My Idaho at 120 BPM

The West Mountains dominate the western skyline of Long Valley from Round Valley to Tamarack and north to McCall. These mountains are known for the incredible snowfall they receive. Most years the snow will last into July. Snowbank Mountain road makes possible easy access to the ridge below 8320 ft. Snowbank Mountain. Less than two hours from Boise, off the Snowbank Mountain Rd., is the trail head to Blue Lake, a beautiful alpine lake that sits in a basin an easy one mile hike from the road. Blue Lake has become a popular destination for visitors from the valley.
As the lake basin becomes more popular I find myself venturing farther and farther from the Blue Lake area for a true wilderness experience.

A recent Google Earth journey identified a small lake approximately 5 -6 miles north of the end of the Snowbank Mountain Rd. Unable to find any information on the lake from the web I decided to just go for it. The satellite view showed what appeared to be cattle trails along the ridge. Other than those trails it looked like a cross country trek.

It’s mid September when I finally find a weekend I can do this trek. Marley (my Golden Doodle) and I hit the trail from the summit road just before noon. The skies are gray and spitting a little frozen precipitation. We hug the ridge line and head north. The west side of the ridge is dominated by fields of Lupine that have gone to seed the east side is alpine timber. One of the most memorable moments appeared as we crossed a massive lupine field. There were approximately 6 or 7 Mountain Bluebirds hovering over the lupine. In formation and stationary, their vibrant blue color against the drizzly grey landscape was stunning.

Marley and I continued along the ridge avoiding cow pies as best we could. It wasn’t until around 5 pm that I got a glimpse of Rock Lake from the ridge above. It sits below a huge slope of scree in a narrow basin fed by a series of springs running through beautiful green meadows.  The descent into the basin from this point was way to dangerous so we back tracked about a mile to a wonderful spot on the ridge looking out at Long Valley.

We set up camp and scouted the area. It soon became clear that a cattle trail crossing the ridge was most likely heading to the Rock Lake basin on the other side. After exploring the trail for about a mile it started to get dark and we headed back to camp for the night.

Anxious to find Rock Lake the next morning we hit the trail. Back down the cattle trail we pass through an unmaintained gate in the lazy wire fence. The trail slowly descends to the head of the spring fed meadows above the lake. With the exception of the cattle waste the meadows were pristine. The small creek running through the meadows was lined with frost where the sun had yet to reach. Each meadow terraced to the next as we approached the lake basin. Finally we reach the lake. Looking up at the top of the ridge where we stood the previous night, the backdrop was stunning. The fall colors were in full bloom. 

Unfortunately the cattle waste and damage to the shoreline of this beautiful lake was unforgivable. The exploration of the lake and surrounding basin was cut short due to the unbelievable abuse to the fragile environment. The trek back to camp was filled with anger and frustration. It was a helpless feeling. Why would anybody care? No one visits this place. 

Back at camp I began to pack things up. Before long three head of cattle emerged from the trees near camp. Frustrated from my experience I yelled at Marley to get those cows ‘the hell out of here’. Up to that point I had been keeping him from confronting the cattle but emotions at the time were high because of my experience at the lake basin.

Well what happened next is something I will never forget. Following the cattle through the trees was a cowboy and his dog. Behind him were three more cowboys that kept their distance. Hollywood couldn’t have scripted this scene any better. The cowboy was probably similar in age. His face and hands were weathered and his horse was loaded with gear and a rifle. 

So here I am with my ‘glam’ dog and high tech gear face to face with a working cowboy and his dog in the middle of nowhere.  These  men and their cattle were basically responsible for completely destroying the lake basin I had trekked so long to find. I immediately confronted the cowboy with the damage I had experienced at the lake basin. I believe his response was ‘oh?’ Having let off some steam I spent the rest of the conversation asking about his life and his work in the West Mountains. He was respectful and fairly laid back and although we both have love for mountains, there was probably nothing else that we remotely had in common.

The trek back to the car was filled with conflicting thoughts about the confrontation. The cowboys have been working their cattle in these mountains for longer than I have been visiting them. They make a living doing so. I have had other confrontations with ranchers particularly in the Owyhee Mountains so I know that the discovery of the beauty that lies in these remote places is a perceived threat to them and their life style. With the discovery of these beautiful places eventually comes the desire to preserve them, as is my case for Rock Lake. 

Idaho is mostly National Forest and  BLM land. These lands are primarily designated as ‘multiple use’. That basically means all of it is all open to grazing and mechanical vehicles and the rest of us just need to deal with it. Any effort to protect even the smallest piece will be met with conservative resistance. The Malheur Wildlife refuge take over a few years back is a perfect example that the protection of any public lands is perceived by ranchers as ‘federal overreach’. Pure ignorance.     

During my conversation with the cowboy I learned that he was rounding up cattle from an allotment that belonged to the Simplot Company. The company he worked for had an allotment below the Rock Lake basin but his cattle had moved up the ridge through the poor excuse for a fence. I wondered how much less damage would have been done to the lake basin if the cattle were restricted to their appropriate allotments. 

Rock Lake and the adjacent meadows are physically protected by rock to the west. Protecting the small basin from the east would require minimal effort. There is absolutely no reason that this area should be subject to the abuse that comes with overgrazing. The Idaho Conservation League has consulted me on the steps it will take to make a difference and begin the process of protecting Rock Lake. It won’t be an easy process and I don’t know if I will have the time to pursue it until I retire. In the meantime I will continue to support those politicians who value conservation and the responsible protection of the environment.