I left the house about 7am and after a quick stop at my favorite coffee stand I was on the freeway by 7:15 heading east out of Spokane. Just outside of Sandpoint, Idaho I eventually found the turn off for Trestle Creek Road where I was greeted by a large “Road Closed” sign. My intent was to hike into Blacktail Lake but that wasn’t gonna happen. Thankfully I brought a couple guide books for the area, and after checking the IQAir app I found clean air in Bonners Ferry so off to Burton Peak I went.
I was fully aware of the large Silver Fire burning along the headwaters of the Pack River on the Selkirk crest but decided to roll the dice regarding the smoke. Just north of Bonners Ferry I found Riverside Road and another road closure sign! I couldn’t believe it, it’s as if someone didn’t want me to hike today. Well after the first 45 minute detour I found myself with about another half hour detour south to Deep Creek Loop Road and eventually forest road 633. After 9 miles of dirt road I eventually reached the lonely trailhead almost 5 hours after leaving the house.
The large looping trailhead can accommodate 6 to 8 vehicles and has a fire ring in the middle but no privy, elevation 5,120 feet.. Nobody was happier to get out of the car than my dog Ember as she quickly got to wandering with her nose leading the way. After shouldering the pack we hit trail 9 heading west out of the trailhead. The trail starts out through an area that had been logged or burned in the past offering limited views through the sparse trees. The grade was nice as we climbed easily uphill along the mostly shaded trail which was lined with mature larch and Douglas fir. Somebody has been busy here. More logs than you can count have been cut and removed from the trail, so thankful.
About a mile and half in the grade changed as the gentle climb took on a straight up the mountain kind of approach. The dense forest began to thin as the views opened up giving the trail a subalpine kind of feel. Eventually I reached a rocky outcrop with views northeast into the Lost Creek drainage and the Kootenai River valley below. A glance over my left shoulder offered my first glimpse of the shanty barely standing on the ridge near Burton Peak, it looked so far away. Back on the trail I continued straight up through grassy meadows passing the few remaining trees as big views began to open up toward the Myrtle Creek drainage and the Selkirk crest. After gaining about 1,000 feet in the last mile I highstepped over and around boulders to the lofty summit and stunning 360 degree views, elevation 6,844 feet.
Perched on the summit, the photogenic old cabin did not disappoint and only added to the allure of this lesser known peak. I dropped my pack and enjoyed some water with Ember while taking in the views to more popular summits along the Selkirk crest including, The Lions Head, Lookout Mountain, The Wigwams, Goblin Knob, Harrison Peak, Hunt Peak, and Roman Nose. Even with the active Silver fire burning just south of here the smoke wasn’t too bad. After a little break I explored the cabin which sits on the ridge but not the true summit of Burton Peak. The cabin is in disrepair and has a slight lean to it, from inside the shanty the old empty windows frame the 360 views like hanging wall art in a gallery, what a view. Back on solid ground I loaded my pack and we began our descent which was slow at first but once the grade eased turned into a brisk walk. We made good time back to the car where I swapped boots for sandals and cracked an ice cold diet coke for the drive out.
What an amazing day in the mountains, I highly recommend this trail which makes for a great day hike if you can avoid the road closure delays that I fell into. We covered about 5.5 miles round trip with close to 1,800 feet of elevation gain. On the way home we made the mandatory stop at McDuffs in Sandpoint for their amazing Nashville hot chicken sandwich. For more pictures click the link. Burton Peak Photos
