Into Idaho and Oregon to the Eclipse – August 16-20

by | Sep 2, 2017 | Travel 2017 | 200 comments

We left Lake Mary Ronan and headed over the Bitterroots via Lolo Pass in the footsteps of Lewis and Clarke; hopefully without threat of fire or road closure. As it turned out, many folks were scared away by the fire and the previous 2-3 days of road closure, so traffic was exceptionally light. We did have a Pilot Car escort through the fire zone (about five miles); we did see the smoke and flames high in the mountains; and we passed many firefighting units including the Incident Command Center. However, we were never in danger of any kind.

The drive through the Bitterroots was one of the highlights of our trip; more so, because it was a last minute decision to take that route. The mountains are amazing and extremely beautiful. The dark, dense forest and the ever-present rivers and creeks next to the road made the trip one of awesome beauty. Never have we encountered such a dense, green, and “smooth” conifer forest as that which blankets the Bitterroots – it must be seen to be understood. No picture we took or could find on the web does it justice. The trees are so dense that it appears one could walk across their tops!
We could only marvel at what Lewis and Clark must have encountered and endured coming over that pass with no maps, no knowledge of the area, and….no roads. Without the Nez Perce, it is highly unlikely Lewis and Clark would have ever succeeded.

As we reached the summit and teetered over to the other side, we came upon Wilderness Gateway Campground in Lowell ID and decided to see if there was space for us, as we had no reservations. Because of the light traffic in the area, we had no trouble securing a wonderful, secluded spot for the night right along the river. In fact, it was so secluded most of the day that Nancy began to get nervous (once a city girl always a city girl.) Adding to our cautionary perspective was the discovery of a large deposit of “scat” filled with the partially digested remains of the abundant huckleberries found in the area (i.e., bear poo). As the day wore on, more people came into the campground easing Nancy’s apprehension. However, we were not so relaxed as to sleep with the trailer-back down that night, as is our usual preference! We liked the security of a solid wall between us and whoever might have deposited the “scat”, and…we put the bear Spray out on the counter for handy use if needed.

We left Wilderness Gate with great reluctance the next morning and headed down out of the high Bitterroots into the dry, arid valley of Eastern Idaho. It was motel time due to the heat. After being high in the mountains, the escalating heat was even more oppressive than usual. Given the 90 degree temperature, Nancy located us a “lodge” in Riggins ID and made reservations. Believe it or not, the first three establishments we tried were completely booked – later, we found out why!

We pulled into the Salmon Rapids Lodge and were immediately impressed. Great grounds, impressive main lodge, next to the river, and parking for the truck and trailer. Even so, Fran went in to check the room coming back to the truck and Nancy looking like the cat that ate the canary: large suite, patio, refrigerator, microwave, coffee machine, and wonderful indoor heated swimming pool. And, a laundry facility!!!! The rooms were a bit tired and are scheduled for renovation, but we thoroughly enjoyed our stay, as did Paddington who had a ball field all to himself each evening. We stayed two days…and went out to dinner one night. Laundry done, people showered, and truck full of gas, we left and headed down the road to the town of McCall ID waving a fond good-by to the indoor, heated swimming pool, which we enjoyed.

Oh, yes…why the full hotels in town? It was caused by a combination of the usual tour buses coming through and the many firefighters in the area rotating through going off their shifts. Believe me! There were many of them and each and every one received the thanks and appreciation of the residents of the town and surrounding area.

McCall ID came as a complete surprise to us. You can imagine traveling through beautiful dark wilderness, coming through the high, dry valleys, and encountering hardly any traffic or other than sparse civilization. As you climb back into the mountains, traffic picks up a bit, but populations are still sparse and far between. Then….you come around a blind corner and find a bustling metropolis filled with upscale stores, coffee houses, beautiful “second” homes, and high-end tourists enjoying the town and the nearby lake. I felt we had just returned from Mars! What a change!

Nancy had thankfully made reservations for us at the Ponderosa Campground at McCall, as it was full. The site was not great, but we were happy to have it. Once again, the Lake and the boat ramp provided Paddington a chance to play in the water along with Fran. Trails along the lake accommodated Fran and Paddington walking and allowed Nancy access with the scooter so that we all could enjoy the scenery of the Payette National Forest. We regretted not have the time or opportunity to explore the very inviting town of McCall.

From McCall, we moved on to our friends’ ranch in Oregon to enjoy the coming eclipse. To get there, we drove through Hell’s Canyon, which is a massive and fascinating dry gorge devoid of almost anyone else but us. It follows the Snake River, which is now damned at three places within the Canyon: The first of the three, Brownlee Dam, at river mile(RM) 285 or river kilometer (RK) 459, was finished in 1958. Oxbow Dam, 12 miles (19 km) downstream, was finished in 1961. And Hells Canyon Dam, 26 miles (42 km) below Oxbow, was completed in 1967.The three dams have a combined generating capacity of 1,167 megawatts (MW) of electricity.[10] The complex, which provides about 70 percent of Idaho’s hydroelectricity, blocks migration of salmon and other fish upstream of Hells Canyon Dam. The dams and their associated power plants make for impressive scenery in this dry, beautiful, and formidable canyon. We both felt it was well worth the drive, and completely understood the few cars we passed that wisely had extra tires and filled gas cans strapped to their hoods and roofs.

Arriving at the TSR ranch was an adventure in and of itself. We, of course, did not follow directions in how to get to the ranch, as we were coming from the opposite direction than originally planned. We also did not fully comprehend that the ranch was in the middle of nowhere down many miles of dirt road. We successfully navigated our way to the right road, but could not locate the specific address. (We later found it on a post tipped slightly over and obscured by the tall grass.) And, as might be expected, there was barely any cell signal in the area. However, cell phones being our only resource, we tried calling and texting, and eventually achieved enough contact to make our hosts aware that we were “lost” and soon saw a lone dirt bike rider arriving in a cloud of dust to assist us in turning around; and he guided us back to the ranch entrance road, which we had unknowingly passed.

Once there, we enjoyed our friends company, worked diligently and constantly to prevent Paddington from traumatizing both inside and outside cats, and generally enjoyed the peace and isolation of the ranch. The next day, we were treated to a bright, blue sky and an unobstructed view of the sun and coming solar eclipse from their deck – the ranch was almost perfectly positioned in the Path of Totality. We had glasses, cameras, thermometer, and binoculars: we were ready.

As the eclipse started, we each seemed to have our own thoughts about what amazed us. Nancy kept wrestling with the wonderment of how scientists could predict these things so accurately and so far in advance. Other things impressed us as well – the temperature varied almost ten degrees from start to finish, dropping to its lowest point as the sun was fully obscured; several stars were visible to the naked eye for a brief minute or two; and dusk and the associated sunset-like atmosphere covered the ranch in the mid-morning. It became crystal clear how much we depend on the sun for heat, light, and so many other things. It had a sobering effect on all of us.

The picture included here was taken as the moon was centered over the sun’s surface. Even then, enough sunlight escaped around the edges to make the camera think the sun was still there. However, the dusk-like aura at the horizon and the shadowed trees give the story away. The second picture, is, of course, the picture everyone expects of the eclipse, and was taken by our nephew from his location in another part of Oregon. All in all, a great experience.

From our adventures on “the ranch” we began our direct route home.

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