There are specific experiences in life that you know will be unforgettable. Kane Lake will forever be an “I’m so glad I did” adventure. The scenery is unmatched, surrounded by towering 11,000-foot peaks with waterfalls streaming down (I believe we counted 7), and the total solitude and no bugs made this trip spectacular. But what makes this trip most memorable to me is the company of my two daughters, ages 8 and 10, on what would be their first overnight backpacking trip.
The Plan
You can find Kane Lake in Idaho between Mackay and Sun Valley, in the Pioneer Mountains, with an elevation of about 9000 ft. Since this would be a first for my girls hiking in and carrying their gear, I knew I had to plan a fun trip that wasn’t too long with lots of yummy snacks if I wanted their company on future trips. This was our plan:
Day 1: Leave Friday afternoon, drive roughly 2.5 hours, and camp in Wildhorse Canyon. That way, we would be reasonably close to the actual trailhead for Kane Lake and enjoy the luxury of car camping the first night and making s’mores.
Day 2: Make breakfast at the camp and drive to the trailhead at the end of Kane Creek Road. Then hike to the lake, camp one night, and hike out on day three to head home.
The Experience
The drive from Idaho Falls to Mackay flew by as me and my daughters ate snacks and sang songs from the radio and talked about our upcoming adventure with excitement and anticipation. There is an amazing feeling of freedom when you set sail on a trip you have planned and waited for even if it is only for the weekend.
Trips like this do wonders for me in relieving stress by just getting back to the basics like what am I going to eat and drink, how am I going to keep warm and where am I going to sleep. The rest is just trying to soak in as much of the experience as possible by enjoying the views and paying attention to the smells and sounds that are around me.
The drive up Wildhorse Canyon took longer than I had anticipated, so we found an area along the creek to set up camp instead of going to the campground as planned. When we get out, the first question I hear is, “Can we build a fire?” This trip is about adventure and building memories for me, but for my two girls, it’s all about roasted marshmallows.
Early the following day, we headed out in search of Kane Creek road, which ended up only about 20 minutes down the road. Once we made the turn, we left the “nice” dirt road behind and spent the next 30-40 minutes crawling over rocks and deep mud holes and a trip through the creek before reaching the trailhead.
Once there, we loaded up and hit the trail for our 3.5-mile stroll to the lake. Maybe stroll is not the right word here. With my backpack weighing in close to 60 pounds, thanks to camera gear and extras from my two girls, and considering the 1700 feet of elevation gain, the hike took us nearly 5 hours. I assumed this would be good training for my upcoming ultramarathon through the mountains near Palisades.
The weather ranged from sunny and pleasant, to pouring rain, to snow and hail. A few times, we lost the trail due to avalanche debris and the path being unclear after the first mile or so. I kept my girls busy by making them find their way. I taught them to look for signs indicating a trail, like rocks stacked on each other, notches cut into the trees, and logs cut with a flat end. They did a great job, and we stayed on course and eventually arrived at the lake.
The Roar
Besides the breathtaking scenery, one of the things that I remember most is the sound. This location is a place where the mountains roar. It’s like this white noise that almost gets louder the longer you stay. The best way I can describe it is to imagine the sound of a giant waterfall reflecting off a lake and echoing off of canyon walls. Two other places where I distinctly remember this sound was Alice Lake in the Sawtooth Mountains and one night doing some night photography in the Tetons. Whatever the technical explanation is for this roar, I find it fascinating especially considering how loud it can be.
This trip was a massive success in that we all had fun, and I could visibly see the confidence in my two daughters go from unsure and not knowing what to expect to 3.5 miles, 1700ft, 5 hours, and no trail-no problem. It’s incredible to see the strength that comes from achieving something you have never done before, to stretch yourself and realize you can do it. Because if we don’t ever raise the bar, how will we ever know our potential? I have gained memories from this trip that will last a lifetime, and the best part was making them.
Planning Your Visit
Did you know that Kane Lake is one of the favorite hidden lakes in Idaho??? View the list of the TOP 9 Best Lakes in Idaho. If you’d like to plan an adventure to visit and make memories like my girls and I did, visit AllTrails for the latest hiking trail information. I hope you have an amazing trip! Share your adventures and keep in touch with me by joining my email list. As always, let me help bring your adventure home with beautiful nature wall art from my photography gallery.
