ANTZ BOORN

I woke at first light the next morning, hoping for a spectacular sunrise. It was not to be, as it was cloudy and smoky from the many fires in the northern Rockies. In fact, a few raindrops fell. That was a little alarming, as we had slept in hammocks without putting up a tarp. The rain mostly held off while we made breakfast and packed up. However, it started raining in earnest before we left Lake Alturas.

Next on our agenda was a short backpacking trip in the White Clouds. We made the relatively short drive up to the Fourth of July Trailhead in a steady rain. The weather was a surprise, as rain hadn’t been in the forecast. We reached the trailhead parking area, which was surprisingly busy on a damp Monday morning. We loaded our packs despite the rain, which tapered off a bit before we hit the trail.

We started on the trail to Fourth of July Lake. That trail is outside the wilderness area, and is open to some motorized vehicles. We actually had a motorcycle pass us a couple of times along that stretch. Otherwise, it was a damp walk in the pines up to a junction before the lake. There was a large group heading towards the lake just ahead of us, so we decided to skip it. We headed up the trail toward Ants (sometimes spelled Antz, for some reason) Basin divide. The rain had been off and on all morning, and it stopped again along here. We took advantage of the break and stopped for lunch.

After eating, we continued up to a small tarn below Patterson Peak. From there, the climb continued up towards the divide. We crested the pass, and an astonishing view greeted us. We gazed out over Ants Basin – a green meadow in a cirque below soaring, rugged peaks. Directly across from us was the white face of D.O. Lee Peak. The White Clouds are named for their unusual white limestone. This viewpoint offers one of the best vantages of those white mountains.

After a break we descended switchbacks to the valley floor. Originally I had planned to camp at one of the Born Lakes (sometimes spelled Boorn, for some reason). However, we had spotted an intriguing pond in Ants Basin from the pass. We decided to check it out. An easy off-trail walk through open meadows led to the pond, and a nice campsite in a thicket of trees. The campsite featured great views of all of the surrounding mountains. We set up camp just before the rain resumed. We had endured light rain that morning, but this was heavier. We ended up napping in our hammocks under our tarp. We were able to stay dry and warm, as it was surprisingly cold outside of our cozy sleeping bags.

I woke that evening after the rain stopped. I had originally planned to hike up to the plateau above the upper Born Lake. I didn’t have enough time for that due to the storm, but decided that I’d at least hike to the Born Lakes. Christy decided to skip it, and she chose wisely. I was 20 minutes into my hike when the rain returned. I hiked up past the wooded lower lakes, passing a couple of groups camped there. I stopped at the upper lake, which is situated at treeline. That lake looked like it might be scenic, but it was raining so hard that it was difficult to tell.

The rain stopped during my return hike, and I was treated to some amazing evening light as the storm cleared. I made it back to camp in time to wake Christy up so she could enjoy the scenery. That segued nicely into a lovely sunset.

The next morning we packed up and hiked back to Ants Basin Divide. Christy hung out there, while I hiked up Patterson Peak. I followed the ridge from the divide, though I chose to drop down on the west side several times to avoid obstacles. Early on I spooked a blue grouse, but I was able to get a photo of him before he fled.

The hike was straightforward, though the final stretch was a steep scramble. I was definitely feeling the altitude. We had only spent three nights at higher elevations, and it usually takes me a full week or so to fully acclimate. From the summit, I was treated to great views of Four Lakes Basin and Castle Peak. The views were diminished by smoky, cloudy conditions, but the climb was still worth the effort.

I rejoined Christy, and we hiked back down to the trailhead. We took a slightly different route at the end to check out the ruins of the Deer Trail mine. The most interesting feature was the remains of an old railroad trestle.

From there, we drove back out to the main highway and up through the community of Stanley. We continued downstream along the Salmon River in search of a campground. We ended up finding a nice spot at the Lower O’Brien campground. We relaxed there that evening and prepared for our next backpacking trip, on the east side of the White Clouds.

Back to Idaho

Back to Hiking and Backpacking Trip Reports

Home

Please remember to Leave No Trace!