Mineral Point Loop & Lost Lake Trail, Sagle, Idaho
Mosquitoes, Shortcuts, and My First “50 at 50” Hike
Searching for the Mineral Point Loop trailhead in Sagle, Idaho (ID), I drove along a twisty, turny fire road. A crooked sign nailed to a tree read, “Slow Down, You’re Getting Dust in my Beer.” I laughed and glanced at my husband, Ken, whose eyes were glued to the map on his phone.
“How much farther?” I asked.
“A little over a mile.”
This was the trail I’d chosen for my birthday. It’s the first of 50 hikes in Northern Idaho as I turn 50 this year. I picked it because Mineral Point Loop connects to a second trail called Lost Lake. The name alone promised adventure, romance, or maybe the setting of an ’80s slasher flick. I had to see it.
Together, the journey would be 6.2 miles. Perfect.
As we continued down the road, the green forest thickened around us. It seemed a place where black bears and mountain lions surely wandered. I thought about the recent article I’d read about a grizzly attack in Glacier National Park, a few hours northeast in Montana. I checked the rearview mirror, glancing at our packs. Bear spray? Check.
The road widened into a parking area with a brown outhouse and a Forest Ranger’s truck. We parked, grabbed our hiking sticks, and approached the ranger. Her long gray hair was tied back in ponytails, giving her the look of a Kalispel warrior.
“Is the trail well marked?” Ken asked.
“Yes. Beautiful trail,” she said. “Common to see bald eagles at the bay view.”
Smiling, we set off. Within minutes we reached picnic tables overlooking the cerulean-blue waters of Green Bay on the eastern shore of Lake Pend Oreille. The bay takes its name not from the water’s color, but from the Green Monarch Mountains rising above it. A single boat dotted the vast expanse. The scene was breathtaking: quiet, crystalline, and vast.
As I stood there soaking it in, I remembered the reactions from friends and coworkers back in Massachusetts when I told them Ken and I had bought property in Idaho to build a log cabin. Foreheads furrowed. Eyebrows rose.
“Gonna grow potatoes?” “Where did you say? Iowa? Ohio?” “Idaho?”
Clearly, none of them had ever experienced the glory of Northern Idaho.
We continued along the trail as it turned away from the bay and into the deep forest. Silence wrapped around us, broken only by the caw of a crow that flapped its wide black wings from tree to tree, following us for a stretch. When it left, the pleasant whistle of an unseen vireo took its place.
The path was rolling, but not too steep. It was lined with wildflowers: white yarrow, trillium, and bright orange honeysuckle. Fresh horse droppings told us others had passed this way recently.
After about three miles we reached a sandy crossroads with multiple paths branching out. A small opening straight ahead had a nearly hidden “Lost” sign peeking through the overgrowth. We stepped past it and back into the trees.
This is when things went downhill.
We were attacked, not by bears, but by mosquitoes. I’d sprayed at the car, but the little vampires ignored it. We picked up the pace, swatting as we went.
At a fork, a brown sign with a bicycle icon pointed right.
“Which way?” I scratched a small pink bump on my hand.
Ken pulled out his phone. Opened the AllTrails app. “Don’t have a signal,” he said.
We went right and soon reached the source of the swarm: a still marsh - Lost Lake. I snapped a quick photo before the bugs drove us onward. Another fork appeared, this one marked “Shortcut: Mineral Point Loop.”
Ken looked at me. We took it.
Ultimately, we walked 3.87 miles in a little under two hours. We didn’t complete the full planned traverse, but the views along the Mineral Point Loop Trail, the wildflowers, the birds (sorry, no eagles that day), and the shared laughter made it a success. I learned two important lessons: download the offline trail map in advance, and keep the bug spray in your pack for reapplication.
My 50th was a good birthday - one that reminded me that the best hikes (and life moments) are often those that don’t go exactly according to plan.
JUST THE FACTS: Lost Lake Trail & Mineral Point Loop
Combined Distance: 6.2 miles (loop option)
Estimated Time: ~3 hours
Elevation Gain: 725 feet
Key Highlights: Stunning views of Green Bay on Lake Pend Oreille; common bald eagle sightings
Difficulty: Moderate. If you haven’t exercised in a while, don’t make this your first hike. Work your way up to it. It’s the distance that makes it not easy, though the rolling trail would be difficult for those with balance issues.
Call for Comments: Have you hiked Lost Lake or the Mineral Point Loop? Share your stories, tips, or mosquito war stories in the comments, or submit to Reader’s Hike to have your adventure highlighted.
My Next Hike: Rapid Lightning Creek Trail: A 5.6-mile out-and-back hike near Kootenai, ID. I hope you’ll read along.
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All the adventure, sights and sounds without the swatting!