There’s a place I’ve wanted to visit for quite some time. A place with 800-year-old trees over 100 feet tall. Despite my intent to cross this off of my list, the wildfires that have ravaged so much of North Idaho and Washington throughout the summer had forced me to wait. Finally, on an overcast day in mid-September, and after some much-needed rain, my family and I set out toward Priest Lake in search of the Roosevelt Grove of Ancient Cedars.
As we drove north, the sun peeked through the clouds, reflecting off of the otherwise dark current of Priest River. Gulls drifted above the water. We lost cell phone service miles back and, although we still had several miles to go, it was clear this journey was taking us to a place where there would be little, if any, other human contact. Well over halfway through our drive we entered the midst of the forest, surrounded on all sides by immense trees, vibrant shrubbery and jagged rock formations. Soon, the paved road ended and the gravelly path that replaced it began.
The narrow road got rougher as we drove, slowing us to a crawl. We were soon brought to a halt by a young black bear bounding across the road. Our kids had never seen a bear outside of a cage and were fascinated and nervous. As young as it was, the bear was impressive and reminded us that we share this world. On this particular day, we were undoubtedly in the territory of these spectacular creatures. We waited to see if the cub’s mother would come trailing behind. After a few minutes, and no sign of her, we continued our slow drive toward the grove.
After seeing the bear, our original vision of a touristy Redwood Park- esque excursion to explore gigantic, centuries-old trees had vanished. We hadn’t even made it to the trail and our adrenaline was already flowing. A few miles later, we pulled into the empty parking lot near the trailhead. The ancient cedars looming overhead greeted us and gave a preview of what was in store for the day. After a two-hour drive, we were ready to begin our adventure.
Our first stop was the small trail to the right of the trailhead that snaked through one of the ancient cedar groves. The ample space between the trees enhanced our view and allowed us to see for what seemed like miles. Although the wide-openness of this short trail was a bit unnerving after our bear sighting, we couldn’t help but get caught up in what we were seeing. Even the beauty of the flowers, far past the time of their yearly bloom, leapt out at us from both sides of the trail. Like a movie scene, it was almost unreal, the entire area so pure and untouched. We were in a place explored by too few people and understood how fortunate we were to experience it.
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The sun broke through the trees as we continued, only magnifying the immensity of the giant trees whose trunks were so big the five of us could not encircle them. Some of the trees had merged together at some point, making their already enormous trunks even bigger. The only sounds for miles were our footsteps, a small group of agitated birds and the flowing water of a nearby stream. Taking pictures in front, and even inside, of the trunks of several trees, we curled our way through the grove, absorbing the scent of the forest around us. The sheer size of the cedars further put into perspective our place in this world. As we discussed how many generations of people these trees had outlived, our own mortality and thoughts of all of the people we’ve lost in the last few years came into focus. What I wouldn’t give to share a moment like this, a moment of such clarity, with those people. The thought of how short our time is on earth stayed with us as we explored the rest of the grove. We could have stayed in this patch of forest all day, but there was more to explore.
Not far up the trail, with our voices low, we began to hear Granite Falls crashing in the distance. We took another side route and came upon a small creek being fed by the falls. The water provided us with a natural sound barrier, allowing us to communicate more freely without feeling we were disrupting the peacefulness of this place. We felt the late summer mist off the water as it flowed carelessly along its course. The kids frolicked on the logs and rocks near the stream, not unlike curious bear cubs. They tossed stones into the water and searched for the most bizarre fallen branches they could find. Refreshed from our short jaunt, we headed back to the trail to seek out a better view of the waterfall.
After about a quarter-mile, we came to a small clearing with an overlook about the size of a pirate’s plank. It hung out over the stream that we had been exploring. While my wife and I were immediately suspicious of the safety of this platform, the kids bolted for the precarious-looking structure and were enthralled by the view of the falls. We had to usher the children off so we could take our turn, and appreciated the view as well. Acres and acres of the surrounding forest were now visible to us, making the falls seem insignificant, and putting into perspective just how deep into the woods we were. This was why we’d come all this way. Our incredible surroundings were the perfect setting to clear our minds and get away from the distractions of everyday life. We all tend to live life too fast and forget how important it is to spend time like this. And it’s places like these that remind us just how precious that time is.
As we continued on, our pace became more deliberate, and sightings of the old cedars became less frequent the higher we climbed. But what remained of the trail allowed us the chance to take full advantage of the benefits of any outdoor adventure – fresh air, picturesque views and a place where you can leave all of your troubles behind. We did not cross another soul throughout our journey. Such a short distance from home and we were truly able to get away from it all, if only for a few hours.
We were on the last stretch of trail before reaching the parking lot when the clouds finally gave out and rain began to fall. As we slogged back toward the truck, we pondered all that we had experienced. We talked about our bear sighting and agreed that we were grateful, but disappointed, that we didn’t see another one. The grove of ancient cedars almost left us without words. It didn’t seem real. It was the kind of place you read about in a fiction novel, not a place you get to visit in real life, and we collected some unusual rocks as proof we’d been there.
Too soon, we were back on the gravel road, rumbling toward the highway. The ride home seemed longer than the ride out. And after hours on the road, we reached our destination exhausted, but energized. From the towering ancient cedars to the falls and streams, our adventure more than lived up to our expectations and, like any great adventure, left us looking forward to the next one.
HOBO CEDAR GROVE
1. From Coeur d’Alene, drive east on I-90 to Exit 34.
2. Turn south onto ID-3, to Clarkia.
3. Take Poplar St. to NF-321.
4. Follow 10 miles to Forest Road 3357.
5. Follow for two miles.
SETTLER’S GROVE
1. From Coeur d’Alene, drive east on I-90.
2. Take Kingston Exit 43.
3. Travel north on Forest Highway 9 (FH9) for 26 miles to Eagle.
4. Turn left onto FR152 and travel northeast 1.3 miles to the junction.
5. Take FR805 (left fork) 5.6 miles to the trailhead.
ROOSEVELT GROVE OF ANCIENT CEDARS
1. From Coeur d’Alene, take I-90 west to HW 41.
2. Turn north on HW41 to Newport, WA.
3. Turn east on US-2 to Priest River, ID.
4. From Priest River head north on Hwy 57. At mile post 36 1/4 (Nordman) clock your odometer for 14 miles north.
5. Hwy 57 turns into road #302. Sign for the entrance will be on your left.
By Andrew Upton
As Featured In: Winter/Spring 2016