Explore the western reaches of the Gospel Hump Wilderness with the Palouse Group of the Sierra Club and Friends of the Clearwater on Sunday, August 17. This eight-mile, round-trip, moderate hike up Slate Creek to Slate Lakes parallels one of the wild drainages of the Salmon River southeast of Grangeville. The trail gently climbs through dense forests surrounding a lively creek that hosts brook trout and smaller populations of steelhead and Westslope cutthroat trout. Emerging into alpine woodlands and meadows, hike participants can discover the Slate Lakes basin or enjoy a swim. We may also investigate nearby Nez Perce Forest Road 444, a 15-mile-long, ‘cherry-stem’ intrusion into the Gospel Hump that accommodates off-road vehicle and snow machine use and undermines ecological integrity and wilderness character. The Slate Creek watershed and encompassing wilderness provide a crucial link for animal and plant life between the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness to the northeast and the southerly Snake River breaks and westward Hells Canyon wildlands. Please meet for this hike at the Rosauers sign in Moscow with plenty of water, lunch, and good hiking gear. We will depart at 7 a.m. on Sunday, August 17, and return to the Palouse by 7 p.m. on the same day. Call 208-882-9755 with questions and your plans to attend.
Slate Lake
