Remember the steel monolith that appeared in the Utah desert in 2020? Wildlife researchers spotted it while counting bighorn sheep from a helicopter. Three shiny metal panels formed a triangular prism, similar to the black alien beacon in 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Who builds something like that in a place almost no one can reach, and why?
I ask myself a similar question about the wooden boardwalk beneath my feet as I walk through a fir forest toward an alpine lake. It took me three hours to drive from my home in Clark Fork, Idaho, to the Roman Nose Lakes Trail in Bonners Ferry. Much of the way was up a narrow, bumpy gravel road, suitable for four-wheel-drive trucks and big-tired ATVs.
I spent a lot of time in the mountains this summer. I always wore long pants so the shrubs along the trails wouldn’t scratch my legs. I was glad when the pathways weren’t blocked by fallen trees. This wide wheelchair-friendly walkway feels alien. However, it is here for a good reason.
There are three alpine lakes viewable along this four-mile hike. In the 80s and early 90s, people drove straight to the first lake, parked along its shore, and camped. Erosion weakened the shoreline, where I now photograph clear glacial melt. The boardwalk protects it.
I pull up a map on my phone. The trail ahead leads to a group campsite built in 1995. It, along with a parking lot built away from the water, also reduced damage and let vegetation regrow, like the nearby yarrow, now brown as fall sets in.
To reach the other two lakes, I backtrack to the parking lot. There are only a few vehicles, mine and two others, just enough to hide the trail marker. I laugh when I finally spot it and get on the Timberline Loop Trail, cross a bridge. Soon, the man-made walkway gives way to soft ground. Icy frost and a few patches of snow spot the area; the October morning sun isn’t quite warm enough to melt it.
About a mile in, I see a sign. It indicates left for a loop, right for the lakes. I go right. Step across white granite boulders. Gaze out at the yellow larch in the distant Purcell Mountain range. For a moment, I lose my way; there are no cairns, no clear path on the rock slabs. A teenager passes, carrying a fly-fishing rod. I follow him and reenter the forest. The lake is less than a quarter mile farther.
The water is a translucent green, like an old soda bottle. I can see every stone on the floor of the cirque. No fish swim near as the boy casts.
From there, the final lake is a mile away. The largest. A blue lagoon within walls of talus rock. A few tents sit in the woods along the shoreline; smoke swirls from the ashes of a morning campfire. I step quietly. Farther along the trail, I look across the water and up above the tree line, where a giant rock rises like a moose’s snout. It’s Roman Nose Peak.
I pass more hikers as I begin my return journey. A boy huffs as he comes up a hill toward me. The rucksack on his back looks like it weighs more than he does. He isn’t smiling, but the tall, big-boned man behind him grins.
Soon, I am crossing the bridge again. Trucks fill every space and line the road leading out.
I think again about that monolith. It was torn down. Too many people traveled through the desert to see it, raising concerns that they would damage nearby Native American petroglyphs.
One man-made object where it doesn’t belong causes harm; another, like the wooden walkway, helps, controlling where and how we step.
JUST THE FACTS: Roman Nose Lakes, Bonners Ferry, Idaho
Distance: 4 miles (total out and back)
Estimated Time: ~ 2.5 hours
Elevation Gain: 711 feet
Key Highlights: Three alpine lakes in a fir forest. Views of Purcell Mountains and Roman Nose Peak. First lake is wheelchair accessible.
Difficulty: Moderate. Hey – the hike isn’t too tough, although footing is tricky in a place or two. But the drive in is rough. Especially if you take the wrong path. Follow the route toward Snow Creek Road. Ignore GPS directions that take you toward McArthur Lake or Ruby Creek Road – that way becomes deeply rutted and impassable about 3 miles from the trailhead.
Call for Comments: Have you visited Roman Nose Lakes? Were you impressed by the trail? Share your stories and tips in the comments, or submit to Readers’ Hike.
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What a beautiful piece— the hike, the pics, and the writing! I particularly love the last line, I'll be thinking about that for a long time.