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Ball and Pyramid Lakes Trail #43 - 5 members in 5 triplogs have rated this an average 4.8 ( 1 to 5 best )
5 triplogs
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Sep 25 2025
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 Guides 112
 Routes 2,291
 Photos 9,190
 Triplogs 2,642

45 female
 Joined Dec 24 2007
 Ahwatukee, AZ
Pyramid Balls Trout lakes, ID 
Pyramid Balls Trout lakes, ID
 
Hiking avatar Sep 25 2025
LindaAnnTriplogs 2,642
Hiking10.95 Miles 2,687 AEG
Hiking10.95 Miles   5 Hrs   33 Mns   2.28 mph
2,687 ft AEG      45 Mns Break
 
1st trip
Partners partners
The_Eagle
trekkin_gecko
Route Scout Route Recorded  on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX
Lakes were the goal for the day. First of the day was Pyramid Lake, which is a fairly easy hike. After that, we ascended the cirque wall up to the Ball Lakes. Nice views on the ascent. Upper (big) Ball was next. Great views, and clear water. Some smoky air. We explored along the lake edge before heading down to Lower (little) Ball. Also nice views at the lower lake, and we again explored along the edge of the lake.

From there, we headed back down to Pyramid Pass trail, followed that uphill another 3/4 mile, then turned onto Trout and Big Fisher Lake Trail. We climbed back up to 6600’, contoured along that for a while, then dropped down to Trout Lake. Lots of bare granite to hike through. Trout Lake was gorgeous. We found some boulders to sit on and had lunch. After that, we retraced our steps back out to the trailhead.

This was a great combo of lakes. The hike was moderate in difficulty, with the aeg spread out and nothing too steep. Didn’t see any other hikers.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Ball Lakes 76-100% full 76-100% full

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Pyramid Lake 76-100% full 76-100% full

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Trout Lake 76-100% full 76-100% full
_____________________
Stop crying and just go do the hike.
  1 archive
Sep 25 2025
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 Guides 42
 Routes 1,674
 Photos 15,230
 Triplogs 2,802

69 male
 Joined Jan 20 2009
 Far NE Phoenix,
Pyramid Balls Trout lakes, ID 
Pyramid Balls Trout lakes, ID
 
Hiking avatar Sep 25 2025
The_EagleTriplogs 2,802
Hiking11.37 Miles 2,646 AEG
Hiking11.37 Miles   5 Hrs   32 Mns   2.33 mph
2,646 ft AEG      39 Mns Break
 
1st trip
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LindaAnn
trekkin_gecko
Route Scout Route Recorded  on Route Scout | Pop | Map | Popup | MapDEX
We tossed around all sorts of options for this hiking day before settling on this one. It turned out to be one of my favorites. The drive was about 2.5 hours to reach the trailhead, but very scenic along the way.

Starting at the Big Fisher Lake trailhead, we split left toward Pyramid Lake. The climb was steady but never difficult, leading us to the lake with views of Pyramid Peak and the cirque wall we would need to climb to reach the Balls. The cirque ascent slowed us down a bit, but gave us with sweet views back to Pyramid Lake and the surrounding peaks.

Upper Ball Lake was the first destination. We explored the shoreline and saw several excellent camping options—another stunning Idaho alpine lake.

Upper Ball Lake: [ youtube video ]

Instead of backtracking, we left the trail and cut across off-trail terrain to rejoin the path down toward Lower Ball, which was just as beautiful.

From there, we eventually worked our way back toward the starting point before turning uphill toward Trout Lake. The stretch along the 6,600-foot contour was a highlight: ripe huckleberries, patches of fall color, and a gentle, flat section of trail provided a welcome break.

The descent into the Trout Lake basin looked steep from above, but it turned out to be straightforward—and actually a lot of fun.

Trout Lake: [ youtube video ]

After lunch by the lake, we retraced our steps back to the trailhead. This is a moderate hike that I highly recommend. I’d also love to return and try the variation from Trout Lake to Big Fisher Lake.

Hike
Peaks: 0
Lakes: 4
Moose: 0

Trip Summary
Peaks: 3
Lakes: 11
Moose: 0
 Flora
 Flora [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Huckleberry
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Light

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Ball Lakes 76-100% full 76-100% full

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Pyramid Lake 76-100% full 76-100% full

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Trout Lake 76-100% full 76-100% full
_____________________
There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness."
Dave Barry 🦅
 
Sep 25 2025
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 Guides 10
 Routes 683
 Photos 7,435
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67 female
 Joined Nov 17 2008
 phoenix, az
Pyramid Balls Trout lakes, ID 
Pyramid Balls Trout lakes, ID
 
Hiking avatar Sep 25 2025
trekkin_geckoTriplogs 4,705
Hiking10.95 Miles 2,687 AEG
Hiking10.95 Miles   5 Hrs   33 Mns   2.28 mph
2,687 ft AEG      45 Mns Break
 no routes
1st trip
another favorite in the selkirks
we opted for a lake hike in hopes that bruce would see a moose
we got going around 0900 from big fisher lake trailhead
the trail splits at about 3/4 mile, we went left to pyramid lake
easy gain to the lake and we looked around for a few minutes
up the cirque to upper and lower ball lakes, with a view of pyramid lake from above
loved the terrain on this part
we spent some time checking out both balls
backtracked to the split, this time heading up pyramid pass to the trout/big fisher lake trail
as bruce and linda mentioned, there is a nice level contour before dropping to trout lake
good trail, good views, although it was smoky again today
trout is another beautiful alpine lake
we had a snack break on some rocks before heading back
every hike suggests more possibilities
would return for the hike up pyramid pass to long mountain, and the continuation from trout lake to big fisher lake
it would be fun to set up a base camp at pyramid lake to cover every option
anything from this trailhead is a great hike
 Named place
 Named place [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Pyramid Peak
_____________________
hazhole
 
Aug 23 2025
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 Guides 112
 Routes 2,291
 Photos 9,190
 Triplogs 2,642

45 female
 Joined Dec 24 2007
 Ahwatukee, AZ
Ball and Pyramid Lakes Trail #43Northern, ID
Northern, ID
Hiking avatar Aug 23 2025
LindaAnnTriplogs 2,642
Hiking5.73 Miles 1,497 AEG
Hiking5.73 Miles   3 Hrs   50 Mns   1.78 mph
1,497 ft AEG      37 Mns Break
 
1st trip
Linked   none no linked trail guides
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Jill and I headed up to Pyramid and Ball Lakes for today’s hike. I’ve been to Pyramid before, but neither of the Ball Lakes.

Cool temps to start. From the trailhead, we headed uphill on the main trail. At about 0.60 miles, we took the left fork onto trail 43. From there, it was a quick hike up to Pyramid Lake.

The trail headed east from the lake, and started ascending up the granite wall encircling the lake. Not too steep of an ascent, and we had some good views as we climbed. Once at the top of the wall, the trail mostly leveled off as we made our way towards the Ball Lakes. There was a signed fork for the two lakes. We first took the right fork to Upper Ball, which I kept calling Big Ball since it’s the larger of the two lakes.

Upper Ball has incredibly clear water and is FULL of fish. It’s a gorgeous lake, with a dramatic backdrop of granite. There were two groups camping and fishing at the lake, one at each end. We rested for a while, then headed over to Lower Ball Lake, which I called Little Ball. Also, a gorgeous lake surrounded by granite. There was one family camping there. They had a very loud little kid, who was constantly yelling for his brother, Wolfram. The brother had obviously headed for quieter territory. The dad had wisely abandoned his family, and was way up at top of the ridge high above the lake. I bet he stayed up there all day.

After eating lunch at the third lake, we headed back down the trail. Easy descent. Still pretty cool when we finished, only 73 degrees, which is actually much hotter than average.

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Ball Lakes 76-100% full 76-100% full

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Pyramid Lake 76-100% full 76-100% full
_____________________
Stop crying and just go do the hike.
  1 archive
Jun 30 2021
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 Guides 112
 Routes 2,291
 Photos 9,190
 Triplogs 2,642

45 female
 Joined Dec 24 2007
 Ahwatukee, AZ
Pyramid Pass Trail #13 - Idaho Panhandle NFNorthern, ID
Northern, ID
Hiking avatar Jun 30 2021
LindaAnnTriplogs 2,642
Hiking6.65 Miles 1,846 AEG
Hiking6.65 Miles   4 Hrs   45 Mns   1.56 mph
1,846 ft AEG      30 Mns Break
 
1st trip
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realm09
watermelonW
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Much cooler temps at the trailhead than back in Sandpoint or Bonners Ferry. Got started before 0800 and made our way uphill. Lots of shade, and not too buggy. The trail is in good shape and the incline is fairly steady. Took our time heading up, making our way over three or four downed trees. Quick break at the saddle before continuing north.

Debated continuing all the way to Long Mountain, but it had a little more elevation gain than the kids wanted, so we turned around near the end of Pyramid Pass trail. I’ll come back to this area next summer to do more of the trails up here. Quick hike back down, made easier by the crew that had cleared the deadfall behind us.

Headed over to Pyramid Lake, where the kids swam and chased frogs. The trail past Pyramid Lake and up to Ball Lakes looks STEEP. Again, another obe for next year.

Easy hike back down to the trailhead, but it was getting warm. Saw two backpackers at the parking area when we finished, they were heading up to Long Mountain Lake. Other than the trail crew, they were the only other people we saw.

Great area, with a nice feel of isolation.
 Flora
 Flora [ checklist ]
[ checklist ]  Mountain Heather
wildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observationwildflower observation
Wildflowers Observation Light

water 1 out of 5water 2 out of 5water 3 out of 5water 4 out of 5 Pyramid Lake 76-100% full 76-100% full
Lake was full
_____________________
Stop crying and just go do the hike.
  1 archive
average hiking speed 2.05 mph

WARNING! Hiking and outdoor related sports can be dangerous. Be responsible and prepare for the trip. Study the area you are entering and plan accordingly. Dress for the current and unexpected weather changes. Take plenty of water. Never go alone. Make an itinerary with your plan(s), route(s), destination(s) and expected return time. Give your itinerary to trusted family and/or friends.

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