Camping on Summit Creek

My wife Shirley and I decided we needed to take our travel trailer and make one more trip to the mountains before the snow fell and the weather got too cold. Our favorite camping spot on Phi Kappa Creek in the Salmon/Challis National Forrest was taken when we arrived so we decided to check out the Phi Kappa Creek campground. The campground had too many people like us, or maybe they were archery hunters, so we decided to check out other places.

We found a nice spot on Summit Creek about half way between Phi Kappa and Park Creek campgrounds opposite Little Fall Creek. It was easy to get into and we had it all to ourselves. We were a little closer to the road (Trail Creek Road) than we wanted to be but this proved to be a non-problem.

We spent 2 days camping and enjoyed every minute. When we were leaving (got about 1/2 mile down the road from where we were camped and saw a cow and calf moose standing in the middle of the road. I slowed almost to a stop so Shirley could get the camera and take their picture, but they were too fast, we were to slow and there won't be any pictures of moose in this blog.

Our Campsite On Summit Creek Opposite Little Fall Creek Canyon

(Our Shih Tzu Tucker Welcomes You)

Summit Creek Beside Our Campsite

Wayne Olsen Photo

Fall Willow Colors on Summit Creek Above Our Campsite

Wayne Olsen Photo

Shirley and I took our 4-wheeler up the Little Fall Creek Road until we got to the second switchback on the first shale slide and decided to go back as the sky was clouding up and it looked like a big storm was coming in. We only had one machine and that was another reason not to get to far from camp. We never want to go farther with one machine than we want to walk back (we were about 3 miles up the canyon). When I was in early grade school, my Dad logged in Little Fall Creek, so some day we want to go back with two machines and see how far we can still get up the old logging roads.

Little Fall Creek Canyon

Wayne Olsen Photo

We also took the 4-wheeler and went up the Park Creek Road into the head waters of the West Fork of Trail Creek. It is a pretty ride and is only about 2-3/4 miles from the Park Creek Campground to the end of the road and the trail head.

Meadow at the Head of West Fork of Trail Creek

(This is in the Sawtooth National Forest Which Borders Salmon/Challis National Forest)

Wayne Olsen Photo

Looking Down Summit Creek Toward the Big Lost River Valley

Wayne Olsen Photo

Comments

Yellowstone Park is in Idaho?

I am an Idaho resident by birth and have lived in Idaho most of my life (spent about a year in Utah but am trying to forget about that - I was only 3 years old at the time and had no choice). I have always said and continue to say there is no National Park in Idaho. Oh sure! The map of Yellowstone Park shows a small portion along the Wyoming border as being in Idaho, but how many people know how to even get to this portion of the Park? If you look at the above map, there are no attractions at all listed in the Idaho part of the Park! There are no major roads from Idaho into the Park. Main Park entrances are from either Montana (3 entrances) or Wyoming (2 entrances) Any way, my wife Shirley and I have been taking our children and grand children to Yellowstone Park for forty years using one of the main Park entrances. This year three of our sons who live in Idaho talked us into going with them and their families into the Idaho part of Yellowstone. This is ho...

Lake Creek Trail

Several years ago (probably more like 8 or 9) Shirley and I went camping with friends in the Lake Creek Campground, Salmon Challis National Forest, (about 60 miles from our home in Mackay, Idaho). Our friends went some where with their kids fishing, so we decided to check out the trail to the chain of Lake Creek lakes: Round Lake, Long Lake, Big Lake, Rough Lake, Golden Lake, etc.. Well we got up the trail about 6 miles or so and the trail being so rocky and rough and because we were both on one 4-Wheeler, we decided to turn back to camp. Also, no one knew where we were because we left after our friends had gone and we had been out several hours. We never got to any of the lakes, and always wondered what the rest of the trail was like and what the various lakes looked like. Well, a few weeks ago, we got to find out! Our son Dirk called and said that he and his family would like to go camping for the weekend. They wanted to camp at the Lake Cr...

Road Trip 2015 Ohio Kirtland

Kirtland Ohio, was the headquarters of the Church of Latter Day Saints (later to change their name to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) from 1831 until early 1838. The first temple was completed in 1836. The Kirtland Temple is currently owned by the Community of Christ Church (formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Later Day Saints). The Temple is open to the public. The Community of Christ Church conducts tours of the building, but does not allow pictures to be taken inside. Our tour was conducted by a Catholic tour guide who was very knowledgeable of the early church history and provided a spiritual tour of the Temple. The front doors of the temple are close to the street so we couldn't get a nice view of the Temple without the electrical wires. The Temple has three floors, the first floor was used as a meeting place for all members of the Church (much like a ward meeting house). The second floor is a...

Wayne's Reflections