Checking out Salmon, Idaho

We combined our trip to Sisters, OR with a follow-on week near the Grand Tetons, but since our reservations didn’t exactly coincide, we filled a few days with a stop-over in Salmon, ID. I thought the drive from Sisters to Salmon was a bit too long, so we did a layover in Boise. In the morning, before driving to Salmon, we biked along the Boise River trail. We rode about 20 miles, and apparently could have done more as the trail continues on outside of the city limits to a county park by a lake.

The drive from Boise to Salmon goes through beautiful country, especially the Sawtooth range, but clouds were low enough to obscure most of the peaks. Once we got to the Salmon River valley, we again found ourselves in the midst of heavy smoke from a nearby forest fire. We stayed at the Greyhouse Inn, a comfortable B&B a few miles outside of Salmon. Our room was in a rustic, but appropriately decorated log cabin. My only real complaint was that the wifi signal was nonexistent in our room.

Late blooming flower near Lemhi Pass on the Continental Divide

Since the area around Salmon is exactly where Lewis and Clark first crossed over the continental divide (and then found they couldn’t follow the Salmon River, so had to cross back and head north) we enjoyed driving around and stopping at many of historical signs. One day we headed north through North Fork and on to Big Hole National Battlefield. Another day we crossed over Lemhi Pass and went to Bannack, a rather large ghost town and Montana state park. As we left Salmon and headed to Driggs, we stopped by Gilmore, a mining ghost town that now has lots being sold for development. We also drove up to Meadow Lake (a pretty little lake) to eat our lunch.

Links
Salmon ID 2011 photo gallery

Cascades hike: Tam McArthur Ridge

Yes, we’re going up there.

The hike from Three Creeks Lake up to Tam McArthur Ridge is relatively easy and the views are spectacular. Once gaining the ridge, we like to continue on toward Broken Top. One of these days we will actually be prepared to go as far as the view of the glacial lake at the base of Broken Top.


Once on the ridge, there are clear views of Broken Top and also the Three Sisters. There was a surprising amount of snow still hanging around. Smoke from the fire in nearby Mt. Washington wilderness made everything hazy with a bluish cast.

Broken Top. Lots of snow for September.


Links
Tam McArthur Ridge 2011 photo gallery

Cascades hike: Green Lakes

We did the 9 mile round-trip hike to Green Lakes. This is always an enjoyable, beautiful hike. It’s also very popular. Because of the fire nearby in the Mt. Washington wilderness it was more hazy than normal.

Green Lake and South Sister



Links
Hike to Green Lakes 2011 photo gallery