Tunnel of Snow

In the St. Regis Basin in Idaho's Panhandle National Forest there's still plenty of snow to tunnel through and play in. Amy Bartoo and her family enjoyed a recent winter wonderland of a weekend camping trip. If you still want to play in the North Idaho snow, access the trail system at Lookout Pass. From I-90 at the Idaho/Montana border take the Lookout Pass exit (0) and park in the Lookout Pass Ski Area lower south parking lot.

Sprouting!

Inbetween weekend snow storms we had a few hours for yard work. Spring seems to be sprouting up in the flower beds.

Spring thaw

I was OnLocation for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Post Falls Dam this week. If you want proof that spring is on the way, eight of nine gates are wide open, flowing 10,000 cubic feet per second. This is a bird's eye view from above the falls on the spillway catwalk as the Spokane River begins its travels over the dam.

Medal of Honor

In my print column in the Coeur d'Alene Press there's more about these two very special North Idaho residents, Vernon Baker and Tom Norris. Coeur d'Alene was the birth place of perhaps one of the most famous Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, Gregory "Pappy" Boyington. But to have two of fewer than 100 surviving Medal of Honor recipients from WWII and Vietnam living in North Idaho is quite an honor for us all.

Fleeting ice

One of the final remnants of winter in North Idaho are the overnight temperatures which still create a layer of ice on the backyard birdbath.

Dreaming of Spring

A Canada goose appears to be looking to the horizon for spring to arrive in North Idaho. Aren't we all?

Signs of Spring

A butterfly flutters through the foliage near Kidd Island Bay on Lake Coeur d'Alene. North Idahoans become cautiously optomistic on the first day of Spring since Mother Nature is known to throw a few curve balls in late March and early April.

Horse Play

OnLocation at Silverwood for the North Idaho Tourism Summit provided a rare glimpse of the theme park in late winter stillness, including the carousel where children are at play in the summer months. A few miles down the road the real-life counterparts of the merry-go-round horses enjoy an over the fence "conversation" in their corral.

Blustery Beach

The generations-old tree roots and white caps give the appearance of an ocean beach on Lake Coeur d'Alene's West Lakeshore Drive. In a few short months the tree will be providing shade for summer beach goers.

Wearin' o'the green

Even the four-legged among us are dressed for St. Patrick's Day, as is this filly who appeared in the holiday parade in Coeur d'Alene.

A little of everything

Monday late afternoon North Idaho had rain, hail and light snow. Spring arrives on Friday and boy are we ready!

Irish Idaho

On Saturday I was OnLocation at Coeur d'Alene's St. Patrick's Day Parade, transporting the Irishman of the Year, Steve Saunders down Sherman Avenue. Steve's boys, Shay and Chase came along for the ride. Among the spectators was a familiar fellow ... he looked like a leprechaun but was a little taller than the norm.

Arctic Art

A few days ago, single digit temperatures combined with blue skies and sunshine, created works of art like these icicles on the raingutter of our Post Falls home. By the beginning of the week the weatherman predicts highs could reach 50 degrees. But one thing I've learned about winter from decades of living in North Idaho ... it ain't over 'til it's over and Mother Nature generally has a few more chilly surprises before we tear the March page off of the calendar.

Elk Nuzzle

As the sun sets a cow elk and yearling head into the trees to join the rest of their herd, just off of Burlington Road at the north end of the Rathdrum Prairie. The herd numbers around two dozen and winters between Chase Road and Greensferry each year. In another month or so they'll make their way back up to Rathdrum Mountain for the summer.

Single Digits Brrrrr

North Idaho has already marked record-breaking amounts of snow this winter and now the past two days are record cold temperatures for March. In Post Falls this morning the sun shining on my frosty backyard thermometer brought the temperature up to double digits by 9 a.m.

Snow, Rain, Ice

On the March 3 post my front porch wind spinner is pictured covered in snow and as it looked with rain drops. A week later the colorful weather watcher is glistening in the sun with icycles. It must be winter in North Idaho!

The Difference a Day Makes

The old saying, "if you don't like the weather, wait 15 minutes and it'll change" rang true as North Idaho awoke to sunshine and blue skies ... yesterday's storm a distant memory. This view from the Coeur d'Alene Resort looks towards Cougar Bay on the north shores of Lake Coeur d'Alene.

No Kids at Play

Kiwanis playground in Coeur d'Alene's lakeside city park is filled with kids at play in the spring and summer months but on a stormy March day it's as deserted as a ghost town.

Snow covered

At the end of the day, during a bit of a blizzard, this woman walked up Coeur d'Alene's Sherman Avenue, wearing a frosty fashion statement.

Horse Power

Out for a suburban Sunday trot on Syringa St. in Post Falls, this teen multi-tasks by checking her cell phone messages while in motion.

Baby Face

The first day of Spring is still a few weeks away but on the Post Falls farm of Dave and Marnie Fair, new babies are starting to arrive. This beautiful week-old Galloway calf is ready to face the world. And what a gorgeous face, indeed!

Warm and wooley

Since March is coming in more like a snowy lion than a lamb in North Idaho, this sheep is is appropriately dressed for the weather in a warm wool coat.

Snow Camping

There are some outdoor recreational activities here in North Idaho that I don't go OnLocation to ... snow camping is one of them. But there's no shortage of adventuresome Idahoans willing to rough it, like the Boy Scouts of Troop 202 in Coeur d'Alene. Scoutmaster Mike Ortman took these photos of last weekend's snow camp outing at Lookout Pass about 2 miles down the trail into the St. Regis Basin. The summit elevation of Lookout Pass Recreation Area, at the Idaho/Montana state line, is 5,650 feet. Right off of I-90, Lookout Pass is one of the few places you can ski in two states on one mountain.The happy snow camper is David Townsend.

Spinning Past Winter

As February came to an end the front porch wind spinner was covered in fresh, fluffy snow. March in North Idaho has come in like a lamb, a wet lamb, with daytime temperatures nearing 40 degrees this week.