TWO MOUTH LAKES
Completely untouched, this basin is carpeted with meadows, beneath granite cliffs and domes. There is a good scramble around the head of Slide Creek Canyon that can be added to this hike. This is a habitat for rare mountain caribou and grizzly bears.
Difficulty: B1 Easy
Elevation gain: 491m (1610’) in, 128m (420’) out
Key elevations:
Distance: 11.3km (7mi) round trip
Time: 4-6 hours
Season: late June through mid-October
Map: USGS The Wigwams & the Bonners Ferry Ranger District Travel Map
Drive:
From Creston. BC. Drive Hwy 21 south and enter Idaho at the Rykerts/Porthill border crossing. 0.0. US customs building. Drive south to Bonners Ferry. Turn west of Idaho Hwy 1 into Downtown Bonners Ferry.
From Bonners Ferry. Drive to the intersection of First and Riverside streets, on the north edge of the historic downtown. Set you odometer to 0.0.
0.0. Go west on Riverside St.
.2km (.1mi). Cross railroad tracks. Follow signs for Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge within 5 miles.
.8km (.5mi). Pass the mill.
5.6km (3.5mi). Go right.
5.8km (3.8mi). Go left and cross a bridge.
6.2km (3.8mi). Pass 2 wildlife refuge parking lots in the wetlands.
8.1km (5mi). Go right (north). The road to the left goes to Snow Creek Road.
8.6km 5.3mi). Pass the Wildlife Refuge visitor centre and cross Myrtle Creek bridge.
10.5km (6.5mi). At the junction, go straight (north) on the paved Westside Rd. Myrtle Creek Rd #633 goes left (west).
From Pyramid or Trout Lakes. Follow Trout Creek Road #634 east. Turn right onto Westside Road and drive south 13.5km (8.4mi). Then turn right onto Myrtle Creek Road #633 (note – this road and stop signs at this junction face south and are easy to miss from the north. Reset odometer to 0.
0.0. Go west on Myrtle Creek Road #633.
3.1km (2mi). Go straight. Burton Creek Rd #2411 forks right.
11.6km (7.2mi). Go straight. Road #1309 descends left.
15km (9.3mi). Go straight. Road $2405 forks right.
16.1km (10mi). Just after a descent, cross a bridged creek, then pass a left fork.
16.9km (10.5mi). Go straight. Myrtle Creek Trail #286 is right.
19.1km (11.8mi). Park on the left. TH for Two Mouth Lakes Trail #268 (1418m 4650’).
Route/Trail. Begin hiking up the barricaded old road #658 on the right. After 10 minutes, fork left onto a brushy skid road. Ascend NW through alder and fir.
20 min. Pass trail register for Trail #268. Pass an enormous hemlock. The skid road ascends south, then SW, levels, descends slightly, then opens up.
30 min. Proceed on the actual trail. Ascend above Slide Creek Canyon. A 152m cliff is visible above to the west.
75 min. Trail high point (1910m 6260’) on a granite ridge. Two Mouth Lakes basin is visible below to the south at 5.6km (3.5mi), 1780m (5840’). Before descending, turn right and follow the ridge NW staying on the south side of the crest to a great viewpoint. Assess the following route. The more forested upper lake is to the SE. From here, continue toward the anvil-shaped peak,, follow its crest, and descend east rounding the head of Slide Creek Canyon well above the trail. Traverse the ridge SE, descend to the trail and follow it back to the vehicle.
Return Drive: For Bonners Ferry, either return the way you came or proceed straight on Road #661 to complete a loop via Cooks Pass that’s only 6.4km (4mi) longer than retracing your approach. Reset odometer 0.0.
0.0. Go NE on #661 from the junction with Upper Myrtle Creek Rd #24.
2.2km (1.2mi). Go straight. The gated road on the right.
3.7km (2.3km). Go straight (after 5km, subalpine larch are common).
6.3km (3.9mi). Go right through forested Cooks Pass (1680m 5510’). Continue south.
8.5km (5.3mi). Junction at a big curve. Go left.
10.4km (6.4mi). Junction. Left goes to Bonners Ferry. Right goes to Roman Nose Lakes TH.
For Bonners Ferry. Reset odometer 0.0.
0.0. Go left (east) on Snow Creek Rd #402.
.8km (.5mi), 1.9km (1.2mi), 6.2km (3.8mi), and 10km (6.2mi). Proceed at all these spur roads on the well-graded Snow Creek Road.
12.9km (8mi). Pass signed TH descending to Snow Creek Falls.
15km (9.3mi). Reach a T-junction with Westside Road. Go left on gravel toward Myrtle Creek Road #633. Right on pavement leads to Naples on Hwy 2/95.
19.3km (12mi). Junction near Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge. Go right to Bonners Ferry in about 8km (5mi). Left leads to Myrtle Creek Road #633 in 2.5km (1.6mi).