Finger Lake

I was looking over draft posts I had started and found this one that all I had to do was proofread to finish.  It is from way back in 2010!



Sunday February 7 Patti and I hiked to Finger Lake in the Tally Lake Ranger district of the Flathead National Forest.

Finger Lake is in the upper left corner of the map.  Trail 802.

The day was overcast.  As we drove west of Whitefish we could see a large area of blue sky that stretched to the horizon.  Some mountains were in sunlight and were a frosty white and green.  Pretty.  Alas, as the morning went on the blue sky closed and disappeared.

On the drive along Whitefish Stage we had to stop for a rafter of turkeys crossing the road.  They moved back and off the road when we approached.  Patti stopped and rolled down the window so I could take a photo.  The Tom turkey got annoyed and made a noise before leading his ladies around the back of the car to cross the road.

It has been a few years since I was last at Finger Lake and I couldn't remember the correct road to turn off on.  A sign listed three places and I was able to read the first two locations and saw enough of the third to know it didn't say Finger Lake.  We drove on a few miles before I suggested we turn around and come back to this road.

When we approached the sign again - slower this time as Patti was about to turn - I was able to read the third location.  Lagoni Lake.  Ah... a lake close to Finger Lake.  Patti told me she had said Lagoni Lake the first time but I hadn't heard her.  She then said, "Men!  You never listen to what a woman says!"

We parked just across the railroad tracks, a half mile from the trail head. While I thought the road was driveable Patti was nervous as to its condition. She thought there were only snowmobile tracks on the narrow road and she didn't want to get stuck.  Never mind that her car is a four wheel drive vehicle.  Two pickups were parked here and she wanted to do the same.  She was driving so I agreed.  Though if I was driving... 

As we walked on the road to the trail head Patti decided that we could have driven on the road.

We carried our snowshoes but never needed them on the trail as the snow was packed down by previous traffic.

The sign at the trail head said the distance to Finger Lake was 1.5 miles but it felt more like one mile.  We gained about 300 ft in elevation, mainly over three climbs.

The lake of course was completely frozen and snow covered.  The previous time I visited the lake was in the Summer and, unlike the other lakes I visited recently, I must admit Finger Lake looks better in Summer than Winter.  Maybe that was due to the lack of snow covered mountains.

Finger Lake

Finger Lake

Wall Lake just ahead?

On the way back we saw tracks leading to a side trail to Wall Lake and decided to follow them.  By the time we were crossing the marshy area the tracks were down to just snowshoe tracks.  They ended two-thirds of the way across the lake.  I thought I could tell where the trail picked up on the ridge on the other side and attempted to get there.  But the snow was soft and deep and I sank.  Rather than putting on snowshoes to go to a possible trail we turned back.

When we first started across this marshy area there were a couple steps where we sank in the snow down into the water.  As I write this I have my shoes by my wood stove to dry.

The first quarter mile of the trail is a shared trail between Finger and Lagoni Lake. There were a few footprints but mainly there were a bunch of cross country ski tracks.  After what seemed to be a long time we came to where tracks led to the lake and also went onward.

We went to the lake.

It was Upper Stillwater Lake.  One ice fishing house was out on the lake... or was it an errant porta-potty?

It was very quiet.  In the distance we could hear a faint sound.  We never figured out if it was tires on a road or a train in the far distance around some mountains.

The taller mountains disappeared into the low clouds.

Patti's knee was bothering her so we didn't continue on to Lagoni Lake.

On the hike back we met a family consisting of: dad, mom, teenage boy and pre-teen girl.  All on cross country skis. And their dog who was far ahead of them and whom we met first.  The dog was uncertain what to do and started barking at us.

The boy was trying to call the dog back and Patti was trying to call the dog to come to her so she could pet it.  Instead the dog bounded up and down and barked at us not knowing what to do.  Great.  I was in front of Patti so if the dog decided to attack he would go for me first.  Eventually the boy got closer and the dog finally listened to him.

The family was out for ice fishing.  All were on skis except for dad who was walking and pulling a plastic sled with all their fishing gear.

We chatted with them for a bit about the area and fishing.  They seemed like a great family. Dad was laid back and I had the feeling mom ran the show.

Back at the trail head I went on the road down to Upper Stillwater Lake while Patti hobbled back to her car.

The combination of vehicle and snowmobile tracks switched to just snowmobile tracks at the lake's edge.  There were a few open spots of water and it wasn't safe to drive a vehicle on the lake.  I guess the guy with the ice fishing "porta-potty" will have to tow the house back to shore using a snowmobile.

Upper Stillwater Lake

 

Since we had initially planned to hike to Sperry Chalet our starting time was 8 am.  As we hiked only 5.5 miles on relatively level ground I was back home by 2 pm.  It felt odd... like I hadn't done anything today.