Day 10 - Lake Koocanusa

Day 10 – We’re told over breakfast that the Framptons have reserved a small pontoon boat for everyone to enjoy by floating on the nearby Lake Koocanusa. This, obviously, sounds like a wonderful way to spend an afternoon – but not until we sit on the porch sipping coffee and catching up on some of our reading, and then taking a drive around the Northern banks of the Koocanusa to sniff out some of the climbing routes in the area.


The Lake is what used to simply be the Kootnie river, til a dam about 45 miles of the Canadian border was constructed back in the 70s. Afterwards, the water level obviously rose, and the lake was named for its original river benefactor, and also the two countries that claim its Northern and Southern banks. Though fueled by running snow melt from the rockies, the lake is quite warm (in the high sixties, I believe) and we spend the better part of the afternoon trolling around, spotting a few bald eagles, taking dips in different coves, enjoying some huckleberry beer and playing in the mud.


Dinner that night is ordered out pizza from Eureka and some time organizing all of the pictures that we have taken so far on our journey. (there are quite a few) The day is the epitome of what a vacation should be, with a wonderful mix of sleeping in the sun, drinking tasty beverages in the middle of the day and sleeping deeply without a worry for the next day.

Shots from the trip are over here, while shots from the entire trip are collected over there. Again, if you click on the 'all sizes' button you can get the bigger version of the picture.