Loading Creek Loop Panhandle National Forest, Idaho

We're back here on the North Fork, the Coeur d'Alene River, or right by it anyway. We won't be seeing the North Fork, but this is a spot that I've done one winter camping before a few years ago. The weather right now is just glorious. It is wonderful. Tomorrow we're supposed to see some nasty weather. It's supposed to be snowing. It's supposed to snow. We should wake up to snow. So we'll pitch the tarp tight down tonight, prepare for weather. Tomorrow we'll be hiking up the mountain further. We're just going to go where the trail takes us tomorrow. Some of my favorite kind of trips. Well, I have made it to where I wanted to camp. Search around and find some trees. All right, we are set up. So next thing, let's get on the fire. There's plenty of downed wood. I need to find a couple good snags. Oh lordy, I just saw one. It's gonna be great. The draw that I was camped in was very wet. The snow had recently melted and the ground hadn't dried up at all. Even though I was surrounded by wood, it took some searching to find some wood that was dry enough to get a fire going. Well, we got her going. I think this should give us all the fire that I want tonight. Definitely cooling off down here. It's gonna get colder down here than it will in other spots. Guess we'll enjoy the fire for a while and turn in and wait for the snow. We know it's coming. Well, good morning. Not quite the scene I expected. I expected a lot more white, but it is snowing now. I think we're gonna do everything from the hammock, a little sug style this morning. Oh, let's get some coffee going. Starting to come down out there. All right, we've had the coffee. That was awesome. Gonna get water squared away and then it's time to pack up. Temperature is cooling. It's kind of snowing, hailing. Definitely a spring trip. It feels like spring. Started to get sunny for a second, but now it's got dark on us again. But we got some miles to make, so I'm just gonna have to pack up and go. The weather couldn't decide whether it was gonna snow or be sunny, and it kept changing its mind. Things are changing out here in a hurry. I'm almost packed up. All right, we are on trail. This was a great camp spot, just like I thought it would be. Everything goes as planned. We'll be back through here tomorrow. We have made it to the road, so if everything goes as planned, I will be coming down that trail tomorrow. Well, made it to the road. The weather has just been flip-flopping. Might be able to see some blue sky back there. It'll snow, get sunny, snow, get sunny. This is spring weather for sure. We're almost to an old campsite where I camped with one of my nephews in the winter. A lot different then. There was about four feet of snow here, and it was, it had snowed the day before, but then it turned to rain and was wet. Hell of a trip. We'll probably stop at the campsite when we get there. There's our old campsite. Doesn't look like much. Looks like a few trees are down. Weather's not done with us yet. I'm pretty sure those clouds are coming for us. It is coming for us. The sun's about to go behind the clouds. That is some serious blowdown. Well, it's getting pretty dark now. I think it's almost on us. Well, let's keep pushing on. It is straight dumping right now. Crazy. Pulse holding a bit through here. She's changing her mind again. Well, my map is telling me that the trail I want is just up on the ridge. If I stay on this road, it could wind a long ways, so I'm thinking I might just go off trail here and go straight up the ridge. See if I can find it. I don't think it's done snowing on me. Well, I'm hole up here. I strung up my tarp. I was going to stop and have lunch and snow started again, so I just feel like sitting for a bit. So, I'm going to refill the water and then keep pushing up the hill. Cocktail hour for lunch. Well, it's sunny again. Well, the temperature has definitely dropped. The sun is gone. I believe we've got more weather coming in. We've got to stay here until we're full up on water. We've got to melt snow to get it. So, that's our plan. Well, we're back on trail. I had to just put my stuff on and start walking. It's getting really cold just sitting there. Obviously, the snow has come again, and here it comes. What a crazy day of weather right now in the sun, and it's snowing on me. Magical. It is magical. Well, just a little further, my GPS says I'm on the trail. I don't actually remember this part. So, if I go a little further down here, it should be the end of the trail, and then back this way, back to the truck. Yeah, I want to camp somewhere up here. This wouldn't be bad. Hoping the weather holds out for me to find a camp and set up. That's the only thing I'll ask. Looks like another storm coming. I was hoping the weather would hold off long enough for me to set up, and it seems like it has. Snowing again. Well, that boom that I heard earlier was thunder, and I heard another one over there. That's how I was getting my stuff set up. Supposed to wake up to good weather. We'll see. My dinner tonight was a gift from Kenny, the Idahoian. Thanks, Kenny. It's hitting the spot. This nice hot cup of potatoes is just what the doctor ordered. This latest snowstorm seems to be sticking around a little longer. I guess we'll just post up in here tonight. Not a problem. I'm pretty tired. Well, good morning. Oh, it's a chilly morning. I think we got a little more snow overnight. Don't have the bright sunny skies that I wanted, but it looks like this might just be fog. It is about 7 30. We're gonna have some hot coffee for sure, and then pack up and head out. Wouldn't mind wait until it warms up a little bit. My tarp is pretty frozen. I mean, nobody comes up here. I'll be surprised. Most likely if I see another person, I know that person. Got my coffee. Starting to see some shadows. You can see some sunlight. Oh yeah, it's all working out. It's one of those kind of Sundays. All right, it's time. We're packed up. Time to say goodbye to the spot. Let's go. Almost back down to the road where we turned off this trail. Been seeing some tracks, fresh tracks of humans and somebody who's wearing shoes who has no business being up here. Might be Gordon. Timber's not coming to me, so I wonder if there's somebody we know up here. Well, saw it right off. This is it. We're back to the truck. Well, we made it back. Now it's down to Pritchard for some burgers, maybe a little pool.