Kootenai County Highpoint Trip Report

Latour Peak (6,408 ft) and "Benewah" point (6,168 ft)

Date: June 25, 2006
Author: Ken Russell

I followed Barney Metz's directions. The turn at 2.4 miles was marked with a sign post that had "Boise Peak" lettered on the post itself. As the road climbed, there were four spurs labeled "A" thru "D". Stay to the left. I was warned by a local that trucks mining rock from the slide areas sometimes block the road while they load during weekdays.

I camped at the saddle and shared it with a father and two boys. The father told me the snow had been gone for less than two weeks.

After breakfast on a beautiful morning, I headed up to the top of Latour. Mirror Lake still mostly covered in snow.

By 9:00 AM I was back to the saddle and on my way to Benewah. There were a few patches of snow to dodge. Just before arriving back at the saddle, a doe failed to see me and wandered to within 30 feet or so. When she finally realized I wasn't a tree, she fled.

Driving back down, I came across a moose and her calf just before the 2.4 mile junction. They trotted down the road for a couple hundred yards looking for a exit that wasn't too steep. Twice, she turned around and warned me not to get any closer. My truck didn't seem very big compared to a moose!