M


y rather rude introduction to the lake and its ways was in the spring of ’09 when I


sailed the “Whiskey Rock Run” with the Lake Pend Oreille Yacht Club in my Rhodes Bantam. (See Article in 48° North, September 2011 issue). There’s no mistaking, it was a challenge, and an introduction that will remain in my memory for many years to come. This is the race that proved my crew to be faithful (or nuts) as we endured temperatures in the low 40’s and winds in excess of 25 knots for the run up the lake and back in my open 16 footer. More important than the sailing experience was the eye opening beauty of the lake, the surrounding environs, and the history of the area that I learned from long time residents. At the northern end of the lake


is Sandpoint, center of development for the “shallow end” of the lake. Sandpoint is also the kick off point for those who prefer bounding down Schweitzer Mountain on one or two pieces of wood in winter. There is an active sailing community there with the Sandpoint Sailing Club, but most of sailing action is at the other end of the lake, in Bayview. Before we get to the good stuff,


let’s get the geography lesson out of the way. Pend Oreille is one of the largest and deepest fresh water lakes in the US and the largest in Idaho, with depths approaching 1,158 feet. That last feature makes it unique in another way - the Navy used it during WWII for a submarine training base and now uses it for acoustic testing on marine designs. The Clark Fork River empties into the lake from the east, providing winter run off from the Northern Rockies, and the lake drains out the


About one third of the way point from the south end to the north end of the lake stands the massive outcropping of Maiden Rock.


The Navy conducts acoustic tests in the south end of the lake, where the trough that runs between the shores is as deep as 1150 feet.


Pend Oreille River at the north end of the lake, providing hydro-electric power through the Albeni Falls Dam downriver from the lake. The lake is surrounded by the Selkirk and Bitter Root ranges, the Coeur d’Alene and Cabinet Mountains, rising to over


6,000 feet, bringing stark contrasts in elevation and scenery as you cruise the lake. People are few and far between in the southern half because much of the land is protected as part of the Panhandle National Forest system. As you travel the deep blue waters, you


48° NORTH, JANUARY 2012 PAGE 45


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