Northwest Return Travelog #14
Palouse Falls State Park, WA - Sun, 1 Aug 2021. 1pm.

I generally plan trips around "anchor" activities. I find one or two things I really want to do. They form the basis of the trip; they anchor it place. Then I plan other activities around them. Sometimes I trust that I'll find other activities once I get there. For ( Read more... )

Northwest Return Travelog #13
Clarkston, WA - Sun, 1 Aug 2021. 9am.

We got back to Clarkston after 5 yesterday afternoon. It turns out we left Chief Joseph Days in Joseph, OR just in time. We felt a few sprinkles of rain as we walked backed to our car. Before we were 5 miles away it started raining harder. I'm glad we decided to come back here for ( Read more... )

Northwest Return Travelog #12
Joseph, OR - Sat, 31 Jul 2021. 3:30pm.

On our way back to our hotel in Clarkston we stopped in Joseph, Oregon to see Chief Joseph Days... or at least what's left of it. "Chief Joseph Days" is a week long western fair "Always the last week of July" as signs in Joseph proclaim. Well, today's the last day of July, so yeah ( Read more... )

Northwest Return Travelog #11
Atop Mt. Howard, OR - Sat, 31 Jul 2021. 2pm.

I'm sure for some people who ride the Wallowa Lake Tram to the top of Mt. Howard it's a matter of ride the tram up, eat some food at the cafe at the top, maybe waddle around a bit, then ride the tram back down. Not us. We're there to hike!

Fortunately with the tram doing a lot ( Read more... )

Northwest Return Travelog #10
Atop Mt. Howard, OR - Sat, 31 Jul 2021. 12:30pm.

"This would be a lot easier if they put in an escalator," I occasionally quip to passers-by on tough uphill hikes. Well, in a few places they have. ...Well, not literally an escalator, but an equally effort saving thing: a tram lift. There's a tram to the top of Mt. Howard ( Read more... )

Northwest Return Travelog #9
At the hotel in Clarkston, WA - Sat, 31 Jul 2021. 9am.

We're ready to begin Day 2 of our Inland Northwest trip and... Ugh. It's going to be another hot one today, with temperatures up to 110° F here in Clarkston and sooty, gray skies caused by wildfires burning... pretty much everywhere in the region. And to think- we ( Read more... )

Northwest Return Travelog #7
Moscow, ID - Fri, 30 Jul 2021. 5:30pm.

This afternoon we took a slight detour on the way back from hiking Elk Creek. Instead of retracting our route directly back to Clarkston we angled due west for a while to the town of Moscow, Idaho. There was a gem shop Hawk wanted to visit there, and it seemed like a good place to ( Read more... )

Northwest Return Travelog #6
Elk Creek, ID - Fri, 30 Jul 2021. 2pm.

After visiting Lower Falls on Elk Creek and then Middle Falls you just know there's going to be an Upper Falls. I mean, this is not like American fast food restaurants where there are two sizes, Medium and Large. Sure enough, there is an Upper Falls.


( Read more... )

Northwest Return Travelog #5
Elk Creek, ID - Fri, 30 Jul 2021. 1:15pm.

After visiting Lower Falls on Elk Creek we huffed and puffed back up the trail spur and continued the main loop on the way toward Middle Falls. As the water flows, Middle Falls are just upstream and around the bend from Lower Falls. For we land animals who don't want to trek ( Read more... )

Northwest Return Travelog #4
Elk Creek, ID - Fri, 30 Jul 2021. 12:05pm.

Once we arrived at the lower falls on Elk Creek (see previous blog) we stayed for a while. For one, it was hot out- temperatures registered near 100° F (37.5° C) when we started- and we'd need to rest up before climbing back up out of the canyon. Two, it was stinkin' beautiful ( Read more... )