In lieu of climbing Smith Ridge and summiting Mallard Peak this Labor Day Weekend (due to closed roads and fires), who's up for climbing Pot Mountain Ridge to Pete Ott Lake and summiting Elizabeth Mountain? Wow, that sounds like a lot when you say it all in one sentence, but we won't do it all in one day!

The plan is to hike up Pot Mountain Trail #169 to Cold Springs Cabin on Saturday, September 2nd. The cabin is probably rented out for the weekend, so we won't be staying there. Instead, we'll drop down to Pete Ott Lake to set up camp. On Sunday, we'll day hike to Elizabeth Mountain, possibly exploring Ice Lake and Elizabeth Lake on the way. We'll head back down Pot Mountain Ridge on Monday.

Sure, we could take Upper Cool Springs Road A (FS RD 5297) to Flat Mountain and hike in 2 miles to Pete Ott Lake, but where's the fun in that? Actually, it's not a bad idea if you have a sturdy rig that doesn't overheat. That's how we did it last time we visited Pete Ott Lake. It was a much better option for the kids! If you want to go this way, we can always meet up Saturday night at Pete Ott Lake. We might even manage to cross paths going to or from Cold Springs Cabin. Either way, it would still be fun to hang out for the weekend.

The meet up is set for Mush Saddle Campground in the hopes of camping out there on Friday night, September 1st. Mush Saddle is about a 3-and-a-half to 4-hour drive from both Lewiston and Grangeville, so plan accordingly. It's hard to know what the weather will be doing on Labor Day Weekend, but we will be exploring peaks close to 6,700 feet high, so it's advisable to pack layers and bring a rain coat. Bring a swimsuit for the lake, too!