Figured I'd drop this here for future reference!
I had a week to myself between graduating (and guests) and starting bar prep. I was going insane, so last Tuesday I decided to take action.
The cruiser drawers stay packed with the basics, so I threw my assault pack and the gazetteer in the rig, rounded up the dogs, and started driving north. I didn't really have a plan, but I figured I would know the right way to go when I got there.
I hopped on 395 out of Spokane and immediately started to relax as the trees began to outnumber the buildings. Spokane is wonderful for that--no matter which way you drive, it only takes about 15-20 minutes and you're in the country. Head north and you've got the pine woods and mountains; south and you've got rolling hills and high desert.
After fueling up in Chewelah I popped the rear hatch and laid out a motor vehicle use map for the area. The dogs and I consulted our options, war gamed our timeline, and made a decision.
The general plan was to head East out of Chewelah through Burnt Valley, then head North/Northeast to hit Little Calispell Peak, Saddle Mountain, and finally Calispell Peak. I had no idea what the road would be like but hoped to 1) get away for the day and 2) scope some outstanding camping spots/day trip routes in order to lead trips in the future.
I figured if I could make it that far I'd have a chance to loop all the way North around Calispell Peak and catch Tacoma Creek road all the way East (then Southeast) back to HWY 20.
The drive out of Chewelah through Burnt Valley was awesome--pavement ended and I was treated to several miles of dirt road and farms, finally crossing into Colville National Forest as the road narrowed and began to ascend out of the valley.
The climb out of Burnt Valley was uneventful in a great way... nothing but dirt road and trees. The Forest Service takes great care of this section as there's obviously active grazing and logging activity.
I stopped at an intersection near Goddard Mountain (48.347672, -117.513954) that I had been meaning to check out. The dogs were excited to get out and I was committed to taking my time, checking maps leisurely, and taking more pictures, so out we got. I enjoyed an apple while double checking my route plan on my MVUM, gazetteer, and finally iPhone navigation app. I decided to explore the Goddard Mountain road to see if it would dead end at a campsite, then double back to catch my route North.
How could one not be excited about this road??
As usual, the road less travelled did not disappoint! The Goddard Mountain road wound Southwest around the Mountain, presenting some excellent views. Unfortunately I ran up on a large downed tree after a little under two miles, but earmarked the trail for future exploration. I didn't see any evidence that there's a road to the summit (or that the summit is worth it) but, I did get some great views on the way. For reference, this was one of few sections that a rig with nice paint may not fare well--it was slightly overgrown.
After the slight SW detour I backtracked back to NF Road 464 (48.357327, -117.530220) and started my journey North.
I had a week to myself between graduating (and guests) and starting bar prep. I was going insane, so last Tuesday I decided to take action.
The cruiser drawers stay packed with the basics, so I threw my assault pack and the gazetteer in the rig, rounded up the dogs, and started driving north. I didn't really have a plan, but I figured I would know the right way to go when I got there.
I hopped on 395 out of Spokane and immediately started to relax as the trees began to outnumber the buildings. Spokane is wonderful for that--no matter which way you drive, it only takes about 15-20 minutes and you're in the country. Head north and you've got the pine woods and mountains; south and you've got rolling hills and high desert.
After fueling up in Chewelah I popped the rear hatch and laid out a motor vehicle use map for the area. The dogs and I consulted our options, war gamed our timeline, and made a decision.
The general plan was to head East out of Chewelah through Burnt Valley, then head North/Northeast to hit Little Calispell Peak, Saddle Mountain, and finally Calispell Peak. I had no idea what the road would be like but hoped to 1) get away for the day and 2) scope some outstanding camping spots/day trip routes in order to lead trips in the future.
I figured if I could make it that far I'd have a chance to loop all the way North around Calispell Peak and catch Tacoma Creek road all the way East (then Southeast) back to HWY 20.
The drive out of Chewelah through Burnt Valley was awesome--pavement ended and I was treated to several miles of dirt road and farms, finally crossing into Colville National Forest as the road narrowed and began to ascend out of the valley.
The climb out of Burnt Valley was uneventful in a great way... nothing but dirt road and trees. The Forest Service takes great care of this section as there's obviously active grazing and logging activity.
I stopped at an intersection near Goddard Mountain (48.347672, -117.513954) that I had been meaning to check out. The dogs were excited to get out and I was committed to taking my time, checking maps leisurely, and taking more pictures, so out we got. I enjoyed an apple while double checking my route plan on my MVUM, gazetteer, and finally iPhone navigation app. I decided to explore the Goddard Mountain road to see if it would dead end at a campsite, then double back to catch my route North.
How could one not be excited about this road??
As usual, the road less travelled did not disappoint! The Goddard Mountain road wound Southwest around the Mountain, presenting some excellent views. Unfortunately I ran up on a large downed tree after a little under two miles, but earmarked the trail for future exploration. I didn't see any evidence that there's a road to the summit (or that the summit is worth it) but, I did get some great views on the way. For reference, this was one of few sections that a rig with nice paint may not fare well--it was slightly overgrown.
After the slight SW detour I backtracked back to NF Road 464 (48.357327, -117.530220) and started my journey North.
