The Inland Northwest is a kayaker’s mecca. Those of us with a penchant for paddling are fortunate to have so many go-to excursions to choose from. Close-in favorites like Coeur d’Alene Lake’s Cougar Bay and Fernan and Hayden Lakes offer quick, après-work access to tranquil waters and wildlife viewing. On weekends, we venture out to such gems as Spirit Lake, Twin Lakes, Hauser and Newman Lakes, and the Chain Lakes along the Coeur d’Alene River before we even have to contemplate more than a half hour’s drive. Despite being a stone’s throw away from Interstate 90 and civilized life, we are able to witness a world of hidden beauty from our vessel’s cockpit. Camouflaged frogs perched on mossy logs greet us while herons, eagles, and osprey swoop and circle by as they forage for fi sh. Our area’s navigable waters reveal a host of migratory and nesting waterfowl as well as songbirds and shorebirds. Among my favorites to find are the buffleheads, mergansers and blue heron. We frequently spot moose lazily munching in the marshes along the shores of the Chain Lakes.
Bonner County, to the north of the Coeur d’Alene area, offers a host of possibilities for paddling that is varied and vast. Pend Oreille River, Round Lake, Cocolalla Lake, Morton Slough, Priest Lake and the thoroughfare to Upper Priest, the Pack River Delta and Pack River, the Clark Fork Delta and Pend Oreille Lake’s bays and beaches are just a few paddling places to whet your appetite for Bonner’s boating bounty.
One Thursday last August, we set out for an uncomplicated overnight getaway, a mid-week reset to recharge the batteries. We had planned to paddle to Long Beach, a mile-long stretch of beach at the base of the majestic Green Monarch Mountains on Lake Pend Oreille’s northeast shore. This beautiful beach is only accessible by boat, but this doesn’t stop the crowds from coming on a sunny summer weekend which is why we chose a Thursday for departure. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service, Long Beach has a few pit toilets and fi re pits, mooring buoys, and is the perfect spot to swim laps along the shoreline in the crystal clear water.
With our dry bags, tent, camp gear, and kayaks loaded, we observed the weather and as predicted, the already high winds were steadily gaining strength. We would need to alter our itinerary to avoid exposure on Pend Oreille Lake during high winds. The lake is massive and mighty and is no place for a kayak during high winds and wave activity. Fortunately, we knew that Johnson Creek would give us access to the area and the protection we needed on such a blustery day.
We drove north to beautiful Sandpoint and stopped for a latte at Evans Brothers Coffee. Properly caffeinated, we continued to Ponderay where we turned east on Highway 200. The road skirts the Pack River Delta, passes Hope, Denton Slough, the Clark Fork Delta, and comes to the town of Clark Fork. We crossed the Clark Fork via River Road and headed west on FS 278 Johnson Creek Road to the Johnson Creek access.
The road ends at a gravel lot where you’ll find a boat launch, pit toilets, picnic table and room for a dozen or so cars. Short term camping is allowed at the Johnson Creek access area, but it doesn’t offer much in the way of privacy.
We loaded our boat with the night’s provisions and began paddling Johnson Creek toward Lake Pend Oreille. Despite the volatility of the lake’s white capped water, Johnson Creek was a sheltered retreat. We navigated along the channel that hugs Jake’s Mountain and offers the serenity of a posted ‘no wake’ zone. As we approached Lee’s Point, where Johnson Creek meets Pend Oreille Lake, we could hear the wind howling and the sound of the waves crashing on the pebbled shoreline. We docked at Lee’s Point to secure our spray skirts before rounding the corner into the turbulent lake. Grateful to have our spray skirts on, we played in the waves a bit before beaching and quickly dragging the boats up the beach before the waves filled the cockpits with water. A brief look around confirmed that the entire beach was ours and ours alone on this windy Thursday evening!
After pitching our tent amongst the cottonwood trees, we walked down the rocky spit to the south. The backwater behind the spit offers prolific cattails and provides a breeding ground and natural habitat for wildlife (and mosquitos!).
Story continues after a quick message from our sponsor below.
That evening, we made a little fi re, devoured pulled pork street tacos and fresh salsa with a glass of wine while watching the procession of the remaining fishing boats on the lake steam in for the evening. We took in the sunset over what is arguably one of the most beautiful lakes in the world. The Selkirk Crest and the uniquely recognizable Chimney Rock, visible to the northwest provided a beautiful backdrop to the dancing waters on the lake. After the sun slipped into the mountainous horizon, we crawled into our tent for a quiet night by the beach. How lovely to fall asleep to the sound of waves churning up on the beach and the melody of the pebbles tossing and tumbling the shoreline with the waves’ tugs. The next morning brought a delightful surprise! We rose to fl at calm water and a deep blue sky. Foregoing coffee, we quickly set out for a paddle along the Green Monarchs to Long Beach. This mile-long stretch of pebbled beach with pockets of sand is wildly beautiful and kept that way by the lack of road access. Green Monarch Mountain juts nearly 3,000 feet straight up from the water.
The steep topography is evidenced below water, too, as the water is hundreds of feet deep not far from the shoreline.
The lake held a perfect reflection of the mountains in the water and the morning was silent aside from the gentle plinking sounds of water droplets falling from the paddle to the water. What a picturesque morning on the water!
As the wind began to pick up, we paddled back to the safety of our camp at Lee’s Point to enjoy a hearty breakfast and cup of hot coffee. Reluctantly, we packed up camp and stowed our gear back in the boats for the paddle back down Johnson Creek. It was a beautifully sunny, dog-days-of-summer Friday on the lake and we opted to head out before we received company on what we claimed as our beach for the night.
We surprised ourselves by forgoing a pint at McDuff’s in Sandpoint, but for a respectable reason; not willing to end our adventure, we opted to take a jaunt to Garfield Bay for an afternoon paddle. At Garfield Bay, we packed only our towels and books in the boats’ hatches and paddled northeast to Green Bay for a late afternoon of sun and swimming and a lounge on the beach with a good novel in hand.
We had that beer when we arrived home, after unpacking our gear, of course. We clinked our glasses in a toast to how fortunate we are to live in such a beautiful area, teeming with pristine lakes and rivers that beg to be explored.
Cheers and happy paddling! N
By Denise Lundy
Photography By David Ronalds
As Featured In: 2018 Summer/Fall SPO Edition
