Chimney Rock viewed from the cache site
The most stunning feature of the Selkirk Crest is the
instantly-recognizable granite mass of Chimney Rock. Rising nearly
500 feet tall, Chimney Rock is visible from Priest Lake to the west
and portions of US 95 north of Sandpoint to the east. Virtually
every visitor to the area comes to know it and love its
grandeur.
This cache is not located on top of the Rock, which is a
favorite destination for rock climbers. I'll leave that placement
to the fearless! Instead, the cache is located near the eastern
base of the monolith. There are two ways to reach Chimney Rock and
the cache. One is to come from the west via the Mt. Roothaan Trail
(see my maps
page for more info and GPS data on this route). Once to the
saddle of Mt. Roothaan, you must scramble through the talus filling
the cirque between Mt. Roothaan and Chimney Rock, or hug the side
of Mt. Roothaan and make your way through a gap in the ridge to the
east side of Chimney Rock. Either option will involve a significant
amount of rock-hopping. The second major route approaches from the
east along the Chimney Rock Trail. This is the route that was used
to place the cache and that is described below.
The trailhead, located at N 48° 37.484' W 116° 37.636', is about
a 17-mile drive from US 95. Follow the Pack River Road from the
highway all the way up to Forest Road 2653 (a high-clearance
vehicle is recommended), then drop downhill a short distance to the
end of the road. The Chimney Rock Trail starts out by crossing a
rotting bridge over the Pack River, then bends left and follows the
remnants of Forest Road 2653 up and into the drainage of the West
Branch of the Pack River. The route is easy going for the first
couple of miles or so and could be easily mountain biked along this
stretch if you want to eat up the distance quickly. By the time it
crosses Chimney Creek, however, the route has greatly deteriorated
and becomes a rocky and uneven track. By about 3 miles, the trail
starts crossing slab granite and the way is marked by rock cairns.
The first unobstructed views of Chimney Rock appear from a bench
located at about 3.5 miles into the hike.
By about 4.5 miles, the rock scrambling begins. Make your way
carefully over the boulder field to the cache site. The
ever-improving views of awe-inspring Chimney Rock will help to keep
you going through this rigorous section of the hike. All told, the
hike runs about 10 miles roundtrip with 2500 feet of elevation
gain.
The container is an olive drab .30-cal ammo can with "GEOCACHE"
stenciled in yellow on multiple sides. Enjoy the hunt and the
dramatic views of Chimney Rock!