In the back seat of the truck, I close my eyes. My heart thumps. I am surrounded by strangers wearing brightly colored parkas and water-resistant hiking boots. We are inches from a cliff edge, and half the road is washed away.
I finally appreciate why this route, Trestle Creek Road, has been closed to all but local traffic all summer as construction workers prepare to pave it, add pullouts, and fight erosion. My Tesla, a low-to-the-ground Model 3, can’t traverse it, so I’ve bummed a ride.
One of the other passengers says, “I grew up in Bridgeport, Connecticut.”
“I’m from Connecticut, too,” I respond, my mind distracted from fear of plunging down the Cabinet Mountains. It’s the first time I’ve met a fellow former Yankee since I moved to Idaho.
This week, I tried something a little different. I joined the Sandpoint Monday Hikers (SMH) for a trip to Moose Lake in the Kaniksu National Forest, near Hope, Idaho.
I found this group of trekkers on Facebook. They meet at 7:45 AM at the start of each week for a fun local hike. It’s a large group, and they plan multiple paths: an easy one for Meanderers, a moderate one for Twixters, and a hard one for Goats, as they call themselves.
“Oh, we lived in Groton,” a woman in the front passenger seat smiles.
Soon, we are no longer strangers on a rough road but old neighbors with a shared history. As we keep chatting, I learn that the SMH has been meeting for over 30 years. They tell me about their favorite hikes.
“You’ve got to check out the Roman Nose Trail. It passes three lakes,” one says.
“I’ll add it to my list.” Then I tell them about the beauty of Delyle Ridge Trail, which, to my surprise, they don’t know.
Soon, we reach our destination.
The Twixters and Goats exit their vehicles. Herbert Klein, a Goat and an Idaho Trails Association (ITA) board member, hands out work gloves and loppers. It’s a special day. In addition to a walk through the woods, we plan to perform trail maintenance.
The weather is cool and gray. I rub my arms to warm up as we join in a circle and listen to Klein give instructions for clearing the brush.
“Cut straight and low. Don’t leave a pointed stake.”
With tools in hand, we start our march, walking one by one along a path between shrubs that bore huckleberries earlier in the season. Fir and Pine trees surround us. As if on a mission, we speak little and move fast. After two miles, we reach the lake.
The beauty of the water reflecting a sky of fog, bordered by tall spruce, is haunting.
“Terribly buggy here in the summer,” someone says. “Lovely now.”
A splash breaks the water. I imagine bringing a tent. Fly fishing. Trout and scrambled eggs for breakfast.
We walk on, following a loop trail, clipping branches and twigs that threatened to grow over the path. Still, it is clear someone has done similar work not long ago. Little clean-up is needed. After about an hour, some Twixters and I head back, laughing together like old friends as we return to where we’d parked.
NOTE: Since completing this hike on 14 September, 2026, the trail is now officially closed. Avoid Trestle Creek until the road work is finished ~November of 2026.
JUST THE FACTS: Moose Lake Trail, Hope, Idaho
Distance: 4 miles (total out and back)
Estimated Time: ~ 2 hours
Elevation Gain: 544 feet
Key Highlights: A forest of Engelmann spruce. Brook trout-filled alpine lake.
Difficulty: Easy
Call for Comments: Have you hiked Moose Lake Trail? Share your stories, tips, and local history in the comments, or submit to Readers’ Hike to have your adventure highlighted.
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