Knapp Lakes!
A third visit to this location!

44.42298N, 114.94025W


This entire route to Knapp Lake (and beyond) is in a burn area. On the other hand, what part of Idaho isn't in a burn area... It is becoming profoundly discouraging that so much of where you would like to hike has been so thoroughly trashed by fire. Fire that is a result of mis-management by the agencies tasked to manage the forest. It is ironic that man always thinks that he can do a better job than the creator God. This entire business of not letting fires do what they were supposed to do in cleanup of nature is a classic example.

And the first six miles or so is on a 4WD trail, not my favorite type of hiking. At about 2.2 miles into this endeavor, we began a mile or so slog through blowdowns, blowdowns & blowdowns. When I traveled this route last fall, there were no such obstructions.

At about the six mile point, the 4WD trail departs to the south, and any sort of visible trail only goes on in pieces for about another 1/2 mile. After that, you are bloody well on your own to figure out a way through the swamps that litter this drainage.
The 4WD trail passes through one short section of green. The rest, is burned.

George navigating the blowdowns.


Next morning, we took a jaunt up the drainage that flows into the largest Knapp Lake.





A lake desperately trying to hang onto life as a lake.

The largest Knapp Lake. Intended to see, and have pictures, of the others, but due to the chaos that the other group was creating, I opted to leave that for another visit.



The most vividly red Indian Paintbrush I've seen
A late afternoon jaunt took me out to the swampy south end of the lake.



Sunset photo...

Departing down the drainage took us past another lake in the latter stages of filling in


Everywhere I go, the infrastructure is in desperate straits. The money goes to where the thundering hordes go, and the rest of us have to fend for ourselves. Which includes trail maintenance.




The grass seems to have done well surviving the fire.
Always interesting to note the capricious nature of fire. Always a few trees that escape the ravages and live to replant the species.

Not much survived here, obviously. Well, other than the flowers. :-)
Love the flowers...

Here we are transiting the blowdowns section. It was an unadulterated slog. Obvious that no 4WD will be using this trail for some time.





A beautiful meadow past the blowdowns section.

Last two are the last stretch out to the TH. Mostly sego lillies, and very beautiful... if you can ignore the devastation of the fire.