Lemhi Pass

Today was amazing.  I know I sound like a broken record, but it will be hard to describe just how beautiful today was and how many historically significant places we visited.  We left bright and early this morning and our first stop was Beaverhead Rock State Monument.

Sacajawea recognized this landmark and told the captains that her people, the Shoshonis, would be camped not far beyond.

Our next stop was Camp Fortunate.  Camp Fortunate is the site of my favorite story I tell to my students each year.  As the captains were meeting with the Shoshoni to try to get horses from them, Sacajawea recognizes the chief as her brother Cameahwait who she had not seen since she was kidnapped as a child.  That relationship sealed the help the Shoshonis would give the Corps of Discovery.  The  exact location is now under the Clark Canyon Reservoir.

The exact location would be directly behind this marker under the water.  

As we left Camp Fortunate we headed across the Continental Divide at Lehmi Pass.  I have been looking forward to this drive for months and it did not disappoint!  We were on a 2 lane gravel road for 12 miles through ranches before we started our 24 mile drive on a one lane gravel road up and over the pass.  The scenery is spectacular and we drove for miles seeing the same sights Lewis and Clark would have seen.  The gravel road is built on the horse path the Shoshoni Indians used to cross the pass many years ago.  The weather was amazing.  We didn't see a cloud in the sky all day long and we don't have blue skys in Indiana like they do in the west.

Here we are at the entrance to Lemhi Pass.  Take time to ask Terry how he got to the sign before the camera took the picture - good thing it doesn't show how hard he was breathing!

This is the view from the top of Lemhi Pass at the Continental Divide.

I read before we left that early July was the best time to see the wild flowers in bloom through the pass.  The flowers were everywhere!  It was beautiful to see all the hillsides covered in all colors of flowers.

The flowers were beautiful and that's what the sky has looked like all day long!

At the end of Lemhi Pass as you come out of the mountains, there is a natural hot springs called Sharkey's Hot Springs.  It's two small pools that are fed by the hot springs.  It was definitely hotter than a hot tub would be but felt wonderful.  We were sitting in a natural hot springs on the base of a mountain with a beautiful blue sky above us, wild flowers all around us and no other humans in sight - Bonus!

We are in Salmon, Idaho tonight and the Sacajawea Interpretive Center is located here.  That was our last stop this afternoon.  We have been so blessed when visiting the Interpretive Centers and today was no exception.  A local author and historian, Mike Crosby, was doing a talk this afternoon at the center and we stayed to listen to him.  He was so knowledgable about the Corps of Discovery and especially the contact with the Shoshoni - a great storyteller too!  The ladies working at the Center made us feel so welcome and it is a lovely place.  I have several new stories to tell next year!

Now we're back in our hotel getting ready for tomorrow's white water rafting on the Salmon River.  Our hotel is right on the river and we have our patio door open listening to the water rush by.  Here's my view as I'm writing tonight!

I could get used to this!  I'm sure we'll leave the door open and listen to this all night!