Jewel of The North l Outdoor Idaho
translucent Waters Shimmer Emerald forests sway lofty mountains encircle I guess if there's a heaven that's this is it yeah Priest Lake is a paradise of many different shades a glassy Bay at dawn Sanctuary on a secluded beach pathways through white powder the challenge of an imposing Spire Priest Lake is Idaho's Crown Jewel sits right up in the top of the state of Idaho and what better way to to cap it off the overwhelming beauty of this place is unmistakable its attraction magnetic Priest Lake may be Idaho's most precious gem our Jewel of the [Music] north funding for outdoor Idaho is made possible by your contributions to the Friends of Idaho public television and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting [Music] [Music] [Music] it's the least developed of the northern big lakes but Idaho Crown Jewel has been discovered in the summertime the beaches are crowded and around the lake the rustic cabins have given way to elegant Retreats hi Am Bruce rer and welcome to outdoor Idaho and yet there's something untouched unspoiled about Priest Lake everywhere you look there are scenes of Enchantment and ample opportunities to escape into your own private Paradise this is truly one of the world's beautiful lakes [Music] sculpted by the advance of glaciers and molded during volcanic eruptions Priest Lake is a natural Masterpiece nestled in the northern tip of Idaho's Panhandle the lake rests in a sea of dense forests Lush Islands dot its alluring Waters while impressive mountains rise in all directions to frame its beauty the Priest Lake Basin covers almost 100 square miles and what you see today is the result of what has happened geologically past glaciation climate fires and volcanic activity the glaciers moved down about 10,000 years ago and they truncated about Midway on the lake about cpel Island the high peaks on the east side were exposed throughout the time of glaciation so you have those circular lakes and really craggy Peaks Priest Lake itself stretches through the forests for 25 miles it includes a massive Lower Lake connected to a small pristine Upper Lake by a channel called the thoroughfare this stunning 2m long Waterway and the Upper Lake are both protected from development as the upper Priest Lake Scenic area the name Priest Lake goes back to the Jesuit missionaries who came to the area in the 1840s Native Americans had called the lake kxu their word for black robes but that name was eventually replaced by the easier to pronounce Priest Lake after the missionaries Miners and loggers began to filter into northern Idaho some found their way to Priest Lake on 8 Mile Island a cabin built in 1897 to work a mining claim is still standing the vinther Nelson cabin is now a National Historic Site and one of the lakes's landmarks in the 1920s Priest Lake got a taste of Hollywood with the arrival of silent movie star and director n Shipman she based her production company on the lake and made several films showcasing the area's rugged grandar before running into financial difficulties she was a woman that wanted to make movies in the natural setting we got well acquainted with her son Barry who was 11 years old at the time that she came to Priest Lake Katherine Simpson began coming to Priest Lake not long after shipment she first visited the lake way back in 1931 and 5 years after that she was married here the couple bought a cabin at the North End of the lake and eventually wrote a book about the area 70 years later the cabin's been remodeled but Catherine's still spending her summers at the very same spot when we first came to this Beaver Creek spot when we were married in 1936 we came with cat Markham and it was a steamboat I have been coming to Priest Lake practically my whole life and it's been one of my very favorite places to come and that's all I missed when I was someplace else I just feel comfortable here and it's beautiful it's probably one of the beauty spots of the world and I've seen a lot of beautiful places in the world like Katherine Simpson many others have been drawn to the beauty of Priest Lake in fact tourism eventually supplanted logging as the main focus at the lake this Lake offers 26,000 Acres of crystal clear water where you can swim boat canoe fish water ski aquaplane and skin di or just loow today the lake is reaching new heights of popularity especially during the warm weeks of Summer beaches are filled with sunbathers boats D across the swirling Waters and expensive new homes have sprung up at the water's edge even so there are still many places where you can get away only about a quarter of the Lake's Shoreline is private and a huge percentage of the greater Basin is public land there's over 500,000 acres here managed primarily by the US Forest Service or the Idaho Department of lands though IDL manages much of the east side of the Basin for Timber and other revenue for schools there's plenty of forest access and the east side is also the location of two popular units of Priest Lake State Park meanwhile on the west side of the lake and some of the islands the forest service helps visitors experience a whole range of recreational opportunities obviously the focus is on a lake people like to camp on the islands they like to water ski they like to swim jet ski and fish do all those things that you can do on uh on a lake this time of year the thorough fair is kind of a Unique Travel course door that people like to boat up it's available to both motorized boers canoers and kayakers and they boat up to the Upper Lake there's dispersed camping at the Upper Lake I think there's unlimited opportunities for different experiences one of the great experiences found at Priest Lake is Island camping though there are plenty of campgrounds you can drive to around the lake you can only reach these beaches by boat Sandpoint resident Jane stole and her family come back every year for this unique camping environment it's not too busy and the water is very clean and cool and you're just far away from everything else I think it's totally relaxing I like being outdoors and you look out and it's an incredible scene I mean it's it is like being dropped off on a travel poster Priest Lake is probably the prettiest Lake I've ever seen is so clear we have pictures and people are like wow are you guys in Hawaii we're like no we're Priest Lake so it's just so beautiful that's why I love it the water's so nice and it's so refreshing to jump into and it's hot and you can just jump in whenever you want it's right there go out in the boat so pretty I feel like I never want to go home I want to stay here forever the natural beauty of the area and the Lake's remarkably clear water are captivating yet there is concern that new construction continued logging and other human activities may eventually impact the Lake's Clarity Jill Cobb doesn't want to see that happen she's been a hydrologist with the forest service here for 15 years and her job is to monitor water quality my responsibility is to make sure the water coming off of our lands that we manage for the public is as clean as it can possibly be I take that job very seriously when I go and I look at a stream I'm looking for certain indicators that say whether not the stream is healthy or not and we have done our best to provide the best water quality we can off of our streams and we have within the Priest Lake Basin 1300 mies of perennial streams water quality at Priest Lake is probably among the best you're going to find in the United States and that's primarily because of the land use we have here we're very careful with how we're managing our land on for service and I'm sure ideel is the same as we are and we have very forgiving ground someone who really appreciates priest Lake's transparent Waters is Rich Lindsay he's been fishing here for well over 30 years most of that time as a guide pulling he enjoys helping visitors catch the Lake's big movh and loves sharing his passion for both fishing and there you girl I try really hard to bring him back with a smile as bigger bigger than the one they got on my boat with and that's the best part about it I get to see people enjoying why I'm here and most of the people are seeing it for the very first time they're impressed and and it's impressive to watch them be impressed by everything that's here it's just it's an awesome place it's magic you know it really is it's it's a magical place it's so magical that even on his days off you can often find Lindsay right back on the lake his daughter Jennifer is a regular passenger on the boat she's grown up on these Waters and like her dad has caught her share of fish I love it you always catch fish you can go fishing go swimming always have fun so guarant a good time when you come up here I've been able to give this like to my daughter I can't think of a better thing that I could give someone it's wonderful this is what Idaho used to be it still is what Idaho used to be Craig Hill knows the history and appeal of Priest Lake his father started Hills Resort in 1946 and now Craig is co-owner and manager though his work schedule keeps him very busy Hill and friends like Dave P try to get a little skiing in nearly every day from Spring to Fall they're usually out on the lake just after Sunrise to catch the glassy morning Waters it's just the excitement of getting out of bed and walking out and having it be as pretty as it is and laying down some tracks with some of your buddies it just gets your heart going to make those corners on that Cal calm water it's just the coolest feeling to see how far down you can cut after about you know your run you got your heart going to full speed well you're always on edge you're just trying to figure out how far you go and push yourself it's the best way to start your day you come out here and you can just see how beautiful it is there's sandy beaches everywhere and that's why we call it Maui in the mountains but it's just my favorite place in the world and I keep coming back Priest Lake has become a favorite spot for many people though the majority of them flock here during the warm summer months the lak's other seasons have a strong appeal winter is an especially picturesque time here a soft white snows accent the Evergreen forests and Azure Waters [Music] the crowds may be gone but there's still plenty to do cross country skiing is one of the Lake's popular winter pastimes there are a number of Scenic Trails here like this one at Priest Lake state park access is right along the lake so people can have access to the place you've got your mountain peaks you've got your water you've got Trails you could ask for anything to be in one spot it's all right here it's for the whole family anybody can do it I mean if you can walk you can ski and that's what we inform people it's fun it's inexpensive it's just so peaceful just very peaceful I enjoy that we're actually the only ones out here today all you're hearing is just the sound as your skis go through the snow that's all you hear you don't have to worry about the sound of a motor or the smell of gas anything like that it just feels good to get out there and you feel like you're floating on the snow up here it's really beautiful we just got a little bit of snow last night and it just felt like velvet just like we were skiing across the Velvet this morning it was absolutely incredible it was great it's like going through feathers it's nice floating through the snow is a great way to experience a totally different side of Priest Lake Winter always changes everything and to me winter always makes things look really clean and a not sterile but just a clean environment and brightens everything up I love the environment the cool air the fewer people that are around the Stillness of the lake typically it's a lot quieter the snow always muffles everything too and makes things a little more peaceful and quiet it's actually one of my favorite times of the whole year I enjoy the summer I think it's absolutely great but to be up here in the winter time when it's totally quiet and you step out your door and all you hear is the wind it's just there's no place better I can't can't even imagine being anywhere [Applause] else and these people wouldn't want to be anywhere else but Priest Lake at this time of year they say it's the perfect place to practice their demanding winter sport for over 35 years dog SL Racers have gathered on the west side of the lake for this annual competition participants of all ages and skills are divided into a number of categories for their Tre through the snow it's a challenge for both local Racers and sleders from around the [Music] country we thought through the years that Priest Lake would be a good place to have a sled dog race cuz we have great snow conditions we've never had to cancel a race up here and we knew it'd be a good spot and I'm pretty proud of the fact that uh we have something that's lasted this long and has been this successful I have a pretty good feeling about it I'm sure it's gorgeous any time of year but it's beautiful up here in the winter time they've always had snow they put on a great race here it is just gorgeous [Music] country the beauty of the area and the great snow conditions lend themselves perfectly to another winter sport it's sometimes called sledding too but big motors power these sleds snowmobiling has become one of the most popular winter Pursuits in the Priest Lake Area Priest Lake is a great allaround destination for snowers you know you've got a fantastic trail system of over 400 miles that circumvents the forest and goes around one of the prettiest lakes in Idaho there's not another trail system that I can think of in Idaho that goes completely around one of our largest lakes it's [Music] spectacular Mike and Tracy zabinsky are ex snowmobilers they're also managers and co-owners of elen's resorts on the lake with all those trails at their doorstep anytime they get a break they can't wait to jump on their machines it really puts a smile on my face when we're out here riding you kind of forget anything else you've been working on or thinking about it draws your attention to snowmobiling and being out here and enjoying the area and a lot of times you go out and do something that just pumps the adrenaline through your body and it's just a great feeling and just makes you want to smile and do it more I think it's exhilarating the exploration that you do out here is amazing on the machines and with their technology we can get you know 40 and 50 mil away from from the parking lot and uh every day is a new adventure that's what makes it really special I'd have to say we're in God's country you know it's like a religious experience out here every time you come out you just pretty much say wow you know it makes you feel great feeling inspired is a refrain you often hear from those who Venture into this High Country it's a feeling that transcends modes of travel or seasons of the year and when the cell Kirks aren't covered in snow hiker in climate hit the trails to experience the magic of these mountains this group has already negotiated a long four-wheel drive Road and is now hiking toward one of the area's most inspiring and well-known landmarks Chimney Rock two climbers in the party Scott Hill and Jameson Warren plan to tackle the Spire Scott like his brother Craig grew up at the lake and now co-owns and manages Hills Resort his friend Jameson has been visiting the area for much of his life he and Scott have climbed in many places but these mountains are among their favorites it's just pristine you know pristine natural beauty and hardly any people not that many climbers that's an opportunity I think as climbers you don't get to experience many places up here it's just quiet and nice there's no one to bug in of course there's no one to rescue it either it's kind of a push pull thing with rock climbing because it's dangerous and yet the attaction is to get as far away from civilization as you can and go on the hardest routs you can and make it safe I guess for me rock climbing is about being completely in the present and you really are thinking about that very next move you're just thinking about where you're going to put your hand and your feet and you're breathing in this fresh air and it's in this beautiful mountain range so I think that for me it's sort of about communing with nature but also it's about finding some quiet personal space and it's interesting that you can do both of those things at the same time photographer Tom hullman joined the group to capture images of the climb he's a local resident who's taken thousands of pictures of the area for him it's a place with unlimited opportunities for photographs there's a multitude of different things in my lifetime I'll never see them all the vistas from all these different Peaks there spots that I'm never going to find waterfalls that I've been told about from different people that I have yet to get there the mountain Toops that uh probably would take two or 3 days to actually hike into them there's just so much to see and I'm just not going to get it all but I'm going to try to get as much as I can in my lifetime with Holman documenting The Climb Hill and War reached the top of Chimney Rock from here they can see some of the amazing Vistas that make priest like country so compelling nice this one's particularly special because it's above tree line and you have amazing views when you're on the top you can see Priest Lake right there and when you stare North to Canada it just goes on forever the scenery at Priest Lake does seem to stretch forever from layered Mountain Vistas to towering Groves of Ancient Cedars tumbling waterfalls to succulent huckleberries and at the center of it all those crystalline Waters of the lake shimmering under treelined Banks lapping at Sandy shorelines reflecting the soft Hues of a summer Sunset I love the pristine quality of the whole lake and just the Solitude I think it's just absolutely gorgeous up here and it's just peaceful all the time no matter where you go even if there's a crowd somewhere you can get away from it and just enjoy the scenery and the mountains they're spectacular up here they're breathtaking to get back up into the back country and look out at the Peaks and then you look out on the lake and it just looks like this beautiful Jewel out there it's it's amazing there's no place better on Earth the serenity the cleanliness of the water it's Crystal Clear you can see the bottom being up in the mountains watching the weather change I mean that's all those things are what make this place pretty special I enjoy Priest Lake because of everything that has to offer there's so much for everyone to enjoy from all all kinds of aspects of sports hiking finding a spot to read your book to photography you name it it's there for everybody I think the folks that love to live at Priest Lake love the freedom of living at Priest Lake there's a lot of public lands for everybody to enjoy equally a lot of wildlife it's pretty often that you can see a moose you can go fishing and see ospre an eagle there's a lot of reasons to love living at Priest Lake I think it's a very peaceful place I think it's a beautiful place it's place that hasn't really been marked too much by um progress so you still have a lot of the old gems that people really came here for beautiful water it's the way of life it's slower I think that's why people come to Priest Lake and stay here there's something about Priest Lake she's got a this magical Embrace I mean if you've come back here enough times it will envelop you and you won't be able to deny it it'll be here you will understand the draw the magnetism that it has it's pretty amazing [Music] [Music] [Music] funding for outdoor Idaho is made possible by your contributions to the Friends of Idaho public television and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting all outdoor Idaho programs are available on video cassette including hourong specials called design Idaho Idaho Eden and Idaho and Anglers Paradise to order call our toll-free number for more details about this show and other Idaho public television offerings look for us on the worldwide web [Music]
2024-11-24 02:03
