Once we had reached the black rock and the end of our walk, we wandered around the beach as the lake water had been lowered to it’s winter level. A word of advice, I would not get to adventurous walking around here as I stepped into a few sink holes in the mud. My dad took a look at my shoes once I had gotten back to the shore and joked that they almost lost me out there. With no chance of that we headed back to the car. Once we had gotten back to the parking lot we walked over to the edge of the hillside near the water treatment building and found located on the beach an old building. The building had seen better days since it was pretty much demolished but left behind an interesting site. We had finished our walk and left quite satisfied with the beauty of the fall trees and scenic views of the lake.

If you would like to take the Pend d’ Oreille Bay Trail, remember permission is needed until this becomes a public trail. To gain permission you can call 866-877-3995 or please visit this site http://www.penddoreillebay.com/ and register there. More information about the path becoming public and organized walks can be found at http://www.pobtrail.org/aboutus.shtml.

To get to the trail from 1st street, turn right onto Bridge Street. Turn left at The Beach House restaurant and follow the road through The Seasons, about a 1/3 of a mile. You will reach a parking lot where there are several signs that say “trail” pointing to the trail head. The trail leads left out of the parking lot, towards the railroad tracks.

The weeks went by and it was time for the derby. We pulled into Garfield Bay around 5am, hoping to beat most of the derby boat traffic. We unloaded the boat at the launch into the lowest water level I had ever seen, so low that we put the boat into the water and walk it over to the dock where we crawled over the bow into the boat. It was pretty awkward but we safely pulled away towards our fishing location.

The sun began to rise and we were ready for a great day of fishing. Weather in November can be a little questionable and this weekend was no different. We were granted one day of sunny, warm weather and one day of rain and wind. I have found in my limited time of fishing that bad weather does not always mean that you will not catch fish. Those guys on the Deadliest Catch fare some pretty harsh weather so I was sure some scattered rain showers and wind would not do me in

On our first day of the derby we fished for almost the entire day and caught two small Mackinaw. Once we called it a day we got the boat loaded up and we headed over to The Captain’s Table to check the derby stats. Sadly our 5 pound fish would not even dent the daily record.

We arrived about the same time the next morning and started out our day in the same fishing location. After a few slow hours I convinced my boyfriend to go to a different location. We boated over to the Hope area and we were plagued again with slow fishing. We returned to our original location and had a moment of luck where we caught a fish, got it up to the boat only for the trickster to get off the hook and swim away. We were disappointed as we returned to shore since we had not caught anything for the day. We stopped by The Captain’s Table around 2pm, about an hour before the derby participants spaghetti feed which was included in the derby fee followed by the awards ceremony. While we were there we watched the 3rd place fish weigh in at about 11 lbs and the room was filled with excitement.

The derby is an annual event open to anyone with a valid fishing licence. The derby fee is $40, which is put into the pot that is divided up between the top 3 largest fish (Rainbow or Mackinaw species). Tickets for the derby can be purchased at the Captain’s Table. Unlike other derbies you are only allowed to weigh in your fish at the Captain’s Table for this derby. For more information about the derby you can call the Captain’s Table at 208-265-6351.

In this article, I’ll give you a basic introduction to what is called water-bath canning, a method best suited to high acid foods. This includes tomatoes and tomato sauces, jams and pickles. For low-acid foods like green beans or even salmon, you will need to learn about pressure-canner methods.

A word of caution: it is very important that you follow directions exactly when you can. If you do not, people can become seriously ill. Measurements are important and you just can’t wing it unless you want to create a safety issue. For expert advice on these issues, call the folks at The University of Idaho Extension, 263-8511. They have information on every aspect of canning. In addition, they publish lots of informative brochures you can refer to and take home for a nominal fee.

That being said, it’s probably a lot easier than you think to learn to can, and starting with jam may be the most fun way to learn! In less than five minutes, you will know the secrets to turning a bunch of plums into pretty jars of jam that can last until next year’s plums are ripening. Every time you make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you can think of your first canning adventure.
PLUM JAM: WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• Large graniteware canner
• Canning rack
• Canning tongs
• Lid magnet tool
• Jars, lids, rings
• Timer
• Lemon juice
• Pectin
• Sugar
• Plums

Nearly all of these items can be bought at the grocery store, excluding the canning equipment. The canner, rack, jars, lids, rings and tongs can be bought at well-stocked hardware stores. Good news — customer service still exists at Merwin’s and they’ll be glad to lead you to the canning section. The Co-op also stocks a good selection of canning items you may need.

You’ll need to buy some of the other ingredients at the grocery store. Buy the pectin first, open the box and read the recipe for cooked jams that matches the fruit you have on hand. I’ve even done this in the store itself, it is no big deal when you explain. Find out how much fruit you’ll need by reading the recipe for cooked jam tucked inside. The amount needed will often be listed as prepared fruit, which means in this case, pitted, chopped plums. This is somewhat hard to visualize when you’re staring at a pyramid of plums at the store or even up into branches laden with fruit. Remember, more is better in these situations. You can always eat the extra fruit after the jam project is over.

When you buy the sugar, buy the five pounder—you may be surprised by the fact that most traditional jam recipes contain equal amounts of fruit as they do sugar. (A note: you can make sugarless jam if you’d like. Just buy the pectin that specifies “no sugar needed” and follow the directions, the methods are similar.)

Much of canning is timing and management of the equipment. By this I mean canning takes planning and a willingness to prep ingredients and gear. Get that down and you are more than halfway there. That being said, make sure the canner is clean and fill it three-quarters of the way with water. Put the rack in the “up” position. This will make it easy to submerge the cans later. Put it on the stove on medium-high early in your project because it will take a long time for all of that water to reach simmering. Your goal is to time it so the jam is cooked and in its jars roughly when the canner water is simmering. But, it won’t be the end of the world if the water goes longer.

Put all of your jars, lids and rings in the dishwasher and start it. Your goal is to get the clean, hot jars out of the dishwasher and ready to receive your cooked jam about the time your jam is cooked. Alternatively, you may plunge the lids, rings and jars into another pot of boiling water for 5 minutes or so. In this case you will want the magic tool to remove the lids. It is basically a plastic handle with a magnet at the end that allows you to retrieve slippery and awkward lids from the water easily.
Now read how much sugar you’ll need for the recipe from the recipe inside the pectin. After you get over your shock, carefully measure it out into a single large bowl you can handle with one hand. You’ll be stirring the jam with the other. Set it within easy reach of the stove.

Now you’re ready to cook up your jam. Before you do this keep in mind that you are now a slave to your jam for the next half hour or more and won’t be able to go away from it because you are going to be stirring. Now is a good time to get the jars out of the dishwasher and set them up for filling. I arrange them so they are evenly spaced to allow for easy filling. Also set one or two clean dishcloths on the counter. In canning, neatness does count if only because paying attention and being methodical really helps you in the long run.

Find your largest, heaviest pot. Add your prepared fruit. The jam is going to double in size from the amount of fruit you see, and it will be hot and sputtering, so you want to give it some room. Choose a wooden spoon or stirrer, preferably with a flat bottom so you can keep the jam from burning. Add lemon juice if it is called for (on the recipe from inside the pectin). Then turn up the heat to high, stirring so nothing sticks or burns. Begin adding the pectin, a little at a time. The more gradually the better the jams seems to set up, so be patient. Bring the fruit and pectin to boiling.

Then add the sugar, all at once. Mix it all in thoroughly, and start bringing it back to a boil. When it comes to a rolling (a little bit scary) boil, count out loud to sixty and then turn off the heat and remove the pot. You’ll see that the jam has already become somewhat more viscous.

Then ladle the jam into the clean, hot jars. Do be careful, hot jam is like molten lava. You do not want it to land on you. Leave one quarter inch of headspace at the top of each jar. When they are all filled, get a clean rag and dampen with hot water. Then wipe all the jar rims to remove any drips that might interfere with the seal. Then place the lids on each jar as straight as possible. Add the rings and only tighten them until you feel slight resistance. Now, using your tongs, load them into the canner basket so none are stacked on top of each other. You probably won’t have more than six or eight jars for one batch of jam, anyway. (If you did, you would just can another batch). Now, release the rack and plunge the cans into the simmering water. Set your timer for 15 minutes.

Now is a good time to clean up some of the inevitable Jam Mess. You’ll find that the fifteen minutes flies by and you’ll have tackled most of the mess, too. Tip: OxyClean will remove cooked fruit stains from almost anything.

Remove the jars carefully from the canner using your tongs. Place them on the clean dishtowels on the counter a couple of inches or so away from one another. They may start to seal and you’ll hear the distinctive, satisfying “pop” sound of each. You will see that the lids depress slightly in the center when they seal correctly. If they don’t seal, you can remove the lids and rings and wipe them again and can them again. Let them cool overnight undisturbed. Jams generally keep for about a year so you have quite some time to savor each jar. With your first canning project under your belt, you can tackle new canning projects with lots of confidence. Over time, you’ll see that many of the same rules apply, whatever you’re water-bath canning. Plus, you will know what to do the next September you find yourself with a tidal wave of produce.

After strapping on our hiking shoes and filling up our water backpack, we headed south out of Sandpoint about 8 miles to Dufort Road. We turned right (west) onto Dufort and went about 2 miles to the entrance of the park on the left (the route there was well marked with appropriate signage). We paid our $4.00 entrance fee and headed on in to the day-use area. The sparkling water and soft sands of the lake tempted us – oh, if only it were a slight bit hotter! – but we stayed focused on the task at hand. Heading to the west side of the day-use area we found the trailhead for what is actually three trails. We opted to hike Trapper’s Trail, a trail that follows the lakeshore closely, with a small diversion down Cocolalla Creek.

This trail is easily traversed, even for the most out of shape stay-at-home mother out there (ahem). There are a few ups and downs, and in a couple of places the inclines are steep but short. So you don’t really have a chance to get winded. And while you may not be stopping to catch your breath, you’ll want to stop to get photographs of the lake and the cool scenery that abounds along this trail. Plus, there are interpretive signs all along the way, pointing out things you might otherwise miss (like a beaver dam). We had so much fun pointing out things to our toddler, everything from kayakers to caterpillars.

What I found really nice about the trail is the variation to the scenery. You may be walking along the lake for a while through woods, but then a few steps down and you are in a swamp area. A little while later you are in a wooded area high above the lake. Then it’s back down to a riparian zone. None of us, not even the toddler, got bored along this trail. There was just enough to see and experience that kept our interest, plus it was about the right length.

The trail is about 2 miles, and loops right back to the day-use parking lot. We didn’t time how long it took us to hike it, but it felt like it was about an hour. As we neared the end of the loop we came across the trailhead for the Stomp Tromp Trail, which is a 1/4 mile loop trail geared towards families with young children. We didn’t stop to explore it this time, but we plan on returning later this fall to let our toddler test out her hiking legs. That trailhead is located to the east of the day-use parking area.

While Round Lake is not in wilderness – and certainly, you can hear highway noises and even the train – it’s still a very peaceful hike, probably because motorized boats are not allowed on the lake. It’s open to canoes and kayaks and the like, but motorized boats are off limits. This gives the hiker a better chance to listen to the booming of a bullfrog and the call of an osprey. Plus the laughter from the children swimming in the day-use area! All in all, we had a wonderful hike and really enjoyed ourselves. We felt it was well worth the four bucks, and plan on returning soon to take our daughter on the Stomp Tromp Trail. Hopefully we’ll see you out there!

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For additional information, view the parks and rec website for Round Lake by clicking here. There are restrooms available at Round Lake, as well as picnic tables and covered picnic area. There are two docks for boat launch or fishing. There are also canoes available for rent, and a campground if you want to stay overnight. Whew! Lots to do here! Oh, and dogs on leashes are welcome.

My boyfriend knows I love shoes, so what better place to stop first than the shoe tree. When he told us we were stopping at the shoe tree I had envisioned a funky grown tree in the shape of a shoe. When we pulled into the parking lot I realized I had let my imagination go too far since it was an actual tree with shoes nailed to it. We all got out and looked at the shoes, many of them single shoes tacked onto the tree with a nail. There were a few pairs attached to the tree, but for the most part the pairs were found in the tree branches, tossed over the limbs. I found the tree quite funny and wished I had a shoe to donate, but I only had the pair on my feet so maybe another time! To get to the shoe tree pass Nordman on forest service road 302, where you will go by the Roosevelt Grove of Ancient Cedars. There will be a sign for Tillicum Creek Trail #261. The tree is located in the parking lot and admission is free.

Our tour of Priest Lake continued and we traveled up the dirt road on route 57 stopping at a random spot to pick huckleberries. The spot to pick the berries does not seem to matter in Priest Lake, as long as it is not private land, since the huckleberries flourish in this area. I would recommend finding an area that is slightly open and has a water source. Berries will grow without a nearby stream but they are much larger if they have water to feed off of. We found a spot with a small stream and some of the largest berries I have seen this year. It was a long winter and the berries got a slow start, so picking has lasted a lot longer than usual. Prime picking time in past years has been mid to end of July to early August. This year many of the berries had become ripe in the second week of August, so they were a little late this year. After a quick explanation about what the berries looked like, from dark black to a dusty blue, to our friends who had never picked berries before, we started collecting our berries. Another note about picking the berries is that while picking, gently turn the bush over to find more berries, the berries like to hide under the leaves.

My friends and I picked the huckleberries for about an hour and combined we had just under a gallon. It was a great, inexpensive way to get the berries since we only needed to drive there and provide a collecting bucket. I have found that a gallon milk jug with a small hole cut out of the top is very handy. The handle is perfect to hold on to and the small hole keeps the berries in as you traverse around the rugged terrain. There is nothing more disappointing than picking for hours and having them all spill out onto the ground when you trip over a rock or brush. To go huckleberry picking you can find many spots along forest service road 302, just look along the road for the huckleberry bushes and nearby streams. There is no fee for huckleberry picking but a few words of caution: make some noise while picking so you do not startle any bears, who happen to love the berries as well. Also bug spray and if you choose, bear spray can be helpful as well. We did not see any wildlife while we were picking, but we were in grizzly country, so it is always better to be safe than sorry. The best part of picking the berries yourself is that you avoid paying the $40 to $45 a gallon price tag that many of the local gas stations were charging.

After we finished huckleberry picking we all decided to stop by for a quick drink at Elkins Resort. We pulled into the parking lot and were surrounded by rental cabins, a marina and a restaurant building. We walked out onto the lawn to capture the beauty of the lake and Chimney Rock before we went into the restaurant. It was a windy day so we decided to go inside the restaurant. Once inside we found that the restaurant had a spectacular view of the lake. It was hard to tear ourselves away from the view, but we walked into the back bar area. The bar was quite beautiful as well. The walls were lined in wood and the table tops were finished in copper. The bartender was very helpful and shared stories about living in the area. I became envious when he told us that he worked there in the summer and traveled around to ski resorts on the money in the winter. As we sat at the bar we noticed the waitress was on break and was eating a huckleberry crisp and was literally fighting her friends off while she ate it. We decided not to fight her and ordered our own to share. Once it arrived and we began to share I noticed that I was not really sharing as I had pretty much eaten it all. I saw why the waitress was so protective of her crisp, it was delicious. Elkins has a full bar and food menu to order from and is well worth the stop if you are in the area. I highly recommend the huckleberry crisp! If you would like to go to Elkins Resort take highway 57 to Nordman, about 36 miles from highway 2 and turn right onto Reeder Bay Road for about 2 miles. There will be a sign at the end of the road where you turn right and follow down to the parking lot. I would recommend calling before you visit if you go in the off season being that hours are not as standard. They can be reached at 208-443-2432. During peak season they are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

To get to Priest Lake from Sandpoint take highway 2 to Priest River, turning on Highway 57 towards Priest Lake. Priest Lake is about 25 miles from highway 2.