This weekend, Rebecca and I celebrated our first anniversary. I came up with the idea of returning to Bonners Ferry. We spent our first afternoon in Bonners Ferry wandering the historic downtown area. There were quite a few stores that we perused, such as Under the Sun, Boundary Consignment, and Northern Treasures of Yesterday and Today. There were also quite a few places to eat, but we decided to try out Kootenai River Brewing. Rebecca got the smash burger while I tried the roasted garlic burger. The beer cheese soup was pretty good. We both enjoyed the coffee porter as well.

The following morning, after our wonderful breakfast, we set out to find the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge. We were able to find the refuge quite easily as the road is well marked. To get to the refuge, simply find Riverside Rd and follow it along the river. Rebecca and I checked out the signage at the first refuge parking area. We discovered that we came on a good day as fowl hunting would not be permissible. The refuge is open to hunters many days a week during the waterfowl season. There are blinds available for reservation by those that need them. There is a road all the way around the refuge, providing a great auto tour. We took advantage of this after a brief hike. We saw numerous eagles and small clusters of deer. I had hoped to see animals of a larger variety, such as elk or moose, but none of them graced us with their presence. The vast majority of the wildlife present were ducks and geese.
The Deep Creek Trailhead is accessible from the first parking lot. This path provides visitors a walking trail to explore the southern part of the refuge. We did not explore this trail, but it appears to be a roughly 4.5 mile, flat, out and back track.

Across from the visitor center is the trailhead parking area for Myrtle Falls. The trail is a short .45 miles and has some handicap accessibility. It is paved to the first bridge, about 760 feet from the trailhead. From there it is a mix of wide and narrow natural trail. The elevation gain is minimal at 132 feet. The view of the falls is from a short distance and there is a cable barrier to dissuade falling into the ravine below. A nice bench sits atop the ravine from which you can rest and enjoy the view of the falls. This was a very nice little hike to make if you have the time to enjoy it.

Overall, this was a very nice way to spend our anniversary. Our stay at the Log Inn was as pleasant this time as it was the first time. The hiking was good and the winter scenery quite beautiful. The food was good and the antique shopping was fun. The museum was filled with old stuff from the area and was quite large. Our self guided tour was a great way to spend a bit over an hour. We stopped at the Bonners Ferry Ranger District office and gathered up some materials to use for future trip planning. It seems that the area has quite a lot to offer, particularly in the warmer seasons. We feel that we will make it a tradition to head there for continuing adventures, as there are yet quite a few trails to explore and waterfalls to see.

For more information about the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge

It has been some time since I posted. I am trying to get over Plantar Fasciitis and have not been doing a lot of exploring. Hopefully, content will be more forthcoming soon, so, give me a follow on Instagram at: overnightadventuresblog
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