Bald eagle pairs rarely get within a mile of each other. So wouldn’t it be neat to stumble onto doz-ens of them, together in the wild? To watch them glide from their perch tree, spiral toward the water and pluck a fish from its depths? Well, snuggle down and start reading. You’re about to find out where and when you can find such a sight. Seven miles southeast of Coeur d’Alene is Wolf Lodge Bay, a well-known migrating spot for bald eagles. It’s believed they come down from Canada for a milder cli-mate and make the bay their win-ter home. The rocky shores, sub-merged gravel beds, and tall trees lure the eagles because it’s the ideal habitat for kokanee salmon, a main food source. The area is chock-full of the land-locked salmon, which

spawn around November, then die and become the perfect food to get the eagles through the winter.

The Bureau of Land Management together with the Department of Fish &

Game started the Watchable Wildlife Program. One portion of that program is the Coeur d ’Alene Eagle Watch at Wolf Lodge Bay

started in 1991. It’s a public showing of the eagles, with wildlife personnel around to answer ques-tions and direct you to the best spots to find them at any given time. “It’s grown from one Saturday in Decem-ber to the seven days from Christmas to New Year’s Day,” says Scott Robinson, a wildlife bi-ologist with the Bureau of Land Management in Coeur d’Alene. “There are an assort-ment of government people and volunteers who set up telescopes, displays and handout material. We assist the

public in viewing and enjoying the bald eagles.” The eagles start arriving in mid-No-vember, rising in numbers to peak around the holiday season. They start leaving in mid-January. “During the one-week period at Christ-mas, we have anywhere from 2,000 to 4,000 visitors sign our guest book,” said Robinson. “Seventy percent are from within a three-hour driving distance, and the other thirty percent are from every-where else.” Idaho Department of Fish & Game have documented visitors from all fifty states and Washington, D.C. The num-ber of bald eagles that show up at Wolf Lodge Bay varies from year to year but has increased to between eighty and one hundred during the month of December. If you think you’d like to see Wolf Lodge Bay in December, here are a few

BALD EAGLES OF WOLF LODGE BAY

Interesting Facts:

Bald Eagles mate for life, can live 60 years in captivity and are found only in North America.

Did you know...

* Eighty percent of bald eagles die before their first birthday due to predators and lack of food.

* From 1917-1952 over 100,000 bald eagles were killed in Alaska. There was a bounty on them so their carcasses were traded for cash.

* If you get caught today with even one bald eagle feather, you can be fined up to $5,000 and spend a year in prison.

* In 1978 bald eagles were put on the Endangered Species List.

* Bald eagles are slowly coming back from the brink of extinction. They were reclassified in 1995 as ‘threatened’.

tips from the Bureau of Land Management. It is seven miles southeast of Coeur d’Alene on I-90. The suggested viewing spots are on Highway 97 at Higgins Point, Mineral Ridge Boat Ramp and Mineral Ridge Trail head. Don’t forget your binoculars and camera with a zoom lens. Officials ask that you don’t get too close to the birds or their perch trees. If the eagles start to ruffle their feathers or appear agitated, you’re too close. If made too uncomfortable they will fly off. If you’d like to watch the bald eagles fish, get there early. They usually start just after dawn and slow around mid-morning. They position them-selves in perch trees near the edge of the water and watch for dead or dying salmon. They swoop down in a spiraling motion, snatch the fish out of the water and take it back to their perch to eat. It’s a rare and wonderful chance to see so many bald eagles in one place. Isn’t North Idaho great?

By: Sherry Ramsey Photos: Brent Flint

3

4

3 Bald Eagles of Wolf Lodge Bay

6 Breaking Ground WhisperRidge

8 Leata Judd MakingFacesthatMeanSomething

10 A North Idaho Island Tour

14 Stillwater Point

16 Suggested Readings For Fall LocalAuthorsNewReleases

18 Barns

21 Mind Body and Soul AgingGracefully

22 The Riding Life NorthIdahoMountainBikeTrailGuide

29 The Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes

30 A Village and a Vision TheRealitySchool

39 Curtain Call LocalTheatricalCalendars

40 The Spirits in the Air Breweries&WineriesofNorthIdaho

43 On Stage TheShookTwins

44 Suh-weet and Smokin’ Joey’sSmokin’B.B.Q.

47 Cirque de Fault PhotoEssay

51 The Hidden World of Geocaching

53 Dowsing AMatterofBelief

54 Light it up with Bio-Luminesce

56 The Calendar

57 Leaves of Change FallPhotoShowcase

Features

Volume 1 Issue #3

Cover - Camp fire at Strong Creek By Chis Guibert, www.Guibertphoto.comPhoto this page by Woods Wheatcroft, www.woodswheatcroft.com

Publisher/Creative Director Jeremy Holzapfel

EditorZach Hagadone

Layout & DesignAlyption Media Group

Contributing WritersJenna Bowers

Seneca Cummings Travis Engle

Jane Fritz Kathy GavinMike GearldsChris Guibert

Sherry Ramsey

Staff PhotographerJessica Vouk

Contributing PhotographersJenna Bowers Chris Guibert

istockphoto.comGreg JohnstonCurtis Kitchen

Woods Wheatcroft

Advertising DirectorSeneca Cummings

EDITORIAL OFFICE: 208.263.5886 (M-F 9-5PM PAC)WEBSITE: www.NILifestyle.com

Please write to us at:NORTH IDAHO LIFESTYLE

413 PINE STREET, SANDPOINT, ID 83864Enclose a self addressed stamped envelope

with all artwork submissions.

No portion of this magazine or its contents may be repro-duced without the written consent of the publisher. We wel-come your letters as well as editorial and photographic sub-

missions.

Copyright 2006 North Idaho Lifestyle Magazine. All rights reserved. Volume 1 Issue #3

North Idaho Lifestyle is published quarterly by Alyption Media Group,

413 Pine Street, Sandpoint, ID 83864.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY $20 per year for 4 issues. Please visit us

online @ www.NILifestyle.com to download a subsciption request form.

Free web version is also available at www.NILifestyle.com

Volume 1 Issue #3

Many developers buy a piece of land and tear up every blade of grass. People are packed in so close they may as well live in New York or Chicago, instead of North Idaho. That isn’t the case with Whisper Ridge, a development along the northeast slope of Schweitzer Moun-tain. Located just ten minutes from Schweitzer Ski Resort and five minutes from downtown Sandpoint, Whisper Ridge is a deep cleansing breath of inner peace and beauty. Longtime lo-cals, Henry Mire, Joe Mire and Eric Skinner

WHISPER RIDGE

and then be embarrassed to see people in town. ‘Something to be proud of’, is our underlying theme.”

The project will be completed in two phases with only 17 home sites and an additional 48 acres dedicated as common ground for all of the residents. Each home site will be between one and two and one-half acres, with a view so in-credible it’s hard to walk away from.

have a dream for their 70 acres, and intend to see it through.

“We want people to come here and see the beauty and uniqueness,“ said Skinner. “We are trying to develop Whisper Ridge the way we would want it if we lived here, and one of us is planning to.

“Henry, Joe and I are family and we want to make this special. We don’t want to do it halfway

By Sherry RamseyPhotos By Jessica Vouk

The roads will be paved to each home site, with boulders cut in half and set mirror-image at each paved driveway. The main entrance is a gor-geous sample of the quality within, as you pass between two halves of a 12 foot rock, and another with Whisper Ridge engraved into the face. Just beyond the entrance lies a pond and waterfall, complete with an arched bridge. Benches and ta-bles encourage those who love the sound of rush-ing water to sit and enjoy the moment.

From each home site you can look below and see the city of Sandpoint, snugged between the Pend Oreille River and Schweitzer Mountain. To the south, Bottle Bay is clearly visible as the river branches off toward Hope and splits around the islands. To the east, the Cabinet Mountain Range stands tall and majestic, back dropped by the mountains of western Montana. To the north, on a clear day, the views span almost to Bonners Ferry.

From above, Sandpoint appears as a patch-work quilt of trees and neighboring farms that re-mind me of a picture I saw as a child. The sound you’ll hear from this little hide-a-way is silence, broken by the occasional chipmunk chatter and bird song. It is a place where you can actually hear the leaves flutter when a breeze whispers through the trees. In winter, snow will hang heavy

on the limbs of cedars, yellow pine, red fir and tamarack. It’s a post card wait-ing to happen.

In addition to the spectacular views, the truly unique features of this proj-ect are the amount of common area and the close proximity to downtown Sandpoint. Whisper Ridge will have a private eight acre park, which they plan to name “Manny’s Park” in recognition of the previous owner. Manny’s Park is home to a Yew tree that a forester has stated he believes is one of the largest in North Idaho. An impressive stand of cedars tower over the park, casting a cool shade that invites a leisurely walk among the evergreens. There’s a natural retaining wall of moss-covered stones and the walking path takes you over a small spring.

The plans are to preserve over two-thirds of the land in it’s present state, with the enhancement of trails, ponds, a waterfall, and gazebo. There are ap-proximately three and one-half miles of trail systems meandering through the property, which connects with state and Bureau of Land Management land.

The park will have easy walking paths for those who want to take a stroll, while others will be me-dium-level for hiking. For those who want a challenge, there is always the goat trail with some of the most spectacular views in Idaho. Standing amid the old growth trees, the entire valley is laid out before you.

“You should see the view when the moon comes up over the Cab-inet Mountains,” said Skinner. “In the winter and spring, when these mountains are snowcapped, it’s just fantastic. My wife and I watched a big mule deer come

within a few feet of us one evening. Moose, mule deer and chipmunks are the animals we’ve seen the most. Joe (Mire) even found a pair of nice elk sheds one afternoon.”

Visiting with Eric, his obvious love of the land and the project shines through.

“When I stand on Whisper Ridge, I get the feeling that when God created the earth, he must have been standing on this mountain and thought, ‘What a cool place’ and put us all here to enjoy it. We have a lot of respect for this land, and that’s why we’re trying to preserve it as best we can.”

For more information about Whisper Ridge, call 208-255-3800 or 800-205-8771.

Drawing by J.L.Skinner

8 www.nilifestyle.com

Arriving at Leata Judd’s studio in Bayview is like stepping off the train at Hogwarts; at once you recognize that your former reality has bent and shaped itself into something else. Something amazing.

Maybe it’s all the friendly faces here at the Judd’s’ 20-acre place called Old Maid’s Clearing -- hun-dreds of them created from clay or papier-mâché -- that are literally everywhere. The cedar trees next to her brick kiln have terra-cotta smiles. One tree, a female, also has small breasts. Step into the gar-den and you nearly step on this squat little fellow on huge hobbit-like feet looking pleasantly skyward.

Pondering what Harry Potter would do, you apologize and say hello, not feeling a bit silly. By the back door there’s a bird house made in the shape of a happy old man’s face that makes me wonder how the birds feel flying in and out of his mouth or perched on his long, upturned nose.

Beyond the small creek, at the edge of the deep forest, are enormous clay morel mush-rooms that double as friendly woodland gnomes with hats.

You’re welcomed by an entire village of beings who easily convince you that Leata Judd is no ordinary artist; and, as you enter her studio and home, her smiling presence

is like a hummingbird’s, authentic and energetic, earning all of your attention, further evidence that you are in the presence of a mystic, a creator of a much-needed new mythology on life, one where kindness and generosity rule.

Leata, 77, and her husband Tom (who says to call him “Mr. Leata”) have lived in this magical place off Salle Creek Road near Farragut State Park for 26 years. Tom, a welder and semi-retired heavy-equipment op-erator, does metal sculpture during his free time in his machine shop. The colorful dragon perched on the front edge of their home’s roof line is one of his creative contributions to the community of characters with whom they share their home, but

this fantastic realm has principally been nurtured by his wife.

Leata is usually in her spacious studio right after breakfast, daily creating something entirely new or advancing an artistic experiment that requires several stages and days of work. Some of her more intri-cate sculptures sit on shelves waiting for the winter season to complete

when more of her time is spent indoors. Against every wall and next to the entryway steps are rows and rows of shelves to the ceiling.

The shelves are filled with creatures of all kinds, and caricatured human faces abound.

Some sculptures you might expect to find, like a uni-corn; but more often her works will surprise and make you ponder Leata’s unique way of interpret-ing the world, like a papier-mâché horse sporting

airplane wings and a cowboy rider hanging on for dear life.

Inspired by her artist father, Roger Moore, she has worked with clay for over 30 years and her

early creations were mostly pottery (with faces of course) that she sold at the Cedar Street Bridge Market.

You could purchase a mug with an amusing mug smiling back at you for your morning coffee. And there were toothbrush holders and, one of my personal favorites, clay-faced

doorknobs. Sneaking a cookie out of the cup-board is more fun with some silly big-nosed per-

son grinning at you.

Then there were clay statues of women with interesting personas and sunny (and moon) faces and faeries as wall hangings. But the challenges of

firing the kiln so often and the possibility of cracked or broken artworks are now mostly behind her and her kiln

helper, Tom.

For the past few years, Leata has been working with an easier, far less expensive artistic medium -- papier-mâché. She en-

joys exploring the nearly limitless creative possibilities using recycled newspaper (or her

favorite: Brown Yoke’s grocery sacks). The medium is a little cleaner than working with clay, she says with a laugh, and then reconsid-ers; well, maybe not a lot cleaner. And it takes much longer, but for her, working with pa-pier-mâché is like doing meditation, and she really likes the experience. There are sculp-tures, wall hangings and even rattles.

Her latest project is making papier-mâché bottles of various sizes adorned with hand-painted, anthropomorphized frogs. Leata’s frogs are only one of her favorite artistic

Making Faces That Mean SomethingLeata Judd

Featured Artist

By Jane Fritz

leaning back in his chair and smoking a pipe with beer in hand over a rotund belly. Both are made from Yoke’s sacks and are richly colored. They have an Old World feel to them that reminds one of being a kid again, on Grandpa’s lap or with Santa at Christmas. You just know that whatever wish you whisper in either’s carefully crafted pa-per ear is bound to come true.

Another sculpture that is mystifying is a work called “Fall Dreams”. A woman’s head is tilted over the sculpture’s towered block papered with fallen leaves. Tree branches like antlers protrude from her scalp and long dreadlocks flow down her back like willow limbs. Her eyes are dreamy and pondering.

Like Leata she must be imagining the next ar-tistic move, in love with life and the sheer joy of creation.

signatures, and they come in all sizes and in all artistic media from hand-drawn greeting cards to the giant bullfrog that is a joker dealing cards, her first of many of her trademark frog sculptures.

A few of the sculptures in the studio are actually realistic and life size. There is the clay bust of her husband, still in process on her worktable, and another of her father, who worked with clay into his 80’s.

Unlike the creative gift passed along from father to daughter, none of Leata and Tom’s three sons or one daughter, or their many grandchildren, have carried on the family artistic tradition; but their son Jerry’s wife, Daris, is an artist and the couple live just down the road. Daris and Leata get together and banter about their art and occasionally show their works in the same gallery, like Art Works in Sandpoint.

At home, Leata wiles away the hours cre-ating and listening to Spokane Public Radio. One can’t help but think that the cheerful, caricatured animal and human faces that she sculpts do more than make you feel so warm and safe inside, or at the very least make you laugh; they are clever and powerful antidotes to the violence and technological headaches of the modern world.

But Leata’s art isn’t what I’d call fantasy; it’s more mythic, with a depth of life and strong spirit just beneath the surface -- like wondering what’s behind a mask. There is a story in every piece, hers and yours. It’s why all of her work feels so alive and so authentically real, even when it might first appear as strange or silly.

Which is why her work resonates with people from across the region. One of her pieces, a chair sculpted into the shape of a very large hand, will ap-pear in an October group exhibition at Idaho Falls’ Carr Gallery.

There are other, large papier-mâché works at 1/4 life-size scale that mesmerize. The gypsy storyteller with the flat-top fedora with little peo-ple standing or sitting on and around him, and “Old Grandad”, a cheery fellow

9

10 www.nilifestyle.com

In Nature’s beautifully composed state-ments of mountains and water, they’re the exclamation points. Some were carved out of granite by glaciers; others eroded from the same rock by prehistoric floods; and still more were formed over thousands of years by the patient deposition of gravel and silt by rivers.

These are the islands of North Idaho: The legacy of an ice age in which glaciers covered all but the tallest peaks in Canada with a frozen sheet and reached down into the Panhandle at their southernmost edge. It’s all about the glaciers.

The vast ice sheet ended just south of where Lake Pend Oreille is today. The ice had moved south down the Purcell Trench – that wide valley that runs directly north from Sand-point. The Purcell Glacier followed the Trench until it opened up in a wide valley where Lake Pend Oreille is today. The ice continued its progress south, dividing into several lobes.

One southeast-pointing lobe, more than 2,000 feet high, moved across the mouth of the Clark Fork River and created a ice dam that impounded more than 500 cubic miles of wa-ter behind it – Glacial Lake Missoula.

As the ice age ended and the climate warmed, this ice dam suddenly failed about 13,000 years ago and sent a wall of water 50

A North Idaho Island Tour

stories high across the Idaho Panhandle and on across Washington and Oregon to the sea. Most of the water rushed through the south end of Lake Pend Oreille, scouring the land-scape flat to create the Rathdrum Prairie. The big lake itself was left impounded by a giant glacial moraine of gravel and rocks.

A smaller branch of the flood ripped di-rectly eastward through an ancient river valley, cutting a path for today’s Pend Oreille River. To the north, another, smaller glacier carved out Priest Lake along the horseshoe-shaped Newport Fault.

The violence of the great flood left is-lands in Lake Pend Oreille, but never far from shore and not in its once-turbulent southern expanse. By contrast, Priest Lake’s islands were the remains of a glacier’s retreat that left several large islands in the south of that much-shallower lake.

Lake Coeur d’Alene wasn’t scooped out by a glacier, but was created when a large de-posit from the Purcell Glacier dammed the St. Joe River and flooded its valley. Lake Coeur d’Alene is devoid of islands, although several can be found along its tributary rivers.

Priest LakeThe public is invited

Nine islands are scattered across the southern two-thirds of Priest Lake. Most are included in the Kaniksu National Forest and are managed by the Priest Lake Ranger Dis-trict for public use. The largest and most pop-ular island is Kalispell, at 264 acres,

Although it’s long been federal prop-erty, Kalispell Island once had a bunch of pri-vate cabins on leased sites. Beginning in the 1960s, the lease permits were not renewed, and the last of the cabin owners moved out in the 1980s. One of the old structures remains, and is used as a host cabin in the summer, staffed by volunteers.

A 2.5-mile loop trail encircles Kalispell Island. The tooth-shaped island – a molar, actually, complete with curved roots – has 13 camping areas and two day-use areas, all located along the beaches and coves of the shoreline. Fees are charged for the overnight camping sites from June 15 to Sept. 1.

There are 52 campsites in all, with a limit of 10 people per site. All sites are al-lotted on a first-come, first-served basis. The Cottonwood camping site on Kalispell is

By Mike Gearlds Photos By Curtis Kitchen

A View of Kalipsell Island from the shore of Priest Lake

11

larger, and can be reserved for big groups by contacting the District office.

There are rules, such as a two-week limit on stays and a “pack it in – pack it out” policy on garbage. Six of the sites have no vault toi-lets, so campers are required to bring their own portable units, clearly labeled with the owner’s name, address, telephone number and driver’s license number.

A mile and quarter to the south is a companion island, Bartoo, at 219 acres a lit-tle smaller than Kalispell. Bartoo Island has a large chunk of private property roughly in the middle and lacks a loop trail. Tiny, rocky Papoose Island sits midway between Kalispell and Bartoo.

Camping fees are collected at the Ka-lispell Boat Launch, 1.5 miles east of Highway 57 on Priest Lake’s west shore, or can be paid at the island’s fee collection tubes. Open camp sites at both Kalispell and Bartoo islands can be checked at the boat launch, which also fea-tures a handy “SCAT machine” that automati-cally empties and cleans portable toilets.

Information on visiting Kalispell and Bartoo islands, as well as smaller islands and other lake side campgrounds in the area, can be found at the Priest Lake Ranger District’s Web site, www.fs.fed.us/ipnf/Priest Lake, or by calling 208-443-2512.

Pend Oreille RiverIt�s all about the power

Lake Pend Oreille has only one sur-face-water outlet – the Pend Oreille River that winds west to the Washington state line, then north into Canada, where it joins the mighty Columbia River just across the border.

The native Kalipspell inhabited the area around Lake Pend Oreille and along the Pend Oreille River. Along with spots at the mouth

of the Clark Fork River and Qapqape’ – where Sandpoint is today – one of their primary camps was Shwe wi, at the site of the present Albeni Falls Dam. (West of Priest River)

Shwe wi was a unique spot, where the river necked-down to tumble between two rocky islands and several jagged outcrop-pings, creating powerful falls that attracted Kalispells, missionaries and white pioneers alike. If the islands ever had names, no chroni-cler ever recorded them.

In 1886, a young French Canadian named Albeni Poirier built a cabin on the spot and op-erated a series of businesses built around the falls, including a small farm, ferry, hotel – and, of course, a saloon. By this time, Shwe wi was popularly known as “Albeni Falls.”

The falls were spectacular, but the con-striction caused winter and spring flooding far upstream in high-water years. Plans for a hy-droelectric dam at Albeni Falls had been pro-posed since the 1920s. Opposition to the dam was strong in Sandpoint and Bonner County,

where politicians, business people and farm-ers joined in protest. They believed the dam would flood homes and ruin farmland.

Pushed by World War II concerns of electrical power and food shortages, new dams were seen as vital to the national interest and showpieces of American know-how. The Al-beni Falls project got the go-ahead, but not in time to contribute to the war effort.

Construction began in January of 1951. Plans called for the dam’s power house to ex-tend from the north bank of the river to the northern “Rock Island,” which remains as part of the complex. The second, southern island had to go, to make room for the dam itself.

On March 19, 1951, three tons of dyna-mite obliterated the island in a single blast that impressed even longtime demolition workers. No trace of the doomed island can be seen to-day, although its ponderous chunks never were removed and are somewhere downstream of the dam in the deep, narrow channel of the Pend Oreille River.

The dam began regulating the level of Lake Pend Oreille in June 1952, al-though it would be nearly three more years until the first generator would turn and start producing electricity. The lake now is set at around 2,062.5 feet for maxi-mum summer level, and is drawn-down in the winter to allow for spring runoff. This reversed the natural pattern of the lake, which typically saw high water in late winter and spring, and lowered during the summer and fall.

Excess water flows under the 90-foot-high dam, beneath 10 gigantic gates raised and lowered by a rail-mounted crane. A unique tunnel-and-flume log chute, used only briefly in the dam’s early days, remains and could be resurrected as

Eplosives are laid to make room for the Albeni Falls Dam

Albeni Falls Dam today.

Photo compliments of Albeni Falls Dam

12 www.nilifestyle.com

a fish ladder. Today, the con-

troversy that once surrounded Albeni Falls Dam is almost forgotten. Annual electrical power gen-eration is equal to 4.9 million barrels of oil, which at current world prices amounts to more than $36 mil-lion – more than 10 times the dam’s origi-nal $34 million cost.

There’s a Visitor Center, with four, 45-minute, drop-in tours available each day, June through August. Schools and other groups can schedule tours by calling 208-437-7224.

Lake Pend OreilleNo trespassing

A dozen or so islands dot Lake Pend Oreille’s eastern and northern shores. All are private property. There are no islands in the en-tire southern half of the lake, where the ancient flood of Glacial Lake Missoula washed every-thing away and the bottom slopes steeply to a depth of more than 1,200 feet.

A group of four wooded islands near Hope – Warren, Cottage, Pearl and Memaloose – de-fine for most people what Lake Pend Oreille is-lands should look like. A lucky few actually get to set foot on these rocky wonders: even fewer call them home.

Cottage Island is a private place, and Douglas Bopp wants it to stay that way. He be-

came the owner of the 8.25-acre property on his birthday in October 1980. Over the years, the island had passed through several buyers since the original owner, the railroad, sold it for a ru-mored $500. Today, the island actually belongs to Bopp’s three sons via a trust.

Boaters looking for a party place or a camping spot are warned not to land by several large signs. Bopp family members are on the island most days of the week. They visit and stay on the island year-round, as the surround-ing deep water stays ice-free.

“It’s absolutely private,” Bopp says. “I hate ‘no trespassing signs,’ but we had to do it, because it was just starting to get overrun by people when there was nobody living on it.”

Cottage Island is about two-thirds of a mile from the nearest mainland shore, Hope Point. Nearby Pearl Island is to the west, another half-mile further out. Similar in size to Cottage

Island, Pearl also is privately owned, but currently is set aside as an eagle sanctuary.

Several struc-tures are on Cottage Island. A concrete block shop build-ing is right down on the water – “You couldn’t even think of doing that today,” Bopp says – as well as an old cottage, chicken coops and a float house that broke loose in a 1948 flood and now sits high and dry there.

Most of the current structures

will be removed, perhaps someday to be re-placed by a new small house and a pavilion for weddings and other family events. Currently, there’s no electrical service to the island and no septic system, just an old-fashioned outhouse.

“We worry about fire, more than anything else,” Bopp says. “Reducing the fire hazard, that’s our big trip right now. Lightning strikes that place quite often, and the fire danger’s al-ways present.”

Islands in the 10-acre size range and convenient to civilization can sell for $12 mil-lion or more, but the future won’t bring many changes to the look, feel or ownership of Cot-tage Island, as long as Douglas Bopp has a voice in the matter.

“We really don’t care what it’s worth or what we paid for it or anything,” he says. It’s going to stay in our family and we feel very blessed and fortunate to have it. We’re just gonna take care of it.”

A peak at Cottage Island.

The “Twin Islands”, Cottage and Pearl.

14 www.nilifestyle.com

“I’d never get tired of this!”

I said it on my first visit to Stillwater Point, facing a truly impressive panorama of mountains, lake and sky that every parcel in this private 28-acre com-munity overlooking Lake Pend Oreille enjoys. I’ll bet everyone has the same reaction when they take it all in.

It’s quiet and peaceful here – hard to believe that Sandpoint’s only eight miles away. I can see it from here with a bird’s-eye view. Down below on the deep-blue, mirror surface of the lake, a couple of bright white sailboats are cruising past.

To the left, 10 miles away and crystal-clear, are the ski slopes of Schweitzer Mountain. To the right, the rugged peaks of the Cabinets extend to the northern horizon. On the wooded slope behind me, elk tracks are f r e s h

from this morn-ing.

Longtime North Idaho residents Bob and Donna Turnbull, known for crafting some of the area’s finest homes through their Pacific Construction company, are developing Stillwater Point. The

gated community features just seven, 1.7- to 5.6 acre estates, each one with a horizon-to-horizon view that’s protected by careful engineering and covenants.

“Every parcel has the same quality of view,” Bob Turnbull says. “We’ve situated

the estates to guarantee a premium lake view from each one.

“The parcels were planned to ensure a lasting panorama that

will never be spoiled. We even designed-in differ-ent directions that each home

could face, for the best view.”

A custom gate of Cabinet Mountain ledge-stone and weathered iron leads to the community. Residents will be able to control the gate with tran-sponders or their cell phones. A paved private road, Big Pine Drive, winds a half-mile through the for-est and sunny slopes to the seven parcels. Big Pine Drive ends in a cul-de-sac at the top of the com-munity. Nearly seven acres of natural common area with walking trails winds through the development.

Stillwater Point’s “Signature Home” currently is under construction and will be completed before Christmas. “The Big Pine,” designed and built by Pacific Construction is a spacious, Rocky Moun-tain-style home, featuring artisan log, timber and stonework detailing inside and out. The open-plan interior approximately 5,400 square feet, With an oversized attached three-car-garage.

The design and amenities of The Big Pine are typi-cal of the other homes envisioned for the rest of the Stillwater Point. An architectural review board will ensure all new homes conform to high quality standards, investment-protecting covenants and the harmony of the community.

The Big Pine’s main level has a living room, din-ing room, huge master bedroom suite and a designer kitchen with granite countertops, Viking appliances and “hand-scraped hardwood” flooring. The dining room has a barreled ceiling, supported by hand-

By Mike Gearlds

15

peeled Ponderosa logs. In addition to the master bath, there are two powder rooms on this level. A roofed, rounded deck supported by 28 inch-diameter Ponderosa pine columns, faces the lake below.

The lower level has three bedrooms, three baths, a bar, a wine cellar and a home theater. Outside – and facing the stunning view, of course – is a slate-floored patio with an outdoor fireplace and a barbecue. Interior fireplaces on both levels are built of Cabinet Mountain ledgestone. All the major rooms on both levels take advantage of the commanding view via extensive window areas.

Pacific Construction is set to begin three other homes at Stillwater Point this year. A full range of custom options is offered, including spas, sau-nas, counter-current exercise pools, wine cellars, home theaters, gyms, outdoor cooking centers,

elevators, home offices and other refinements.

The private, intimate quality of the Stillwater Point community is fostered by the Turnbulls and by The Merry Brown-Hayes Group from Windermere Real Estate/Resort Lifestyles, Inc. who exclusively repre-sents Stillwater Point. Merry’s passion for the proj-ect is obvious as she says, “Stillwater Point is fast becoming one of Sandpoint’s Signature Develop-ments. Those who choose to live at Stillwater Point will enjoy a private community with breathtaking views, exquisite quality and the lifestyle only to be found in this very special place in North Idaho”. For additional information or a private tour of Stillwater Point contact The Merry Brown-Hayes GroupToll Free at 877-291-2211 or Direct at 208-255-9444.

Pat McManusGOES FICTION!

Patrick McManus is a legend in the North-west and well-known throughout the United States. He could be best known for his humor column in Outdoor Life Magazine. Or maybe he’s best known for some of his books that hit the New York Times Best sellers list. With titles like, Never Sniff a Gift Fish, Deer on a Bicycle, and The Bear in the Attic, it’s not hard to see, the man has a funny bone.

But after writing numerous factual articles and short humor for magazines, 17 books and four one-man shows over the past 50 years, he’s decided to change gears.

“About a year ago, I decided to try some-thing different from my short humor pieces,” said Pat. “Now that I’m 72, I de-cided it was time to try a novel. It seemed to me that the mystery novel would be the simplest, in that it has a well defined form. So I wrote The Blight Way, which was published last March by Simon & Schuster.”

McManus fans have searched out his books for years and his new book is no exception.

“My ambition was simply to get a novel published, but it received some great reviews, so I am now writing a mystery series about my protagonist Sher-iff, Bo Tully,” said Pat.

The paperback of The Blight Way will be out in February 2007. One month

Spirit Lake near the Spirit Lake Cut-off Road, sits the quaint, fictional town of Kanner Lake.

“I wanted my fictional town and lake somewhere in the Panhandle, not too far from Coeur d’Alene,” said Collins. “I looked to find a good-size area where I could place them. To the west of Spirit Lake Cut-off Road looked perfect. I just had to move a few hills.”

A load of research goes into her books to make them authentic. She traveled to the area where Kanner Lake sits, and spent hours talking to law enforcement from the small towns of Priest River and Spirit Lake to find out how a small town police department would handle different scenarios. She met with Spirit Lake Chief of Police, Tony Lamanna last summer and sent e-mails back and forth to make sure her fictional cops would react the way they should.

“Tony knows his stuff, so I’ve relied on him a lot to keep the story accurate with law enforcement issues,” said Collins. “He taught me how he watches people for lies, his thought processes while interview-ing, his philosophy about handling the media, etc. These nuances helped bring Vince Edwards, my fictional chief of police, alive. I was able to write quite a few chapters from Vince’s point of view, which helps make Violet Dawn an interesting read for men as well as women.”

Violet Dawn hit the bookstores in August, and it’s sequel, Coral Moon, is expected in March of 2007. For more information about books by Brandilyn Collins go to www.brandilyncollins.com.

Brandilyn Collins“You know the drill. Strap that

seat belt on tight, keep your hands inside the car, and don’t forget to b r e a t h e…”

These words are an invitation from Christian suspense writer Brandilyn Collins to climb aboard her latest book and get ready for a gut wrenching ride. After a warn-ing like that, I don’t advise letting Brandilyn take her turn in the car-pool. But if you want a roller coaster ride with incredible heights, blad-der spilling drops and violent spiral

twists that leave you quaking with reaction as it slows to a stop, read Violet Dawn. But I warn you--after a few calming breaths, your next words will be--Let’s do it again! And she’s prepared for that, too.

Brandilyn Collins is credited with writing ‘seat belt suspense’. She’s a Christian writer so you won’t find profanity or sex in her books, but you will find a few dead bodies scattered here and there-- and secrets, and shadows, and questions--everything required for a nail-biting read. But she doesn’t beat you over the head with a sermon.

“I used to write women’s fiction as well as suspense,” said Collins. “During a marketing meeting with Zondervan Publishing in January of 2005, we de-cided I should write suspense only. However, my bent toward women’s fiction tends to give my suspense novels more characterization.”

Brandilyn has a home in Coeur d’Alene and her latest book, Violet Dawn is the first in her new Kanner Lake series. Half-way between Priest River and

Suggested Readings

later the second novel in the series, Avalanche, will be out in hard cover.

“In Avalanche, Tully is trapped back in the mountains by an ava-lanche,” said Pat. “From there he must attempt to solve a murder that occurs in Blight City, on the other side of the avalanche.” Pat, in this paragraph your quote has the word avalanche 3 times. Would it work if I changed the last one to “on the other side of the mountain”?

Sandpoint loves to lay claim to Pat McManus. And why not? He was born and raised here, where many of his stories originate from, as well as some of his characters.

“I often use the adventures of my youth for stories, and in them read-ers will recognize the names of many of my Idaho friends,” said Pat. “These characters tell me they don’t recognize the adventures from my stories, but they are all getting old now and their memories probably aren’t as good as they once were.”

Mmm hmm, sure Pat. Somebody’s memory could be faulty I sup-pose. McManus books are read by people from every walk of life, from university professors to elementary students.

“My books are often used in schools and have been particularly use-ful in stimulating reluctant readers to read, usually boys who would rath-er be out fishing or camping than sitting in school.”

By Sherry Ramsey

16 www.nilifestyle.com

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Ben Olson of Sandpoint has seen and done more in his 25 years than most of us will ever do. When he needs money, he heads to Hollywood and helps make commercials and documentaries.

“I make really good money down there but I hate it,” said Ben. “I’ll make enough to let me come back up here and be a bum. When I run out of money I go back down.”

W h e n things are get-ting stagnant,

he’ll take off to parts unknown in hopes that his expe-riences will zap his creativity, like a defibrillator can bring a heart back to life.

“I like putting myself in a position that I’ll have to get out of,” said Ben. “It always produces interesting consequences. But I just have to do it to purge myself, then I come back and I’m fine.”

Last January, Ben started to feel trapped.“My writing wasn’t doing worth a shit, so I thought

I’d shake things up,” he said. Ben packed, headed for the train sta-

tion and bought a Rail Pass for $385. It’s a pass that allows you to come and go on Amtrak for 30 days, anywhere you want to go, as many trips as you like.

“I just wanted to see and observe and write and not be in control of where I was going,” he said.

Ben writes for the Sandpoint Reader and during his month on the train, he sent articles about his adventures, which were published each week in his absence.

“At one point I was hitch-hiking and two really weird southern homo truckers picked me up in a row. They were propo-sitioning me, and one I had to shove and escape from. It was really scary, it was 1:30 in the morning,” he said. “I ran out of money and had to come home a couple days early. But I was ready, I was eating peanut butter out of a can and drinking

Right now Pat is busy staying on top of his humor articles for Outdoor Life magazine, he also has a collec-tion of his humor pieces coming out in the fall of 2007. He’ll be back in North Idaho in the spring to sign copies of Avalanche when it’s released.

“I’m also working on a foreword for The Bean Book, authored and illustrated by my old friend Roy “Boots” Reynolds, who lives on a North Idaho mountain top,” said Pat.

If you’d like a sneak peek of The Blight Way, you can read the entire first chapter online at www.mcm-anusbooks.com.

only water. Besides after the trucker experience and being broke, I knew that was the climax. That was the weirdest it could get, and the best it could get.”

Back in Sandpoint, Ben sent his articles to every publisher and agent he could find. As the weeks went by, the rejections started coming. In April, Tom Moore of Alphar Publishing called. After a few traded emails Ben received a publishing contract and a deadline of June 1.

It was all a bunch of non-fiction articles, so I had to hurry and make it fiction with a story and dialog. I wrote it in 37 days. I wish I would have had more time to smooth it out. I see errors in the book that I just hate.”

According to Ben, his book, Wanderlost, is 98% nonfiction, the story of his Amtrak adventure. But he likes the protection fiction provides.

“There are some very illegal things that happen in the book. Be-sides, if I’d gone nonfiction it would have been like a memoir, and I’m too young to write a memoir.”

By Sherry Ramsey

Barns of North IdahoPhotography By Curtis Kitchen

In the distance I spot a once proud beginning.Tall shadows, they hide the history within it.

The closer you get the stronger the feel.This moment in time is somehow still fresh.

I know not why my eyes start to gleam.The wind it still blows with memories of then.

I don’t even wonder why my heart starts to flutter.I just remember dreaming of indian summers.

Jeremy Holzapfel

We used to climb, she told meas high on the bails

at ten years old daringto go and jump off

then hitting the strawboards so hard

it jarred your jelly.

I remember stories of my grand-dad jumpingto grab the rafter beamspulling his feet throughhis arms like a gymnaststrong as the old timber

that’s standing still.

Seneca Cummings

Steps to healthy aging are really no different from those our grand-parents and parents preached to us for years:

Physical Health: We must eat a balanced diet, and exercise

Emotional Health: We must reduce stress, and have positive thoughts and attitudes

Spiritual Health: Health and illness involve more than the phys-ical body; good medicine must ad-dress the whole person, meaning bodies, minds, and spirits.

Leonardo daVinci said: Eat bet-ter, eat less, no snacks, exercise regularly, drink pure water and breathe pure air, remove toxins; physical and mental, breathe, live spiritually; do service work, build good relationships, be fulfilled at work and have a life purpose.

It has now been proven that stress, anger and depression in-crease your risk for heart disease. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in men and women. The power of positive thinking does work. Less stress equals less heart disease. The key is reframing the negative thought pattern in a positive way.

Adopting the Mediterranean Diet which is high in fruits, veg-

etables, whole grains, beans, nuts and seeds, fish and poultry in low amounts with little red meats, the use of olive oil, wine in small amounts and avoid-ance of refined carbo-hydrates and processed foods, not smoking, using moderate alcohol, and ad-hering to an exercise pro-gram is associated with more than 50% reduction in mortality.

Courtesy of Ammara; Medicine, Wellness, Spa

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Spaaah!Spaaah!

Sixty is about the time the body begins to fail, when the first hints of age-related disease begins. One hardly notices aging on a day-to-day basis, but when looking at old photographs-- the truth is there.

Recently, I was at a school re-union and amazed that some of my former classmates looked like they had hardly aged at all. Oth-ers did not resembled the persons I once knew. There are some THAT things actually get better with age: wine, cheese, whiskey, beef, and violins. Why the difference? Why are some persons so altered by time and others not? The most likely answer to these questions is genet-ics and environment.

All of us have abused our bodies over time and the wonder is not that we age and die, but that we make it through life as well as we do.

Can we actually slow the aging process? Dr. Andrew Weil does not believe aging to be reversible. He feels the best we can do ---and it is a lot—is to accept this inevitabil-ity and try to adapt to it, to be in the best health we can at any age. Denial of aging and the attempt to fight it are counterproductive. To age gracefully means to let nature take its course while doing every-thing in our power to delay the on-set of age related disease, in other words, to live as long and as well as possible.

Aging Gracefully

Some points to ponder while you’re aging:

Who have I been all this time?

How have I used my gift of a human life?

What gives my life meaning?

What have I learned of love and how well have I learned to love?

How can I best share what I’ve learned?

Who am I?

Mind Body and Soul

By Kathy Gavin, Family Nurse Practitioner

Photo by LisaFX Photographic Designs

www.nilifestyle.com22

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The Riding Life Photos & Text By Chris Guibert

Bonners Ferry: Long Canyon Trail

This epic ride descends almost 4000’ into the largest unroaded drainage re-maining in the American Selkirks. You can shuttle or ride this monster as a loop that starts with a technical climb (push) to Parker Ridge. The descent is blissful, with close to 20 switchbacks from the ridge into the canyon. Inside the canyon you enter a spiritual world of old growth cedar and hem-lock, lush stream crossings and a never-ending, meandering single-track.

Bonners Ferry:Clifty Trail 182

A long gradual climb brings you to the top of Clifty Mountain. The views are sugary and the descent is delicious. Trail 182 devours this toothy ridge of the Northwestern terminus of the Cabinet Mountains. A true classic.

Bayview: Farragut State

Park

The area’s most condensed trail system. Farragut has something for every level rider; from long, flowing buff trails to tight technical rocky descents. Climb Bernard peak for an enlightening cardio workout and turn around at the anti-climactic top and begin a fast flowing descent. Bring the family and lunch and chill by the lake after the ride.

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Garfield Bay: Mineral Point

Trail #82

Gentle grades, lush vegetation and staggering views of Lake Pend Oreille make this one of the finest rides in the area. If you bring your friends

from out of town on this ride they will be buying a house in Sandpoint before they leave. An after ride swim on the smoothed stoned beach at Green Bay is a must!

Sandpoint: Trail 3 &

Flower Trail

Trail #3 up Gold Hill is a steady 1200’ climb. Close to the top some of the best views of Sandpoint can be had. After a quick headset adjust head to the secret back door trail and traverse the hillside to the vibrant flower trail and some bitter sweet single-track.

26 www.nilifestyle.com

Nordman:Upper Priest River Trail,(Priest Lake)

A gentle fire road climb brings you to this ancient cedar grove and a sublime descent. Slimy bridges, tight switchbacks and a sea of green will transform city dwellers into pipe smoking hobbits.

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Coeur d’Alene:Caribou Ridge

Trail #79

A mellow climb follow-ing Beauty Creek leads to a fast and serpentine de-scent. Smooth, buff trail

soon turns into rib-break-ing switchbacks, steep

cliffs and unsympathetic rocky single-track. This

trail could kill you.

28 www.nilifestyle.com

Hope to Clark Fork: Strong Creek &Bee Top Trail

No. 120

Epic and stunning. After a humbling 3700’ climb up Strong Creek you are rewarded with the most sce-nic trail in Northern Idaho. Trail #120 is a heavenly single-track through beautiful high mountain mead-ows, bone jarring scree fields and spectacular views of Lake Pend Oreille. This ride is not for the weak.

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Riding bikes is a perfect Northwest pastime, a peaceful way to get to your destination, avoid the growing traffic, or just enjoy the scenery. There are many places in the area to go road biking, mountain biking, or cruising, though none match the scope or magnitude of the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes.

The Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes is truly a one of a kind resource right in our backyard. It spans a distance of 73 miles across the Idaho panhandle, from Plummer to Mullan. The trip my compan-ions and I took was a two day, one night, 80-mile stretch from Enaville to Harrison and back, though there are 20 trail heads along the way, so anyone can personalize their trip, from an easy day ride, to an overnight bike bonanza.

Start from Sandpoint by heading south on the 95 to Coeur d’Alene, turn east onto the I90, and south on the 97 to Harrison. There is a little

place to set up camp on Lake Coeur d’Alene, if you prefer not to lug all of your gear along the trail. From there, drive along highway 3 up to Enaville, where this ride be-gins.

What once was a por-tion of railroad tracks used to haul mining plunders back and forth through Sil-ver Valley has now become a pleasingly paved path for

pedestrians. It has been created as an innovative solution to the environmental problems caused by early mining endeavors. When the rail line was built in 1888, mine waste containing heavy metals was used as the rail bed, and the area was even further contaminated by accidental ore concentrate spillage.

A partnership has been formed between the Union Pacific Railroad, the U.S. Gov-ernment, the State of Idaho, and the Coeur d’Alene Tribe to clean the area and make it usable again. A thick layer of asphalt and gravel barriers serve to isolate the contami-nants, and extensive clean up efforts have taken place all along the trail. The result is a scenic and spectacular Northwest treasure, open for all to enjoy.

Start the 32-mile bike ride at local Enaville gem, the Snakepit, where the am-biance is a cacophony of antlers, saddles,

stuffed wildlife, barstools, and random western motif memorabilia, the food is cheap and good, the beer cold, and the service friendly. It’s a great way to kick off the day.

The trail is enchanting, winding along the Coeur D’Alene River and Lake, past mountain creeks, marshy swamplands, and tranquil lakes. There are 36 bridges and trestles, abundant wildlife, and glorious flora - cotton-woods, willows, and aspens provide sporadic shade. There are dozens of places to pull off the trail and take a swim to cool down.

After several hours of leisurely

The Trail of the Coeur d’Alene’s

pedaling, at a pace of about 10-12 miles an hour, you will arrive in the quaint little town of Harri-son. One Shot Charlie’s is a fun restaurant and bar, with burgers, pizza, beer, cocktails, and occasional live music. A perfect place to celebrate the first leg down.

Wake up early to have a delicious breakfast with a view at Rose’s Café. From there is an op-tion to ride further south on the trail, to the multi-million dollar historic Chatcolet Bridge, which has been built specifically for bikers and crosses the southern most part of Coeur D’Alene Lake. It adds an additional 16 miles to your 32-mile day, but it is worth seeing. The way back to Enaville is lovely, and the wind is generally at your back on day 2.

A few hours more of riding and you will be back at the Snakepit, in time to rest your weary bones and celebrate victory - 2 days, 80 miles, and countless memories. This is just one option on a trail with infinite possibilities, so check it out for yourself, and create your own adventure. Happy pedaling!

To learn more about the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes, call or email the State Trail Manager at 208-682-3814 or old@idpr.state.id.usOr reach the Tribe Trail Manager of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe at 208-686-7045 or dchapman@CDAtribe-nsn.gov. www. friendsofcdatrails.org

By Jenna Bowers

South Fork of Coeur d’Alene River; looking toward Smelterville from Pine Creek Trailhead. Photo suplied by www.friendsofcdatrails.org

Coeur d’Alene River upstream from Bull Run Lake. Photo suplied by www.friendsofcdatrails.org

Near Medimont Trailhead looking at Lamb Peak Photo suplied by www.friendsofcdatrails.org

Looking down ramp to Heyburn State Park . Photo suplied by www.friendsofcdatrails.org

There’s a whole new concept flying around that will undoubtedly turn a few heads. The idea is to build an entire village for tourists to enjoy that will also be a hands-on reality school, for people who want to learn how to survive success-fully in the world by actually getting their hands dirty. Ground has already been broken on what is probably the biggest idea this area has ever seen. A Tourist Destination

The proposed plan is an old-world village on 160 acres just 35 miles from Sandpoint in Heron, Montana. We’re talking banks, churches, and markets for shopping, gift stores, a livery stable and blacksmith shop, even restaurants, hotels and a city hall. There will be cobblestone streets with lamp posts on each corner and cottages that could be likened to a Thomas Kincaid painting.

Three sample buildings have already been erected, a barn you have to see to believe, a large cafeteria and a greenhouse. The barn resembles a gorgeous old-fashioned inn complete with a turret at the top. An elaborate covered walkway with spires at each level connects the barn to the cafeteria. The attention to detail is unsurpassed, right down, or should I say up, to the fantastical dragon weather vane perched at the top. The caf-eteria boasts open-air eating with a kitchen in one corner and tables throughout.

The greenhouse has the look of the architec-tural domes of Russia. Round and peaked roofs meld together beauti-fully. It will have little shops inside where peo-ple can purchase plants and gifts.

The unique architec-tural design was imple-mented by North West Properties, who de-signed the entire village with buildings that will make anyone stop to get a better look.

“The city survives because the tourists come and they come because of the interac-tive activities available, the architecture and be-cause the whole program is unique,” said Ken Hensel, Marketing Director for Reality School.

Families will be able come and stay in one of the cottages or in the luxury hotel. They’ll walk the cobblestone streets and shop in the markets

and gift shops. Many of the things tourists

will be able to purchase are hand-made by the current resi-dents of the village, furniture, quilts, pottery, etc. The produce will be locally grown. Res-taurants will make their wares from scratch. It’ll be a step back in time.

“Tourists won’t come to this vacation spot to laze around,” said Hensel. “They can learn anything that’s going on in the village. They’ll be able to look online and see what classes are being offered at what times. They’ll learn to make baskets or forge steel.”

So if Dad has always wanted to learn to tie flies, he’ll take the

class, while Mom heads over to the pottery shop to whip out a bowl. The kids might be learning about firefighters or helping out at the livery sta-ble.

“We’d like to have a whole section of the vil-lage where each house is sponsored by a different country,” said Hensel.

A Village and a VisionBy Sherry Ramsey Photos by Jessica Vouk

30 www.nilifestyle.com

Second story in the barn.