Clearwater River

Speeder Rail Car

Got 'house' bound due to rain last couple of days so got caught up on reading and computer stuff and doing laundry.  It has been interesting here at the campground - two nights ago a Class A (motorhome) and 2 Class Cs (type of enclosed RV where there is sleeping area above the driver - like an overhang) pulled in and set up right beside us.  They were pulling small trailers behind the RV and it looked like rail road repair equipment that is used to repair the tracks.  Small, two seaters.  And the people looked tired, and as we watched their interactions with each other, figured they were on their way home from a job (Oregon license plates).  Not so.  These folks belong to NARCO, North American Rail Car Organization, which has chapters all over the states, Canada and even in Europe, that race their little 'speeders' on railroad tracks.  They get permission from the railroad, or from the city - who ever owns tracks, and they have rallies, put their speeders on the tracks and run them.  They go up to 40 miles an hour, two cylinder engines, draws 8 horsepower.  Boy did we peg them wrong - never judge by looks!

Clearwater River

Yesterday we drove north following US Route 95 through small towns and following the Salmon River for most of the way until we broke off 95 and went towards the Bitterroot Mountains following the Northwest Passage and Nez Perce Indian Trail following the route Lewis and Clark took when they crossed the US back in 1804 - 1806. We were not far from Montana's border. Crossed through the Nez Perce Indian Reservation and drove through very small towns. Once we got into Kooskia and started on US Route 12 - the white pine forests became so thick - was astounding to see.  As we drove US 12 we followed the Clearwater River - renamed from the Clark River after Captain William Clark, right along the edge of the road. The river is just as pretty as the Salmon - white water rapids, swift moving, clear and deep.  So PRETTY and serene!

Salmon River Valley

We stopped at a kiosk in Kooskia that explained the area, the significance of salmon (Chinook), the role the Indians played during the expedition, and had signs about hunting and logging.  This is the area where the expedition stumbled out of the mountains, starved and very ill, and the Nez Perce Indians took them in and fed them and nursed them to healthy.  They stayed in the  area for 3 weeks recouping and lived among the Indians during this time.  Since Dave and I have tried to see as many places of the Lewis and Clark expedition as we traveled west of the Mississippi, we were pleased we followed this trail for some time - now able to remember this area and the terrain with what happened from their journals.

The visibility of the mountains - still seeing snow on them, the steep grades of the roads and now understand why there are no railroads anywhere near - just is not feasible to build them because of steep grades. Seeing the Nez Perce area and the battlefields between the Indians and the Army as the Army pursued them to Canada, and fabulous green!  Clean air, seeing golden eagles flying around, hearing the hawks call - just love this area.

Funny thing happened when we stopped at the kiosk - guess who was sitting in the parking area having lunch?  Yep, our 3 buddies with the speeder rail cars.  Heading to Washington for the next rendezvous. Small world.