Lolo Pass and the Clearwater River

We left Salmon this morning heading to Orofino, Idaho.  Our travels took us north back into Montana to cross the Bitterroot Mountains just where Lewis and Clark crossed.  Once they realized the Salmon River was too swift, they headed north to Lolo Pass.  This was a pass the Nez Perce used to cross the mountains.  Our first stop was at Travelers Rest.  This area is just before the assent up to Lolo Pass.  Lewis and Clark stayed here for several days resting their horses and trying unsuccessfully to find game to prepare to cross the Bitterroot Mountains.

Travelers Rest - they also stopped here on their return trip also.

The geography is so very different on each side of the pass.  We left behind the sage and wild flowers on the east side of the pass and encountered huge pine trees on the western side of the pass once you cross Lolo Summit.

The view from our front window for much of the western side of Lolo Pass.

We stopped just west of the summit for lunch at Lousha.  Terry has been deciding where we eat daily (I know that surprises all of you) but he's on a roll.  We have had wonderful meals and lunch today was no exception.  We ate on the back porch of a wonderful log lodge.

This was our view at lunch and we could hear the water running at the bottom of the hill.

Lewis and Clark were following the Clearwater River down the pass until it would become navigable.  We also followed the river and it was such a beautiful drive again today.

Pretty easy to see why they didn't want to be in canoes in this part of the river !

We have both decided we think Idaho is breathtaking.  We laugh at each other in the car because each turn seems more beautiful than the past.  We could have taken hundreds of pictures that would look much like the one below of the Clearwater River as you descend from Lolo Summit.  What a beautiful drive again today!

The Clearwater River

Our after dinner adventure took us out to Dworshak Dam and Reservoir.  It dams the Clearwater River at Orofino and is the highest straight-axis concrete gravity dam in North America.  Terry loves dams, so I'm sure we will be seeing several as we continue our way to the Pacific!

Dworshak Dam