River Of No Return

The Salmon River in central Idaho is a special place for me. It’s part of a scenic byway that we’ve been on twice before on the way to Montana. However, this is the first time we’ve camped on the river. It’s gentle in this part, but the water is deep and fast flowing this time of year. The campground here is exceptionally well maintained. It’s very clean and there’s even a fence to protect little kids from falling in the river. From the looks of it, anyone under the age of ten wouldn’t have a chance in that water.

Downstream from where we camped, the river enters a deep canyon with huge rapids for many miles. When Lewis and Clark came through this area in 1805 their Shoshone hosts basically said: “Dude, only go down this river if you don’t mind dying.” Despite their impatience to reach the Pacific Ocean before winter set in, the party made the wise choice and retreated back over Lost Trail Pass, down through the Bitterroot Valley, over Lolo Pass in an early snowstorm, and west via the Clearwater River. Nobody got hurt.

Old Horses

Idaho’s Hagerman Fossil Beds, located by the Snake River, is an interesting place. It’s the site of the oldest horse fossils (about 4 million years old) in the world. They’re not exactly the same as a modern horse, but close enough.

I used to be involved in the TROTR program in Woodland when I was a teenager. I learned how to take care of and make friends with horses on a ranch. It was fun and I still have the t-shirt.