Places Visited:
Idaho: A drive from Kamiah to
Nezperce then south to Grangeville through the heart of the Camas Prairie
June 23, 2007.
We are staying at mountain View MH & RV Park in Grangeville. It is a PPA park $14 for FHU, cable & wifi. It isn't a resort but we had shade and a nice large site in a clean environment 208-983-2328. If you are looking for a "Resort" Christmas tree RV-Resort is on US 95 less than a mile from the middle of town.
We were in Kamiah when we decided to drive to Nezperce. There are two ways to get there one via SR 64 the other west on the "truck route" SR 162 (the woosie road). SR 64 starts out paved then a series of signs warn of narrow, twisting, gravel for 7 miles. That was the "exciting" part of the drive, along the side of a steep mountain hugging the side of a roadcut wondering what was going to happen if we met an 18-wheeler in oncoming traffic. As it turns out we did meet two vehicles but thankfully not 18-wheelers. As it turns out both vehicles were cautions. Thankfully, for Joyce we were on the inside next to the road cut. I think Joyce would have lost it if we would have been on the outside. Note that there are no pictures of this portion of the drive.
Joyce finally regained her composure, when the road widened, and started taking pictures.
Along this section the road is wide enough to easily pass another vehicle and the road on the downhill side is not so steep. While the downhill side is not so steep it falls for what seems like forever.
At one place the roadcut consisted of this "crazed" (my term) lava rock. I am familiar with several different varieties of lava but not this "crazed" or jagged look. Does anyone want to explain what causes this look?
This is a closeup of that form of lava flow.
Around one last corner we topped out on a wide plateau that quickly became a high prairie. At this altitude cattle were grazing in lush grass.
Then as if a we were watching a movie where the scene changes -----the scene in front of us changed. Lush grain covered rolling hills spread out before us on that plateau-prairie. The scene was beautiful. Literature says that this area grows a lot of oats so I guess the grain is oats. That is a hay field with large round bales of hay in the center of this picture. We are on the extreme eastern side of the Camas Prairie noted in Lewis and Clark journals. From here the prairie dipps to the west and spreads out the the north and south.
This is a grain field to the horizon. Printed information indicates the predominant grain grown here is oats. Whatever, thousands of acres are under cultivation.
We are stunned at how green these fields are --- with no apparent irrigation.
In the small uncultivated areas large wild rose bushes present a beautiful site.
Can you tell what kind of grain this is?
As we get closer to Nezperce we notice a field holding about 50 of these Jacklin Seed Co. trailers.
One field of beans covered a large field all the way to the horizon. I wonder what kind of bean this is.
Like I said that field of beans stretched to the horizon.
In case you are interested, Nezperce had a nice city operated RV-Park.
Huge grain processing facilities like these huddle in one corner of Nezperce.
This picture does not do this building justice since I had to reduce it in size. It is a huge building.
Two farm equipment dealers had sales lots in town, this is the harvesters Case was offering.
Not far from Nezperce many things happened that were recorded in the Lewis and Clark journals. Not far from here is where the group spent several weeks waiting for snow to melt in the high Bitterroots so they could continue their journey home in 1806.
Note the size of this silo as compared to that Jacklin Seed Company trailer. These silos are part of the silo complex in Nezperce
Out of Nezperce we headed back to Grangeville on SR 162. As we reach the city limit sign this beautiful field of yellow canola came into view.
That may have been our first introduction to canola but it wasn't to be our last. In this area is seems like every third field is planted in canola.
The bright yellow fields are stunning beautifully.
We see no irrigation but do not understand why this field is so lush while the surrounding ground is brown and not nearly so lush.
This picture captures the stunning contrast between lush fields of grain and canola.
Until next time remember how good life is.
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Mike & Joyce Hendrix
mikehendrix@isp.com