Our Road Trips

5/30/14

I wanted to demonstrate to Barb how quickly the topography can change out here, often in a matter of a few miles. Our campground is a perfect place to start, a beautiful spot on the shores of the Snake River, with massive Maple trees, green grass, and what could be classified as an oasis in a desert. So we drove across the Snake River to Clarkston, WA. The second you get past the golf course along US 12, you are in the desert. It is amazing! Brown barren hills, even though this massive river is flowing through, it is ugly, in my opinion.

We did a few errands and then decided to drive down to White Bird, ID, just south of where the Salmon River flows into Hells Canyon & the Snake River. The ride down there is pretty straight forward. First, you follow the Clearwater River for a while and then you turn south on US 93 through the Nez Perce Reservation towards Grangeville. First, you are in the woods, tall trees, sharp hills, rivers flowing through valleys. Then all of a sudden, it is up a steep hill, and on top, it is all agriculture. Wheat, Rape seed, hay and other minor plantings. This goes on for miles. Then just west of Grangeville, you start up another hill through the woods, which follows the Salmon River's descent to the Snake inside the Hells Canyon, which you never see. At the White Bird Hill Summit (that's what the signs say) you are at 4245 elevation. Grangeville is elevation 3400', White Bird is elevation 1581'. So, this hill is pretty amazing. The road up is only 845 over 7 miles, no big deal, it is the ride down to White Bird that is amazing: 2664' down a 7 mile slope, 380' per mile, between 6 & 7%. The new road is cut into the side of the mountain and all kinds of signs to warn truckers to maintain between 25 & 35 mph, it is a serious hill. When you get to the bottom, there is the town of White Bird, pop. 92. It has a creek named after the town, or vice verse, that flows by but not much else. It is a desolate place that gets over 100 degrees very often just south of town while it can be just 75 on top of the hill...I experienced just that on a motorcycle trip in 2005. The climate is seriously different between top & bottom of the hill, and it is just 7 miles apart. Then there is the original road. It goes from downtown White Bird to the top of the hill and it covers more than 7 miles when you count all of the switchbacks...it is an even scarier road than US 95...just ask Barb...she drove them both on Friday. But the ride up has some very awesome views of the valley where White Bird sits, you need to see it to believe it.

We drove back to town and stopped at a place called Roosters, a restaurant on the Snake River after it shifts its course west into Washington. Food was OK, the view was nice, but our site in the campground is probably the prettiest place in town. Tomorrow is another adventure.

Steve & Barb Larson