Take the Plunge!

On the first day of the new year, start with a run along Lake Coeur d'Alene in the Hangover Handicap and then at the stroke of noon, the 31st Annual Polar Bear Plunge takes place at Sanders Beach ... water temperature 40 degrees! Either way, you're likely to get wet and sure to be cold, with snow in the forecast for North Idaho on the first day of 2010!

Towering Lights

McEuen Terrace, which overlooks McEuen Field, Tubbs Hill and Lake Coeur d'Alene in downtown Coeur d'Alene, is dressed for the season.

Wet Winter

North Idaho has seen far more rain than snow so far this winter. Last year was epic in snowfall volume which made for some incredible images in white like these steps down to Lake Coeur d'Alene at Independence Point. Winter recreationists won't be disappointed by the snowpack at Schweitzer, Silver Mountain and Lookout Pass, though.

Eagle Eye View

I spend a lot of time on location with the eagles on Lake Coeur d'Alene this time of year. As I watched several swoop and soar and dive for fish I wondered what the view was like from their vantage point ... kokanee salmon in post-spawning death throes and people with cameras.

Frozen Fish

A fisherman checks his frozen fishing hole on Fernan Lake Monday afternoon. A light snow was falling and the ice is several inches thick on the small lake at the east end of Coeur d'Alene.

Centennial Trail Sunset

Even on a winter's day, walkers, cyclists and runners enjoy the view of Lake Coeur d'Alene from the Centennial Trail on Coeur d'Alene Lake Drive. This sunset is just one of the reasons the trail is used year around.

Frozen Falls

The water features on Spokane Street's I-90 on and off ramps in Post Falls are looking more like ice sculptures this week after several days of single digit and below zero temperatures in North Idaho.

Eagle Watching

The eagles have arrived on Lake Coeur d'Alene! As many as 100 bald eagles spend the month of December at Wolf Lodge Bay and Higgens Point to feed on Kokanee salmon before continuing their southern migration. Higgens Point has eagle viewing informational kiosks and public parking right at lake's edge. Eagle photographs HERE. More information on eagle watching cruises and education from the Idaho Dept. of Fish and Game click HERE.

Ramping up the season

The iconic Cedars Floating Restaurant, off of Blackwell Island where Lake Coeur d'Alene flows into the Spokane River, is dressed for the holidays. The lake level is at its winter low. In the summer months, this ramp is not so much of an incline.

Frosty Green

The world-famous floating green at the Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course is covered in frost on a very cold December Sunday morning.

Full Moon

I enjoy far more moon rises than sun rises in the course of my nightowl lifestyle. On the first day of December a beautiful full moon was rising on the east as the sun was setting in the west in North Idaho.

Countdown to 2010

The 24' wide pine wreath on the parking garage of the Coeur d'Alene Resort reminds us of the year about to come to an end. Weighing nearly 3 tons, the wreath is handcrafted each year by Post Falls florist, Connie O'Neil.

Lighting up the lake

The annual fireworks display over Lake Coeur d'Alene dwarfed the Coeur d'Alene Resort cruise boats which were filled with revelers as Coeur d'Alene's downtown was officially lit up for the season.

Dressed for December

The grounds of the Coeur d'Alene Resort and downtown's Sherman Avenue are all dressed in lights, although Mother Nature has yet to blanket North Idaho in white.

Nothing says Christmas like ...

... shotgun shell lights on the tree. These, and other outdoors-themed lights like Coleman lanterns, are displayed at Cabela's in Post Falls.

Kicking off Christmas!

The day after Thanksgiving, the Christmas season kicks off in Coeur d'Alene with the Festival of Lights Parade at dusk. At parade's end, thousands gather on the lawn of the Coeur d'Alene Resort for the official flipping of the switch to light up the downtown. At the Resort alone there are over a million lights strung.

Birds on a wire

On a sunny but cold North Idaho November day, hundreds of starlings surveyed the landscape from overhead wires. Every few minutes they'd swoop as a group to feed in the fields below.

Gobble Gobble

With less than a week before Thanksgiving, a family of wild turkeys parades through a Fernan Lake neighborhood.

First snow

The first measurable snow of the season fell on Friday the 13th. By Saturday it was still dusting the fields of the prairie and Rathdrum Mountain. At the Idaho/Montana stateline Lookout Ski and Recreation area opened this weekend for early season skiiers.

In like a lamb

November arrived in North Idaho without a roar. Beautiful blue skies and mild temperatures made for some great late season golf at the Highlands Country Club in Post Falls. Dozens of golfers were out on the links and the driving range on a sunny Sunday ... which just happened to be November 1.

Fire on the Mountain

On Saturday, smoke and fire could be seen on the south side of Rathdrum Mountain, high winds sending the smoke nearly horizontal. No cause for alarm ... evidently it was a controlled slash burn.

The difference a day makes ...

The first flakes of measurable snow fell on North Idaho this morning, even before all the leaves have fallen from the trees.

Shades of Picnics Past

A gazebo at Q'emlin Park on the Spokane River is framed by fall foliage on one of these bonus sunny days of fall. Picnic tables are stacked for storage with the first North Idaho snowfall just around the corner.

Autumn Art

At every turn the artistry of Autumn is visible in North Idaho. Even a leaf-covered lawn on a rainy day is reason enough to pause and enjoy.

Rainy Monday

The rains fell in North Idaho and the grassy swale in the Kootenai County Admin building parking lot resembled a lake. Is that the floating green or just a stormwater cover? :)

Slipping Away

The vacant boat slips at Redlion Templin's Marina on the Spokane River in Post Falls have shed their blue canvas canopies but the colorful fall foliage provides a feast for the eyes.

Hunting Season

Last year Coors featured a camoflauge design on their canned beer and this year, just in time for hunting season, Miller and Busch weighed in with colorful camo cans. 'Tis the season in North Idaho.

Day's End

Sunsets in North Idaho are beautiful any time of year but in the Fall, they come much earlier in the day. This view is from Chase Road in Post Falls at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Deserted Lake

The summer crowds have gone, leaving the shores of Lake Coeur d'Alene's Booth Park empty except for a few broken branches. On a windy October Day the ripples on the water create an artistic visual.

Fishing at Fernan

On a brisk but sunny day, the public fishing dock at Coeur d'Alene's Fernan Lake is a popular spot for all ages.