[Hulksmash]

Last week i posted a trip report on Twin Falls lake. Unfortunately i did an unplanned trash haul. White Bark commented on some abandoned inflatable rafts at near by Island lake. Initially i was reluctant to do a trash haul two weeks in a row. But ever since i caught a glimpse of Island lake from the Bald mountain trail many years ago i always wanted to go there. I just never got around to it. On Wednesday i made up my mind to go for it. Even posted in the partners thread for a pack slave partner. There were no takers. Anyway i hit the road around 9am.....On the drive in i noticed something i have not experienced along the mountain loop hwy before..lots of smokey haze...every where. Then i spotted a small plume of smoke on Wiley ridge

wiley ridge fire

Yep it's a wild fire. Not very big, not enough to be concerned about...today. I reached the Boradman lake TH just before 10am. About half way there i was distracted by the bright color of these mushrooms.

fungus

Then almost before my leg muscles warmed up i was at Boardman lake. For some reason i don't remember the trail being that short. I took the opportunity to splash some water on me, before beginning the next leg of my journey.

Bordman lake

Now....a few days ago in the partners thread, Scrooge issued this warning.

[touron]

[Scrooge]

Good job, Bryan.

I've been swimming there twice. Once, like you, to try to get away from the bugs, and a second time, just for fun. I intended to go a third time, but the water was ........ uninviting. It was towards the end of a dry summer and the surface of the lake was coated with a layer of dust and pollen. No outflow. Island Lake gets its water from a really tiny drainage basin, so it doesn't take much of a drought for inflow to be balanced by evaporation. Otherwise, it's a really delightful little lake. ........ Especially now that you've cleaned it up.

[Hulksmash]

Almost forgot...the GPS track

Island Lake map

[Scrooge]

You some kind of closet rockclimber, Bryan? Here's the standard route.

How'd you get by that rock buttress that comes down to the water on the north side of the lake? I've approached it from both sides and found it too forbidding for me to attempt.

[Hulksmash]

There is a boot path right through the rocks. It was easy......for me at least. I did need to use some vegitation hand holds. The three inflatable rafts were not that light and i came back via that route

[captain jack]

Island Lake does have an outlet, its here,

return to island lake 064

then it siphons into a small creek, before it plunges over rocks nearly vertical for about 75' in a slot canyon,

Rotation of return to island lake 070

then winds its way down into Boardman. Most of Island Lake is pretty shallow, and the outlet is too, so I guess it wouldnt take much for it to stop draining and start to get stagnant. Luckily, when I have visited the lake it has always been crystal clear and inviting, with the falls active. The bear lives west of the lake, it's really brushy over there anyways, so there is no good reason for people to be pokin' around on that side. He came up the standard route David, its rocks and roots there right before you get up to the crest, then go down to the lake. There is no trail going down on the west side of the outlet.

[Scrooge]

Captain Jack said

[Hulksmash]

Ok Scrooge..The photo was taken from near the inlet of Boardman toward the outlet. The red arrow shows the rock buttress. It's not that impressive form across the lake

Bordman Doodle

For scale....there are two fishermen in float tubes in front of the rock...they are just a couple of pixels. From water level, i agree that rock does look imposing. But what i think your forgetting Scrooge, GPS is not 100% accurate. In ideal conditions the margin for error is still probably 10 feet. In trees next to a lake, probably more like 20 feet. The photo is also an example of how 30 of 40 foot cliffs can be hidden within the topo lines. The topo does not show the rock because although imposing is too small to show the feature on the map. So while i did skirt the shore line, at the location of the rock the shore line just happened to be about 30 feet above the lake. Also, compared to the lake side face of the rock, the sides have a relatively gradual "ramp"

[captain jack]

Over the years the trail along the west shore of Boardman has become more and more pronounced. It goes at least as far as the nice campsite halfway down. I still love that piece of trail up on top of the ridge though, you can hear people down below at the lake, but they have no idea you're there, and its much faster than the lakeside route.

[touron]

I think Boardman is the only lake I've packed my raft into. I packed it out also.

[yew]

I just can't imagine the mentality that would think it was OK to ditch a defunct IK at a mountain lake. Someone who would do that does not respect the lake. What's wrong with people? Thanks for packing all that crap out. Maybe The Government needs to run that 1970s crying Indian commercial again?