The North Idaho Front Porch (Sandpoint, Clark Fork: fit in, landscaping, to live in)

[elousv]

Here is our old dude London. He is pushing 13 and going on pretty good. I really hope he gets to explore NID.

[kaadub]

Hi Toyman .. thanks for the response. I thought I sent a reply but do not see it, so if this is a repeat please excuse. My buddie and I are driving up next Monday and most likely will not arrive until sunset so we maybe forced to get a motel rather than stumble around in the dark and find our camp the next morning. We saw several camps on Priest Lake on the net. We are looking for a camp similar to your tastes without the pucker factor .. lol. Also want to check out Hope area. Since we are only there for five days our time is limited. My friend loves fishing so I would love to locate where we can fish near to camp. We love to explore so we can take trips around the area we are in. I will check back again sooner since
your being so kind with information. Thanks !

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Ooooweeee Doggie! Great pics! Such wonderful pooches! Got a kick out of seeing Jip on the Actual Porch...Our dog Montana would love to play with them all! She's doing much better now, and she's a really happy, friendly soul. Yeah, we're going to take Montana to Idaho...that's going to confuse some people...


I should have said furry and feathered friends--didn't want to discriminate!

Elousv, just keep telling London about NID, so he'll hang on and want to see for himself...we all know that at that time of life for a dog, every day is precious...


Toyman, yes, in our Cleveland Forest (which is huge) we now have to have dogs on a short leash everywhere--we've even been told that there are areas where you can't bring dogs at all, because the authorities have been worried about dogs spreading parvo virus etc., but that was last year. Pehaps these regulations change. But it's sad that we can't take our well-mannered dog for a good hike in our local (semi-) high country...

[Toyman at Jewel Lake]

kaadub, for a nice place to stay, I don't think you can beat the Priest Lake area. Do you have a boat, or are you going to go on a charter one? I'm not sure how much good bank fishing you can do around there, perhaps someone else can respond. I know Mackinaw (lake trout) is the most common fish to catch there, pretty much needs a boat with downriggers I believe. If you want some pretty places to camp, along with good river (creek) fishing, the upper part of the St. Joe (above Avery) is really nice, and all accessable from paved road. Do you mind dealing with some gravel roads to get to your camp? There is so much back country to explore, I've only scratched the surface. Maybe someone else can lend some good ideas. Another pretty spot is near Wallace, Glidden Lake. There are 2 lakes, upper and lower, at least 1 you can drive to. Gives you kind of a backcountry lake experience without backpacking, though I don't know what the fishing is like.

Also, do you mind packing/moving camp every couple days? We might be able to come up with a nice loop that would let you see more area.

[kaadub]

Thanks again Toyman. I imagine we would only move once during trip since we are tent camping and explore by 4x4 from the camp.
I will look on map for the lakes you mentioned. No boat but we could rent
I suppose at most of the bigger lakes. So keep your thinking cap on. Is anyone familar with the Hope area as I have seen some real estate around there that looks attractive and reasonable so I wanted to check out that
area also.

[Toyman at Jewel Lake]

Originally Posted by kaadub

Thanks again Toyman. I imagine we would only move once during trip since we are tent camping and explore by 4x4 from the camp.
I will look on map for the lakes you mentioned. No boat but we could rent
I suppose at most of the bigger lakes. So keep your thinking cap on. Is anyone familar with the Hope area as I have seen some real estate around there that looks attractive and reasonable so I wanted to check out that
area also.

You'll enjoy the 4x4, there are hundreds of miles of forest service roads to explore. As you probably know, Hope is on the North side of Lake Pend Orielle, about midway between Sandpoint and Clark Fork. There are many homes in the town that have awesome views across Lake Pend Orielle. One caution, there is a train track that runs between the lake and town...I don't know how much traffic it gets. BTW, there are a couple marinas there, might be a place to rent a boat. Pend Orielle has a greater variety of fish than Priest, I believe. You might also check out the little area known as "Beyond Hope", just east of the town on the S side of Hwy 200.

There is a good, paved road and private land all along the N side of Pend Orielle. The south side is public for the most part (national forest), with some decent forest service roads, nothing that would be an issue for a 4x4 truck. One thought for your trip would be to go to Hope, check out the town/property you have in mind, then cross the river that exits the lake at Clark Fork, and come back along the south side of the lake and find a place to camp for a few days. It should be possible to find some places on the lake. You can then go from there to Wallace via forest service roads if you like, then straight south out of Wallace via Moon Pass road to the St. Joe. It's probably 100 miles or so of gravel road total, but some real pretty views. If this sounds interesting I'll get you some forest service route numbers. One thing to do when you get in the area, stop in a forest service office and buy a map for the area you want to explore. Do you by any chance have a GPS? Many of the road intersections are not marked...GPS takes away alot of frustration.

This cuts out Priest Lake...Pend Orielle is just about as nice IMO.

I wish I had more time to go play

[kaadub]

Thank you again Toyman. I sure appreciate the input and will post a full report when I return. Picking up a forest map is a must and will be first on my list.

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Kaadub,
You should definitely check out Hope! The views are stupendous, and you have two good eating places, the Hope Market and the Floating Restaurant--although last I saw, the property values weren't exactly what I call reasonable. We looked all over the area. As you might guess, we're partial to Clark Fork , and there's fishing upriver, but Toyman would know more about that. Do yourself a favor and keep an open mind about the entire region if you're looking for property. Pick up some real estate flyers along the way (all the markets have them), and go online for more info when you come home.

Check out our pics thread--you'll see some awesome views! Have a great time, and come back to the porch and tell us all about your vacation!

[Toyman at Jewel Lake]

We finally got to spend a little time in Hope, East Hope, Beyond Hope (Sam Owen Peninsula) and surrounding areas today. We were supposed to go on a boat cruise out of Hope, ended up being cancelled, so we explored. There sure are some pretty views. Beyond Hope is basically a big game preserve, there are deer all over the place, in practically every yard. Some huge bucks...they know where to hang out. All the deer are pretty tame, I was petting a couple. Cool area.

We stopped and had lunch at the Old Ice House Pizzera in Hope, very good calzones, with a really nice view looking across the lake from the patio. Worth a stop if you're in the area. As is the floating resturant, we've been there a couple times for special occasions.

CFF, I didn't realize prices tended to be high in Hope...from the number of for sale signs I saw, it almost looked like a buyer's market. Though what people want may be something else. The whole area is pretty. Once I get to retire (somewhere way down the road), I'd like to move towards Clark Fork. I really like that whole north-east end of the lake and the river. Beautiful country, adjacent to LOTS of national forest...I just can't imagine there is a lot of work around there. How do prices run around there, are they more reasonable than Sandpoint and some of the surrounding areas?

BTW, we did another club ride (ATV) up Baldy Mountain and Gisborn again Saturday. It's a great view across the lake and looking down over Sandpoint and the PO River, you also see much of the Selkirk Crest and Priest Lake. We're so lucky to live in this kind of country.

Kaadub, have a great trip, and as Clark Fork Fantast says, let us know how it goes!

[Clark Fork Fantast]

Originally Posted by Toyman at Jewel Lake

We finally got to spend a little time in Hope, East Hope, Beyond Hope (Sam Owen Peninsula) and surrounding areas today. We were supposed to go on a boat cruise out of Hope, ended up being cancelled, so we explored. There sure are some pretty views. Beyond Hope is basically a big game preserve, there are deer all over the place, in practically every yard. Some huge bucks...they know where to hang out. All the deer are pretty tame, I was petting a couple. Cool area.


CFF, I didn't realize prices tended to be high in Hope...from the number of for sale signs I saw, it almost looked like a buyer's market. Though what people want may be something else. The whole area is pretty. Once I get to retire (somewhere way down the road), I'd like to move towards Clark Fork. I really like that whole north-east end of the lake and the river. Beautiful country, adjacent to LOTS of national forest...I just can't imagine there is a lot of work around there. How do prices run around there, are they more reasonable than Sandpoint and some of the surrounding areas?

Toyman, we couldn't believe what we saw when we drove through the Peninsula! All the deer, completely tame...we've been told that people feed them, and not always deer-specific food, so their coats aren't as healthy as they might be. But it's quite a sight! The whole area is named in honor of my new hero, David Thompson!

I was referring to the prices in Hope as they were two years ago, but of course the bottom fell out of the market last year, so there are deals to be had now! I checked the listings last night. But even so, Hope is an artists' colony, and it gets somewhat more reasonable in Clark Fork. Also because there's very little work, and a 25-mile commute to Sandpoint! Since we'll only be staying there in the summer for quite a few years (my retirement is waaaay down the road, too), the commute won't bother us. We'll happily contribute to the economy of Hope and Clark Fork! There's even a lumber mill there!