July 28, 2014

July 28, 2014

From Kamiah, ID we continued east following the Clearwater River upstream following the path of Lewis and Clark. The drive was gorgeous. The road was wide and well-paved; the scenery a pine-forested steep canyon with rushing waters. Quite often, we stopped for National Park signs explaining what Lewis and Clark saw on this same journey over the Bitterroot Mountains. While we call them scenic, Meriwether Lewis referred to them as those “terrible mountains”. We drove the river bank in a motorhome, he slogged up and down a steep trail on the ridge to our left. We are driving in summer with a stocked fridge; Lewis and Clark journeyed in late September cold and hungry.

We also walked the grounds of an historic forest ranger station. It was a snoozer, except for a wren’s nest we spied aside the trail.

After several hours of driving, just short of the summit, we ran into a US Forest campground along the river. It has electricity. We have to stop. Since we are getting close to the Montana border, there is even a lodge next door. We must no longer be deep in the wilderness. After setting up camp, I ask Aimee, “What did you make for dinner?” She answers, “Reservations”…. We ate at the lodge restaurant.

July 27, 2014

July 27, 2014

From White Bird, ID we drove north, saw the Battlefield again from above, and to our surprise, just over the next mountain we descended into a flat plain. We crossed it and soon followed a ravine cut into the prairie. It is so odd to see the ranchland on a mesa above us.

In Spalding, ID we stop to visit Nez Perce National Historical Park. Spalding is the headquarters for this park spread over 38 sites in the region. At the Visitor Center we watch the movie about the Nez Perce Indians and their plight once contact was made with white men. Like all Indians they are victims of history. A Stone Age society suddenly thrust ahead thousands of years. They were lost. It would be the same if aliens suddenly arrived on our planet with Star Trek-like technology from the future. Some of us would embrace the change but most of us would try our best to cling to the past. Sadly the world is full of groups that want to turn back the clocks of time and refight yesterday’s battles.

We have our lunch in the picnic area before walking around the grounds. This area used to be the site of a Nez Perce village, and the home of the Indian agent, a missionary (named Spalding), and trading store. Most of it has long disappeared.

From Spalding we followed the Clearwater River upstream to the east. It is a beautiful drive. We think about stopping for the day and camping by the river a few times but it is very hot. We stopped at numerous Nez Perce National Park sites. Most are just pullouts with storyboards about Lewis and Clark’s journey. The Corps of Discovery traveled over the mountains with the aid of Shoshone horses. They then encountered the Nez Perce who fed them, helped them build dugout canoes, and pointed them to the Clearwater River that would lead them to the Columbia River and the Pacific Ocean.

We spent the night at a private park in Kamiah, ID just yards from where Lewis and Clark waited for the mountain snows to melt before heading home.

July 26, 2014

July 26, 2014

Hells Canyon is the deepest river gorge in North America. It sits in rugged country in northern Idaho making it very inaccessible by road. We could take a four-day float trip through this National Recreation Area. The alternative we settled on was a five-hour jet-boat ride up the Snake River. Pittsburgh Landing, our embarkation point, is only about 15 miles away, but there are tall mountains in the way. We took a shuttle van on the steep forest service road that connects it with White Bird, ID on the Salmon River.

We join eleven other tourists on the large jet-boat. Hells Canyon starts out a large V-shaped canyon covered with brown grass. A mere few weeks ago it was all green. As we cruise south up the Snake River, the gorge narrows and steepens. Most of the exposed rock is dark basalt, a testament to Idaho’s volcanic past. The Snake River is very swift with frequent white-water rapids. The three powerful diesel engines that drive this jet-boat make going up rapids and short waterfalls seem like child’s play. Despite being in wilderness we pass lots of rafters floating downstream. It is making Aimee and I want to do the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. Along the way we make a couple stops at two historic ranches. The pioneers who tried to ranch here must have led a pretty isolated life as it was a very long walk to any civilization.

Our upstream trip ends at the Hells Canyon Dam, where we stop for lunch and a movie in the dam Visitor Center. Refreshed we reboard the boat for our return trip. It is a quicker trip but much more thrilling. The boat bounces more and we get drenched a few times when the boat prow dips down into the white water. We stop on the way back at a little beach for a swim in the ice-cold water.  As we reboard, the co-pilot (and shuttle driver) offers us a tub of large crawfish he caught snorkeling during lunch.  Aimee vetoed my acceptance.

On our return shuttle ride, we ask our driver what he does during the off-season. This entrepreneur had a surprising list. Among the items this outdoorsman collects and sells during the winter include huckleberries, morel mushrooms, and elk antlers. He mentioned a few amounts and prices and I started calculating in my head. This guy makes a mint off-season from his forest excursions!

July 25, 2014

July 25, 2014

The only downside to our forest campground north of McCall, ID is the entrance road. It is a narrow one-laned gravel road with a sheer cliff on one side. It is barely wide enough for our motorhome. Since I don’t want to pass another RV on this road, we leave camp at the crack of dawn. This campground is named “Last Chance” for a reason.

From McCall, ID we switch to following the Little Salmon north. In this early hour, there is a layer of fog atop it, probably due to the hot spring that feeds it. We leisurely follow the river till it flows into the mighty Salmon River. Here the canyon turns from steep pine-forested to dry grassy hills with basalt cliffs showing in places.

In the town of White Bird, ID, we make a stop at the White Bird Battlefield, a unit of the Nez Perce National Historical Park. Here was fought the opening battle of the 1877 Nez Perce War. We hike .75 miles uphill to learn that this battle was a bloodbath for the inexperienced 106 cavalrymen. This was despite the partying the Indians did the previous night downing stolen whiskey. The Nez Perce took the captured arms and went on to elude the US Army for another four months.

We spend the night at an RV park along the Salmon River.

July 24, 2014

July 24, 2014

From Glenn’s Ferry, ID we travel northwest to Boise where we catch the Payette River Scenic Byway north. The Payette is named after a French fur trapper who ran the Fort Boise trading post.

The temperature has cooled dramatically. I think we finally found the weather we have been searching for. We follow the Payette River north through a very narrow, beautiful V-shaped valley. As we travel the river changes from a lazy one to all white-water. The river looks very popular with kayakers.

Eventually the Payette enters a wide ranch valley. In the city of McCall we are surprised to find a very bustling resort town on a cute lake. The nearby State Park is full but we find a nice pine forested campground in the National Forest north of town. I think we might have overshot on the weather. It is feeling downright cold. Aimee and I both change into long pants, long sleeved shirt and even a jacket!

July 23, 2014

July 23, 2014

On our way out of the City of Rocks we drive by its neighbor, Castle Rock State Park. This state park is a miniature version of the rock wonderland and is part of the same geological formation.

We continue our journey north for an hour and then stop at Minidoka Internment National Monument. Minidoka was one of the ten “relocation centers” where people of Japanese descent were moved during WWII. We walk the 1.6-mile loop around the site, but almost nothing remains from that era. A wooden guard tower and part of the perimeter fence have been reconstructed to reinforce that “relocation center” was a euphemism for prison camp.

Back on the road headed northwest towards Boise, we cross over the basalt-lined gorge of the Snake River. This reminds me that much of southern Idaho is covered in lava from past volcanic eruptions. Near Glenn’s Ferry, we see a sign for Three Island Crossing State Park and an Oregon Trail Interpretative Center. The museum is small but is a great excuse to stretch our legs. At this spot, pioneers on the Oregon Trail crossed to the north side of the Snake River. Depending on water level, this could be a very dangerous proposition. The ruts down the steep hillside are still visible.

Aimee wants to do laundry so we make an early stop and spend the night here in town.

July 22, 2014

July 22, 2014

Since we have such a beautiful view outside our backyard here in City of Rocks National Reserve, we decide to stay and enjoy the ambiance for another day. We spend the morning hiking in, around and atop the many odd-shaped granite pinnacles scattered throughout this small valley. This exposed granite bulge has weathered into bathtub-sized potholes, windows and Swiss-Cheese-like caves. We seem to be the only ones hiking the area. Almost all the other visitors are younger and spend their day climbing the almost vertical rock faces. This is a sport I also did when I was in college. I am glad to see there are still people interested in it.

We spend the afternoon relaxing and reading while facing our rock wonderland. I can’t help but think of the California Trail pioneers from the Midwest who also camped here for a few nights and must also have been awed by this fantasy view.

July 21, 2014

July 21, 2014

After topping off our propane and gas tanks, we left Brigham City, UT headed northwest through arid rolling ranchlands. After crossing into Idaho we leave the interstate and follow the California Trail. After watching the old western movie about it, Aimee can’t believe what a difficult time those pioneers had.

After an hour, we come to a trail landmark the pioneers would stop and marvel at, the City of Rocks. Now a combination National Reserve and state park, with some imagination, it does resemble an old abandoned stone city. It surely is an oddity in the middle of ranch country.

After stopping at the Visitor Center to get oriented, we drive slowly up a very rutted gravel road to the Bath Rock trailhead. We are in need of exercise and this is a perfect spot to stretch our legs. The area is full of massive granite monoliths that we can scramble atop and hike around. We run into several parties of rock climbers scaling the rock faces. Somehow in the maze of rocks we get disoriented and lose the trail we were following and reach a trailhead in the opposite direction of our intended travel. So we follow the road back to our home.

We scout out the camping possibilities and find an awesome site atop a section of slickrock overlooking the valley below. It is spectacular. Our enjoyment is soon ended with the arrival of a big thunderstorm that pelts our “tin can” with a thunderous roar of hail. We survive and are rewarded with a beautiful rainbow.

July 20, 2014

July 20, 2014

We are camped at the beginning of the Nebo Loop Scenic Byway. This forest service road climbs 9000 feet into the Wasatch Mountains and provides superb views of 12000 foot Mt Nebo. Farther along we stop for a short hike to Devils kitchen, which is billed as a mini Bryce Canyon. The Hoodoos do indeed look like Bryce, but the area is exceedingly tiny. Just near the summit of our route, we decide to stop and do a short hike for exercise into the adjoining Nebo Wilderness Area. It is an uneventful hour into a Quaking Aspen forest. Our lone excitement is a distant view of a beautiful Western Tanager. It is a very long downhill ride back to the Utah valley where we catch the highway north. Past Salt Lake City we stop for the night in a private RV Park in Brigham City, UT.

July 19, 2014

July 19, 2014

We spent the night here in Kanab, UT so we would have another chance with ”The Wave” lottery. I was sure Aimee would come through for us today but after a group of six Frenchmen from Tahiti took six of the ten spots, my hopes were dashed. Not wanting to waste any more negative thoughts with our frustrating government bureaucracy, we left town headed north. We drove past spectacular Utah scenery climbing up the various colors of the Grand Staircase, before finishing with a drive through the long and narrow Sevier Canyon. We stopped for the night east of Nephi, in another “dispersed camping” spot in the Uinta National Forest.

July 18, 2014

July 18, 2014

This morning we make our way northwest rolling downhill from the Kaibab Plateau into the valley below. In the town of Kanab, UT we stop at the BLM office for the Grand Staircase National Monument. There we enter the lottery for “The Wave”. Two years ago we also tried unsuccessfully. I cross my fingers, but unfortunately my lucky charm fails me again. Out of the 32 people present, only ten receive hiking permits. They again all go to foreigners who pay no taxes for the upkeep of this park. At the very least the BLM ought to raise the price of these highly prized permits to raise revenue and offset my taxes.

Feeling very disappointed we walked around the small town of Kanab doing a little window-shopping. Kanab calls itself “Little Hollywood” because many B-rated westerns and TV shows were filmed here. The main street is lined with dozens of placards remembering every star who came through town. One of our stops is a film museum that has collected some of the movie sets that were used in the area. We especially like the adobe building constructed for Clint Eastwood’s “The Outlaw Josey Wales”. This evening at a local theatre, we watch one of the better movies filmed here, “Westward the Women”. It is about the struggles of a group of pioneer women making the trek west along the California Trail.

July 17, 2014

July 17, 2014

From Flagstaff we journey north along the western edge of the Navaho Reservation. We cross the Colorado River and head towards the north rim of the Grand Canyon. At Jacob Lake, we make a brief stop at the small Visitor Center and learn about “dispersed camping” on public lands. The attendant recommends a spot just a few miles away. It is down a gravel forest road a mile off the main highway. We pull off the road when we find a flat spot. Our campsite is free and we have the whole forest to ourselves. We relax for the rest of the afternoon enjoying the smell of pine trees.

July 16, 2014

July 16, 2014

Back in Tucson, we get the RV out of storage, give it a checkup and load it up with all the essentials for life on the road. We leave Tucson headed north. Past Phoenix we stop at a rest stop to eat lunch. I see a couple tourists taking photos of something on the ground. Curious I walk over to see a tarantula creeping along the sidewalk. This is the second one I have seen this year. This “Arizona Blond” is much larger and is two-tone.

Continuing on we end the day outside Flagstaff. At 6500 ft altitude nestled in the pine trees, the weather is just delightful.

July 12, 2014

July 12, 2014

We are in Lubbock, TX today. We stopped here to visit the Lubbock Lake Landmark. Arriving just before it opens, we find it already crowded. This really shouldn’t be a surprise. People have flocked to this location for 12,000 years. That is because a lake used to sit here. It dried up when settlers arrived and started pumping the groundwater.

In 1936, during dredging, bones and human tools were accidentally discovered. Since then Lubbock Lake has been continuously excavated by Texas Tech University. The oldest bones are from the Clovis Period when the Paleo-Indians hunted the now extinct Columbian Mammoth. We are pleasantly surprised to learn the site is having an “Archeology in Action” open house today. One of the benefits is that we get a guided tour of the facility. The tour starts out in the field where we watch young university students scraping dirt looking for artifacts. Many are international students from Europe and Central America. I am thinking many of these archeology students may opt for a new major after digging in the dirt all summer. Another stop was the screening station where the accumulated dirt is washed to find the smallest of bone fragments and tools. There were also a couple other exhibitions on flint napping and bone cracking. After the tour, we perused the small but well-done museum.

Since we need to get acclimated to hiking, we take a quick stroll along the wildflower boardwalk outside the museum. Dozens of watermelon like vines are growing across the path. We learn they are Buffalo gourds, indigenous to the arid southwest.

Getting hungry, we went looking for Texas BBQ and ran into the Buddy Holly Center, dedicated to preserving the memory of this hometown hero. Outside is a statue of this early rock star. He was born the same year as the Lubbock Lake discoveries. Tragically he died in 1959 in a plane crash with the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens.

In the afternoon we headed north to Amarillo. Just outside town we stopped at Cadillac Ranch, a small roadside attraction. Here a half dozen old Cadillacs lie half buried in the dirt. We were surprised to find the place packed and even more shocked by the number of paint spray cans littering the area. Apparently young Amarilloans love to decorate the cars. The paint has to be an inch thick on every car. They are very brightly colored.

The reason we are in town is a family wedding. One of our nephews is tying the knot. This is my first Texas wedding, a great opportunity to finally wear my Bolo tie.