A Mountain Lake From Heaven

Far into the mountains of Northern Idaho, above the rivers and streams that flow in the lower valleys lies a small little alpine lake that could have possibly been sent down from Heaven. Crystal clear water with native brook trout abundant in it’s waters, Revett Lake is truly a wonderful marvel to see and is one of the most beautiful lakes of the many alpine lakes scattered throughout the North Idaho mountains.

With a short jaunt of only 4 miles to the lake’s shores, Revett Lake’s easy trail gives the hiking enthusiast incredible scenery from the beginning to the end of the hike. Because the trail is only accessible from June through October, I find that June is the best time to hike this trail as the greenery is especially lush and the trail is not dusty. Along the hike’s journey is a gorgeous spectacular waterfall that flows heavily during the late spring giving another reason for June being the best time to go.

With the high point of the hike reaching 5600 feet above sea level, the 4 mile round trip excursion has an elevation gain of only 500 feet from the trail head making it a relatively easy hike for just about anyone. For the campers in your family, this hike is perfect for that first overnight backpacking trip. On the shores of the lake, there are several well established camps already to go with areas to pitch your tent and build that warm fire.

Along the trail we came across one of my favorite mountain flowers, Xerophyllum tenax. Can someone tell me how to pronounce those two words? Actually, this is the technical name for Bear Grass, which is plentiful in the springtime at Revett Lake. Maybe you have seen this flower on your hikes and didn’t know the proper name for it. The flowers of the plant grow on a stalk that can be up to 6 feet tall with many small flowers. The flower is creamy in color, saucer shaped and has a sweet aroma.

When walking along Revett Lake’s trail, be prepared to see moose, dear, coyote and even bear. Grizzly bears are probably not going to be around this part of Idaho but certainly black bear are abundant. In general, black bears are not aggressive unless you come in contact with their cubs so it would not hurt to carry a can of "Bear Spray" just in case as you should on all hikes into the wilderness.

Creamy Fettuccine With Romano Cheese Sauce

After some thought about what I should add next to my blog, I decided to add some of my favorite own recipes that are not only tasty but add a bit of elegance to your cabin or camping experience.

That being said, on your next overnight camping adventure, become the hit of your campsite with my version of fettuccine with a creamy Romano cheese sauce. This is easy to prepare and the ingredients will not take up a lot of room in your camping cooler.

Here’s what you will need:

½ package fettuccine noodles.

½ cup Romano cheese (you can substitute parmesan but I wouldn’t recommend it)

½ cup sour cream

½ cup butter or margarine

½ cup sautéed onion

1 tablespoon garlic powder

Seasoning salt and pepper to taste

Chopped tomato (optional)

Suggested additions to sauté with the onion:

Ham

Shrimp

Sausage

Chicken

Cook the noodles as per package instructions in a fairly large pot (you will be using this to mix your noodles with the other ingredients…less dishes to clean up you know). When the noodles are done, be prepared to move fast as this recipe requires to mix everything while the noodles are still hot!

Drain the noodles into a colander and immediately put the butter, sour cream and Romano cheese into the pot the noodles were cooked in. Put the drained noodles right back into the pot on top of the ingredients and mix together to create a wonderful creamy sauce. Now add the sautéed onion, the tomato and the meat of your choice along with the seasonings. I believe you will find this to be a 5 star restaurant quality dish that will make you an instant success!

Enjoy!

My Trip To Sheep Falls

Quite a while back, I took a beautiful little hike to a place in the lower Targhee National Forest called Sheep Falls. The trail is right off of Highway 20 going towards West Yellowstone National Park (from Idaho Falls, Idaho) and really is a diamond in the rough for hiking and viewing purposes. I don't believe a lot of people know about this wonderful place and I was blessed to stumble upon it. Take a look at some of the photographs I took while enjoying the scenery.

Click on the arrow on the right of the photographs to take my short slide show: