Week 38-Week 2 of Lewis and Clark Trail- Sept 19-Sept 25, 2022

 

MONDAY

 Our goal today was to drive to the area of Lemhi Pass which is where Lewis and Clark passed over the Continental Divide (from Montana to Idaho)  This was an important moment for L & C because they were hoping, as they went over the pass, that they would see a broad river (like the Columbia) flowing to the Pacific.  Instead of a river they saw miles and miles of snow-capped mountains.

 Heading south from Twin Bridges we were suddenly confronted with a massive rock formation ahead of us. We recognized it from our previous studies that it was Beaverhead Rock.  This is the landmark that Sacagawea recognized and excitedly told L & C that she knew this place!  This was where she lived when she was a child!  Her people were around here!  We were excited too because we'd read about it, seen in in movies, and looked at 3-D displays of it.

If you really try, you can see a swimming beaver with its head on the left and the flat tail on the right.

 

As we were driving south, we noticed on the map a place called Bannack State Park.  Never heard of it but we do have an annual Montana State Park Pass; the decision was made to visit.  It is an old ghost gold mining town that flourished in the last part of the 19th century and was still inhabited by a few souls until 1940-ish.  We walked through most of the buildings and really liked the old wallpaper and the old floor coverings.  There were good descriptions of the buildings and the history of the town.  Finding this place was a serendipity.

 

A mirror in a saloon.

and

We had to keep going south, like L C, who were desperately searching for the Lemhi Shoshone. They had horses, and L & C needed horses to continue the journey to the Columbia (wherever it was).   We arrived at ... Camp Fortunate!  Today this very place is now under the water of Clark County Reservoir. 

This is where the expedition finally encountered the Shoshone Indians and where Sacagawea recognized that her long lost brother was the chief of these Shoshone Indians.  It was certainly a fortunate meeting.

 

 

We headed west on a lonely road passing through the most beautiful valleys and hillsides and drove to Lemhi Pass.  

L & C had heard of Lehmi Pass because it was how the Indians had traveled for eons.  

We reached the top and looked east

And west

We didn't know what to expect - we wanted a place to park overnight but suspected that there was really only day use picnicking. We followed the signs for Sacagawea National Interpretive Center and found a perfect place to park at a picnic site.  As we were wondering what to do next, a jeep drove in and two people got out and walked briskly down a trail.  Dad and I started talking about which road we would take the next day.  The people came back, and I went to ask them about the best way to get to Idaho.  That was when they told us that the head of the Missouri River was at a spring , just on the trail, about two minutes away.  We were so excited (at least I was)  We took photos, one of which will be our Christmas card this year. 

 

We spent a cold and very quiet night at this place.

TUESDAY

I got up early to meet the sunrise. 

 

I had dad take this photo of me lying on a picnic table.  It is the BIGGEST picnic table I had ever seen.

We drove just a bit to where there were markers for the Continental Divide.

 

 

I did not know that there was a Continental Divide Trail.....but here it is going straight up the hillside while Dad drives to the next Point of Interest.

 

 

This is my most favorite photo from our trip..  Looking west from the Continental Divide.

 

I believe that the Lemhi Pass was my favorite stop on the trip.  It was the culmination of L & C exploration; they had found the source of the Missouri and they had determined, once and forever, that there was no Northwest Passage.  And, I love high places with expansive views.

We followed the road down into the Lemhi Valley and then took the highway north all the was to our campground near Missoula. The Lemhi Shoshone People had a nice place.   I didn't take any pictures - mainly because it looked like any valley between two mountain ranges anywhere in Utah, Idaho, Montana, Washington, or Oregon........ a river with small ranches on each side.  Towns all look the same.  Mountains in the distance.

 

 

Tomorrow, we head east and cross the Bitterroot Mountains which was terribly difficult for L and C, but for us it will be a beautiful drive along a scenic highway in northern Idaho.

 WEDNESDAY

We left our quite campsite just south of Lolo at about 8:30 and headed east on Hwy 12.  Originally we wanted to stop at Travelers Rest Visitors Center, the place where L & C stayed for a week or so getting ready to set off over the Bitterroot Mountains. 

But, the info we read online said that the Visitor Center was closed -or that is what we surmised from what we read.  Thinking it was closed, we drove into the parking lot anyway and up to the building and got out of the car.  Lo and Behold!!!  It was open!  That was so good because I'd been wanting to come here because it is only archaeologically confirmed site that L & C had ever visited.....We learned what was found that confirmed it was a campsite for them.  A button (actually found on a neighboring farm) that matches the buttons from military uniforms of the era, carbon dated charcoal wood bits from a cooking fire that dates to the proper years, a trading bead to barter with the Indians, a blop of lead that had been spilled on the ground (the Indians weren't using lead at the time)  The final and best evidence was found in the area where the latrine was - chemical evidence of mercury was found from Dr Rush's pills to cure bowel problems.  The soldiers called them Thunderclappers.

 

We walked around for a bit and pondered on the area where they had camped.

 

It was time to leave the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery behind.  I had a jet boat reservation waiting for me at the Hell's Canyon Dam for a 5-6 hour jet boat excursion.  It was a seven-and-a-half-hour trip.  The road took us through magnificent country.  Not surprisingly the area looked like driving up the Clackamas (before the fires_.....but it was a  longer drive).  When we got to where the North Fork of the Clear Water River flowed, the countryside became rolling hills with wheat fields and mountains in the distance. 

The approach to the Hell's Canyon Recreation area is magnificent.   Steep winding roads take you  down and down and down to the Snake River which is dammed up by three big dams.  So it is quite "lake like".  We drove all the  way to the Hell's Canyon Dam to make sure we knew where to go tomorrow to get to the jet boat ride. Along the road  we saw a small bear just crawling over a guard rail.  

 Our campsite was a boat dock.  We saw a flock of turkeys and three deer.

 

It's a beautiful place....a big river with three dams.

 

 

THURSDAY - the big day of the jet boat ride on the Snake.  This had been on my bucket list for years!  It was cold and misting....not a good omen for a jet boat ride.

It was an exhilarating ride!!  I sat in the front seat so I experienced first hand the diving in to the trough of water, the water splashing over the top of the boat, and then climbing back out of the water.  There were four class 4 rapids and a couple of threes and twos..  The only thing that could have been better is if it could have been hot....the the plastic windows would have been removed and we'd been wet.

This is my one action shot.

We saw three bears total

A mountain goat

We went as far at the Kirkwood Ranch. And then it was time to come back.

Right after the boat ride we headed to Oregon.  Bought gas in Baker.  Stayed at a very noisy rest stop close to Le Grande.

FRIDAY

Drove straight to Oregon City with two stops.  One in Boardman to visit the SAGE museum which was really interesting.  It was all about farming in Morrow County.  

And one stop in Cascade Locks

It was a great trip.  It is great to be home.