As I was selecting locations for my week away, I knew I wanted to go to Farragut State Park outside Sandpoint, Idaho. I haven’t been to this park since I was a freshman in high school when I did a cross country camp there during the summer. All I remember from that trip is that for as much as I hated running, at least the view was nice. I’ve been in and around Sandpoint all my life, and I love Lake Pend Oreille, so I knew it would be worth getting out, even if I wasn’t quite sure what I’d find.

While paying for my parking pass at the main entrance, the park ranger offered me a map. She indicated that the Eagle Boat Launch would be a good place to start since that’s where the eagles were. I’m sure she noted the giant camera lens hanging off my shoulder strap. It sounds naive, but I didn’t realize this would be a good place for eagles. I put Farragut on the itinerary specifically to add to my woodland creatures collection, hoping for a deer or a moose. So off I drove to the boat launch, in the wind and the rain.

Arriving at the boat launch, I didn’t see any activity right away, but I noticed there was a path leading south toward the end of the lake. Along the shoreline were large rocks that made traversing the shore difficult. Rather than risk rolling an ankle in the first five minutes, I opted for the trail. I walked about a half mile before I saw the trail duck into the tree line, and just above this entrance were about a dozen bald eagles perched on the branches, ready to launch. Already in the first ten minutes, I observed more eagles than I did the entire time I had been out to Couer d’Alene this year. Bingo! As I approached the tree line entrance, the eagles all took flight, and began circling the water until they found a fish. I stopped just before the entrance and thought “the hall of eagles” was a fitting nickname for this trail.

Standing guard at the entrance of the Hall of Eagles

Continuing along the path, I kept one eye on the trail and another on the water, ever ready to snap a series of an eagle mid dive. The conditions weren’t great, it was cloudy, raining and windy, but the sheer volume of eagles was encouraging. In the first mile and a half, I probably took a few hundred shots. This place was a gold mine, and there wasn’t another soul in sight.

After an hour walking alone along the trail, it dawned on me how special this experience was. It’s not that photography is a competition, but not everyone out there with a camera is a decent human being. I’ve had plenty of people step in front of me while I’ve been clearly focused on a subject, and I’ve overheard plenty of rude comments about why public parks are no place for loud kids or dogs. My personal philosophy is that photography is for everyone. Whether you’re shooting with an iPhone or thousands of dollars in professional equipment, enjoying these spaces and capturing them is what matters most. As I was lost in this thought, I heard the faint tapping of a woodpecker in the trees on the hill to my right. Time to switch gears. I love moments like this.

Just a few days before, my son and I were in the Little Pend Oreille National Wildlife Refuge and we heard a woodpecker. He spotted it within seconds, but it was so far up the tree, I couldn’t get a good shot. I hoped that this one would be easier to find so I could get a good photo to show him a close up view of what we were chasing after. As I followed the sound up the hillside, I finally narrowed it down to one tree, when I saw the familiar black outline of a pileated woodpecker flying away. Damn.

Frustrated that I had just missed my opportunity, another one peaked his head around the tree and continued to peck at the bark. I quickly got my lens trained on it and followed until I could line up a decent shot. Watching through the lens, I knew I was getting great images and as I reviewed them on the back screen of the camera, I knew this was a success. I spent a few more minutes just watching it through the lens until it flew away. Moments like this were exactly why I was there. Another story to share and images to show my son.

I continued on until I hit the end of the trail, which culminated at a public swimming area. The water line was low and surrounded by a muddy collection of animal tracks as they likely made their way down from the hills for water while the tourists were all away. As the driving rain pelted the back of my jacket hood, I kept thinking that it looked like a nice place to come in the summer. I could imagine the entire shoreline packed with coolers and beach towels. But for now, it was the end of the line and time to head back toward the boat launch.

Enjoying the view in the rain at the world's end

I kept waiting for the weather to turn, but the rain picked up, so I decided to explore other areas of the park. Driving around, I found a few walkable trails that took me to the upper portion of the park above the lake. From here, there were beautiful views of the lake and several times I was eye level with an eagle soaring to a nearby branch.

It was getting later in the afternoon and the wind was picking up. The clouds were moving much faster and suddenly the sky opened up and there was a pocket of sunshine. Time to move. I headed back down to the trail head, noting the direction of the wind (south to north) and watched the eagles contend with the updrafts as they continued to dive. If I could continue moving south, I may have the perfect shot the next time the sun comes out as they should be diving toward my direction.

The wind continued to howl and the clouds streaked across the sky. It was starting to get dark and the branches above me were waving back and forth until one finally broke free and feel to the forest floor about fifty feet away from me. That’s a signal that it’s time to go. I decided to make my way back to the boat launch parking lot via the beach. Rolling an ankle would be better than getting crushed by a giant branch.

Along the shore, I could feel the wind pushing at my back. Looking out across the water, there was no longer any activity. My day was done, but it was an incredible experience. I appreciated feeling more connected to my surroundings throughout the day. Several times throughout the day, I took advantage of the opportunity to sit and look out across the water, just enjoying the beauty of these eagles in their environment. As I reflected on this, a gust of wind nearly knocked me over. Reflexively, I shouted “Ok, I’m leaving!” to an empty lake. The absurdity of shouting at the wind made me laugh to myself. The day was done, but it was worth every minute.

For a day, I was fortunate enough to have Farragut State Park entirely to myself. This experience provided an enriching opportunity to contemplate the beauty of nature, find moments for introspection, and cultivate a state of focus. And I got some incredible shots of bald eagles in flight, diving for fish, fighting over their catch, and nesting on branches. One of the most restorative days I’ve had in quite some time.

Thanks for following along.

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