High mountain lakes finally losing ice caps, hikers say
HIKING -- The heat wave forecast for this weekend should be the coup de grâce for the ice that's been tenaciously capping the region's high-mountain lakes this season.
From the Eagle Cap Wilderness to the Selkirk Mountains of North Idaho, hikers have been exploring lakes that only the bravest would commit to swimming.
Hat's off to Suzie Kretzschmar of Sandpoint (see photo above) for proving this weekend that lingering ice sheets can be sea-worthy. Rigging a coat on Hiking poles, she sailed a raft-like slab of ice across the chilly waters of Upper Ball Lake, which is under 7,000 feet elevation.