to be back on the trail. Backpacking has been absent from my life for quite some time, and I am excited to change that. On this trip, I hiked 2.5 miles and 1500 feet up to a forest service fire lookout that has been converted into a cabin for rent.

Shorty Peak tops out at an elevation of around 6500 feet above sea level with a view that is as spectacular as it sounds. The mountain is located in Idaho’s Selkirk Mountains on a ridge adjacent to the ridge that hosts the US-Canadian border. When Heather found that someone was unable to use their reservation, she quickly jumped on the opportunity and we were soon heading up the winding forest service road to the trailhead. On paper, the trail isn’t bad – 2.5 miles to the lookout with an elevation gain of 1300 feet. However, two challenges made this hike feel tougher than it was. First, neither one of us had backpacked in years, and so we were not used to carrying so much weight. Second, There is no available water at the lookout, so our packs were exceptionally heavy having to carry all of our water with us. Now, I have since learned that there is a spring about half a mile and 500 feet down from the lookout, which isn’t much better for collecting water. Either way, it’s not easy. We also happened to go in the prime of mosquito season, and we were surely getting eaten alive on the hike up. But the mosquitoes all but disappeared as we emerged from the forest to the bald summit.

Sleeping in a fire lookout affords some comfort that you don’t get on a conventional backpacking trip. The lookout comes with beds, and while we had to carry our own bedding (we chose sleeping bags), we didn’t have to bring shelter. There are also chairs, a table, and lots of room to spread out. The lookout also provides shelter from the wind. But aside from that, it’s still a primitive camping experience.

The view is worth the pain and effort. There is a 360-degree panorama to enjoy. The view to the west peers into the Selkirk Mountains. To the north, we could look into Canada and the impressive peaks of the Kootenay Mountains. At night, we could see the lights from the town of Creston. To the east, we gaze upon the Cabinet Mountains and into Montana.

This was certainly a unique experience, and I hope I get the chance to do it again.

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