Moving On

We went through a hot spell when we didn't do much worthy of pictures.  We got our city fix in Missoula (groceries, laundry, Applebees, the critical stuff,) then headed west on US 12, up and over pretty Lolo Pass, back into Idaho.  This is generally the route taken by Lewis and Clark on their incredible scouting trip to the west coast.  Imagine arriving at the top of the pass to see this before you.

We stopped at the DeVoto Memorial Cedar Grove which we luckily saw on our way past.  The giant Western Red Cedars were gorgeous.

I love the look of cedars from the base of their trunks with roots reaching out to grab hold . . .

To the feathery tips of their branches.

These cedars are slow growing, reaching maturity in 400 to 500 years.  They can live for as long as 3000 years.

I don't know how tall they can grow, but here's a video to give you some idea.


Some of the trunks had worn patches, maybe from bears scratching?

For the second time, we found a National Forest campground with electric!  This was appreciated since it was pretty hot and we could then close the windows and turn on the air when all the campers lit their fires.  Or as I like to call them, their smokes.  Although it looks like we had to really squeeze into the space, there was about 25 feet of parking area behind us.  We had to hug the front to get TV.  LOL

Powell Campground, like all the campgrounds coming down from the pass along US 12, is along the Lochsa River.

In fact the whole drive is designated one of Idaho's Wild and Scenic River Corridors.

After the Lochsa runs into the Middle Fork of the Clearwater and the Middle Fork joins the South Fork, the Clearwater River continues through some drier land.  This is a deep section so you can't see it, but there's a LOT of water pouring down the river.

We stopped near Orofino in Pink House Recreation Area, a BLM campground with FULL hookups!  You could have knocked me over with a feather!  The cost was a whopping $8 a night with the Senior Pass.  We stayed four nights during the hottest part of our summer travels.  Our air conditioner has never gotten such a workout.  In fact I'm sure we've run it more this year than all the other years combined.

Near Orofino is Lewis and Clark's Canoe Camp, where they built five canoes, four of which were 50 to 55 feet long, out of large Ponderosa Pines.  Although this must have been an improvement over trudging overland for hundreds of miles over the mountains, I don't see how the heck they kept them upright.