Wednesday, August 5, 2026
Reconnaissance Along the Clark Fork

Early yesterday afternoon I realized I was only about three hours from St. Ignatius, Montana—the destination for the wooden Adirondack Guide Boat I had recently sold to a gentleman named Tim through Facebook Marketplace. As part of our agreement, I had offered to deliver it personally.

The drive from Twin Lakes was an enjoyable one, and before long I was pulling into Tim’s property, situated on a bit of acreage with the dramatic Mission Mountains rising to the east. After unloading the boat and visiting for a while, I pointed the truck north toward Ronan and checked into the Ninepipes Lodge, about fifteen miles away.

Ninepipes is exactly what I imagine a western Montana lodge should be: a modest twenty-four-room hotel with an excellent restaurant overlooking part of the Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge, all framed by the Mission Mountains beyond. I enjoyed a steak and salad for dinner before retiring around 9:00 p.m.

The room was comfortable and thoughtfully appointed. Small touches stood out—a sound machine on the nightstand and complimentary French press coffee waiting for the morning. Had I known beforehand, I would have packed a swimsuit. The lodge features a remarkable outdoor spa overlooking the mountains, and it would have been a fine place to end the day.

After a restful night’s sleep, I enjoyed breakfast on the outdoor patio. The morning was quiet and peaceful, with the pond reflecting the first light while the Mission Mountains dominated the eastern skyline. After checking out, I grabbed a coffee from the adjacent shop and started the journey back toward Twin Lakes.

When I reached the confluence of the Flathead and Clark Fork Rivers, I made a spontaneous decision. Rather than retrace my route, I turned onto Highway 200 and followed the Clark Fork west toward Lake Pend Oreille. I had never really explored this section of the river, so I decided to treat the drive as a reconnaissance trip.

The first community I passed through was Paradise—little more than a wide spot along the highway with remnants of what had once been a small town. The Clark Fork here flows through a broad valley, splitting around gravel bars and islands into ribbons of deep blue and turquoise water. Long runs, riffles, and quiet seams seemed perfectly suited to both trout and warmwater species. It is beautiful country and deserves a closer look.

My next stop was Plains.

Plains feels more alive than Paradise—a genuine western Montana town with a surprising number of amenities situated near the edge of the reservation. I crossed the river to the public boat launch, where several fishermen were preparing to head upstream in a small aluminum boat. They were rigging lightweight spinning rods with paddle-tail swimbaits.

The apparent ringleader, a friendly fellow around fifty years old, explained they were after smallmouth bass and northern pike. It was encouraging to hear firsthand confirmation that this stretch of river supports a healthy warmwater fishery.

From there I drove over to the Plains Golf Course, which had always caught my eye while passing through town. After walking around for a few minutes and chatting with the young lady working in the clubhouse, I came away thinking this would be exactly the sort of relaxed nine-hole course I’d enjoy playing on future visits.

Next came a stop that surprised me even more.

I drove through the Plains Trap Club, not entirely sure what to expect. Instead, I found one of the nicest trap shooting facilities I’ve seen in quite some time—well maintained, active, and obviously supported by a dedicated local membership.

There I met an older gentleman named Bill and his little dog. We spent several minutes talking about the club, the community, and our mutual interest in firearms and gun collecting. When I mentioned my idea of returning someday with the truck camper, Bill immediately told me I was welcome to park on his thirty-two acres a few miles west of town on Ramshead Drive.

Curious, I took a short detour to see the property.

There I met Don, Bill’s longtime caretaker and tenant. He has lived on the property for thirty-one years and clearly loves the place. Bill had built a handsome two-story cabin overlooking the valley, along with several outbuildings. Perched above the Clark Fork, it offered sweeping views of the river winding through the valley below. It struck me as exactly the sort of place where one could spend a week fishing, shooting a few rounds of trap, and simply enjoying Montana at an unhurried pace.

From there I continued west toward Thompson Falls, where I stopped at Big Bull Sports and visited with one of the staff about fishing opportunities in the area. Like nearly everyone else I encountered that day, he was generous with his knowledge and eager to point me toward places worth exploring.

The drive continued through Trout Creek, past Noxon Reservoir and Cabinet Gorge, before crossing into Idaho through Hope and Sandpoint and eventually returning home.

The day wasn’t quite over.

Once back in Coeur d’Alene, I stopped at the truck dealership to finish a few remaining details on the purchase of the new Ram 3500 before finally returning to the condo.

One final milestone awaited me there.

Today, the Twin Lakes condo officially went on the market.

After three years of ownership, countless projects, family gatherings, and memories, another chapter has quietly come to a close while another begins. It seems fitting that the day was spent exploring unfamiliar roads, meeting interesting people, and imagining future adventures.

Sometimes the road has a way of reminding us that moving forward isn’t about leaving places behind.

It’s about discovering the next ones worth returning to.