Craters of the Moon and Internet Again

Twin Falls, ID  High 86  Low 65

We have been camped on BLM land in Idaho and have not had internet or cell service for a couple of days.

First I would like to address a couple of comments on my previous blog. The Eagle picture – that is one of the sculptures at the Sacajawea Center. Don’t I just wish I could claim a picture of a real Eagle like that.

Yes Judy and Jan, we were camped at the Mountain View RV Park which is near Number Hill in Arco. The graduating classes hike up the mountain and paint their year on the face. Jan, they close the café at the campground after Labor Day so no free breakfast for us.

Big Dude said that the road from Salmon to Challis looked gnarly (love that word). And it was, kind of. We drove 45 mph most of the way. Great fuel mileage. The scenery is so spectacular (at least for the passengers) that I would definitely drive through there again (or Jim would drive and I would enjoy).

We went to Craters of the Moon the middle of June 2012 and it snowed on us. It was so cold and miserable. We thought we’d go ahead and take Sidney out to see this incredible area.

Well, I give up. Mother Nature does not want us to enjoy Craters so we won’t. We got to the first pullout area which has a trail that is probably about a 15 minute saunter. We started down the trail and I commented to Jim how warm the sun felt. We got about 2/3 of the way around the trail and the skies opened up. We did not see the storm coming. We got back to the truck before we got too soaked, others weren’t so lucky. And then it rained and rained so we just gave up and left.

Seaman–The Dog of Discovery

Salmon, ID  High 89  Low  55

Inscribed on his collar:

The greatest traveler of my species. My name is Seaman, the dog of Captain Meriwether Lewis, whom I accompanied to the Pacifick Ocean through the interior of the continent of North America.

Seaman was a black Newfoundland and was the only animal to complete the entire trip with Lewis and Clark from the Atlantic to the Pacific and back. Captain Lewis purchased him for $20 in Pittsburg.

During the expedition in 1805 Seaman had to have surgery on one of the arteries in his hind leg that had been severed by a beaver bite. In 1806 he was stolen by Indians and Lewis threatened to send armed men to kill the Indian tribe if Seaman was not returned. The Indians decided the dog was not worth the battle and returned him.

Now for a complete change of pace – take a look at this owl. He is on top of a bar in Salmon. What’s interesting about him is the fact that he is full of arrows. Yep, arrows. But I haven’t been able to find out why.

Can you see them better now?

Tonight we are in Arco, ID. I have to say that the drive from Salmon to Challis has to be one of the most beautiful we’ve driven. I took lots of pictures but these are my favorites.

Sacajawea

Salmon, ID  High 89  Low 56

Lemhi Valley - AGAI-PAH – The sacred homeland and birthplace of Sacajawea

The Sacajawea Interpretive Center is located in Salmon, ID and well worth a visit. She was an amazing woman.

Sacajawea’s people, the Agaidkia (Salmon Eater) Shoshone, were a nomadic tribe living in the Lemhi Valley. In the Fall of 1800, a Hidatsa war party attacked the Agaidika and 12 year old Sacajawea was taken hostage. The Hidatsa took the hostages to the Knife River Village in current day North Dakota. A few years later she became the woman of a French Canadian trader, Charbonneau.

The Lewis and Clark expedition built Fort Mandan near the Knife River Village and hired Charbonneau as an interpreter in November of 1804. When they learned that Sacajawea was from the Shoshone tribe in the Lemhi Valley, they knew they had found their guide. Her biggest contribution to the success of the Expedition was her ability to negotiate for horses.

She was reunited with the three remaining members of her family in August of 1805. However, she remained with her husband and the Expedition and returned to the Knife River Village in 1806.

Most historians believe she died on December 12, 1812, however there is no proof of when she died or where she was buried.

There is a trail to follow through the center with art works from different artists.

Lost Trail Pass

Salmon, ID  High    Low

A couple of folks asked me if I fished. The answer to that is a definite “not any more.” I never really fished but when we were dating I’d take a book and read out on the water while Jim fished. After I caught him and we were married, I told him that I was just going to stay home and read. He figured as long as I let him fish whenever he wanted to, that was a great idea.

We left Hamilton this morning at the early hour of 11:00 a.m. Knew we had a long day of 105 miles. (I wrote this blog post last night but we did not have any cell or internet service last night.)

One last look at the Bitterroot River.

About 7 miles from the Idaho border you start to climb up Lost Trail Pass.

The border is at the summit of the pass so you have a long steady, curvy climb up to 7,041 feet.

 

 

 

The descent is a lot of 20 and 25 mph curves down into the Lemhi Valley. This is the same path that the Nez Perce took after the battle at the Big Hole. Lewis and Clark also climbed over this path looking for the water way to the Pacific Ocean. It was a whole lot easier for us today than it was for any of them.

We followed the Salmon River for miles. It started out as a small stream and ended up a good size river.

Saw some cute babies along the way. There were two other little ones but they were hiding behind Mama.

Tonight we are at Heald Haven RV Park 12 miles south of Salmon. We don’t have any cell service or internet but we have absolutely gorgeous surroundings. The Salmon River is just down the bank from us. And take a look at these canyon walls. My pictures truly do not do them justice.

Our neighbors’ dog, a St. Bernard.

The deer wander freely through the campground. May I help you with some propane sir?

The office is this way.

Whoa there! Not too close.

This is our spot for the night.

Big Hole Battlefield

Hwy 43, MT  High 89  Low 40

Jim said he caught the smallest trout he has ever seen last night. Put up a fight but it was tiny. Of course it went back in the river to grow up. Jim doesn’t like to filet trout so it’s all catch and release.

On Hwy 43 is the Big Hole Battlefield. I have to admit I did not know much about this battle and I was excited for the chance to learn something new.

“The Big Hole National Battlefield commemorates the flight of the Nez Perce over 1,200 miles of some of the roughest land in the Lower 48 states, through Yellowstone National Park, across Montana's high plains, all the while outwitting and outfighting the U.S. Cavalry.”

The Nez Perce had always maintained good relationships with the white man. They even provided Lewis and Clark with food, canoes and guides.

These tipi’s were erected by the tribe to show where their ancestors were camped at the time of the battle.

The Nez Perce homeland was in the states of Oregon, Washington and Idaho granted to them in treaties from 1855. In 1873 Chief Joseph negotiated another treaty with the federal government that would ensure his people would be able to keep their land.

But then gold was found on the reservation and gold miners and settlers pored onto the land. In 1877 the Nez Perce reservation was cut in size by 90% and the Indians were told they had to relocate to Idaho to a much smaller reservation.

The Nez Perce were a peaceful tribe and Chief Joseph reluctantly agreed to move his people under threat of military attack. However, three young braves were enraged at their treatment by the federal government, and massacred four white settlers. The Calvary was called in to hunt down the Nez Perce.

The solders were hidden in these trees across the river from the Nez Perce encampment.

Chief Joseph decided that the only way to protect his people was to escape to Canada where they could unite with Sitting Bull.

There were several battles along the way, but when the Nez Perce reached the Big Hole Valley they believed they had left the Calvary behind in Idaho and were safe for a time. What they didn’t know was that General Howard was not far behind them and Colonel Gibbon was moving up the Bitterroot Valley toward them. 

The battle at the Big Hole was the most violent of all the conflicts between the Nez Perce and the U. S. Government forces. On the morning of August 9, 1877, Gibbon’s soldiers attacked the sleeping tribe. It was a fierce battle with between 60 and 90 Nez Perce killed – mostly women and children. Only 12 of their dead were warriors. The U. S. military suffered 29 dead and 40 wounded.

The Nez Perce were forced to flee leaving behind their dead. They headed towards Canada but the  Army caught up to them at Bear Paw, in Montana, only 40 miles from the Canadian border.

“Upon the final surrender by Chief Joseph he was quoted as saying, "Hear me, my chiefs! I am tired. My heart is sick and sad. From where the sun now stands I will fight no more forever".”

This is another sad chapter in the expansion of the USA into the West.

Highway 43–A Paradise for Fisherpeople

Hamilton, MT  High 89  Low 49

We left Butte heading south on I-15 and then turned West on Hwy 43. We followed the Big Hole River through the canyon on a beautiful drive. The Big Hole is known for it’s trout fishing: brown, rainbow, and cutthroat.

We saw lots of fisherpeople. The water wasn’t very deep. This time of year the rivers are starting to dry up. But it doesn’t stop fishermen or women. Sorry this is so blurry but I almost missed the shot.

This picture gives you an idea of how deep the river is. I told you, everybody is fishing.

There are all kinds of places to camp for free along this river. I’m sure in the Spring when the fishing is the best, most of the camp sites are taken.

We are in Hamilton tonight at Angler’s Roost RV Park. $21 for a riverfront site. It’s not a big park and a little tight getting around all the trees but we have a beautiful pull thru site and this is the view from our front door. Jim and the girls are taking a walk to check things out.

Jan had told us we had to have a hamburger at Nap’s Grill and that if it wasn’t one of the best hamburger’s we’ve ever had, she would buy our lunch. Well, I have to say Jan is off the hook. This hamburger ranks right up there with the one we had in Superior, AZ. It was fantastic. Jim and I split their 3/4 lb burger and we had enough fresh cut fries for four people.

We didn’t have lunch until almost 3:00 and we figured we would be the only people in the place. Couldn’t have been more wrong. We were lucky to get a table. The place was full.

We headed back to the RV Park and I caught up on reading blogs. Any guess as to what Jim was doing?

Meet Sidney

Hamilton, MT  High 89  Low 48

I meant to introduce you to Sidney yesterday. He is going to be joining us on some of our adventures. I picked an Eagle because when I went to high school we were the Sidney Eagles.

My biggest worry with Sidney is to keep him out of the mouths of the girls. They think he would make a really good toy to de-stuff.

He is going to show up occasionally in our pictures so be on the look out for him.

This was take off from Billings.