A Drive Around Hayden Lake

 Today we took the 40 mile drive all around Hayden Lake. The sun was shining, and spring is bursting out all over, albeit a little late this year. New colts are part of the spring awakening, always so cute and curious!

 Hayden Lake is just north of Coeur d'Alene, off highway 95. This whole region is heavily forested and incredibly beautiful. Wild flowers are blooming everywhere.

 We caught many glimpses of the water, but like several of the lakes in this region, houses are built on the shores and signs are posted "No Trespassing" and, "Private Property". We encountered only one public access point along the 40 mile route, but hopefully there are others somewhere along the way that we didn't see. Whenever we ventured onto a side road we would find more of these signs and would have to turn back. It's kind of sad that such beauty should be enjoyed only by those fortunate enough to be able to acquire land on these lovely shores.

 Always a beauty, and a favorite of mine, the arrow leaf balsam root is abundant here.

 This lady didn't seem to have a care in the world! She posed for several photos, then sauntered across the road behind us. In spite of the heavy forest lining the highway, there are neighborhoods all around, so she is probably used to looky-loos.

The last leg of our trip took us back to downtown Coeur d'Alene. This is a part of the public beach with marinas and docks. In warmer weather I'm sure the water here will be filled with swimmers. Whenever I look across the water at this spot I think about a summer camp I attended when I was 9 or 10. We kids rode a bus from western Washington to Coeur d'Alene. I remember getting off the bus here, walking out on a dock and getting into a power boat when it was my turn, and being wisked across the lake to a rustic camp right on the shore. I wonder if it's still there, 50 plus years later? Ah...childhood memories!

More Exploring, then a Surprise!

 We had doctor appointments in Kellogg, so we decided to combine it with a trip up into the hills. There was an intriguing looking road north of Wallace that went through an old mining town and then along the Coeur d'Alene River, exiting back onto I-90 at Kingston. So, after our appointments we grabbed a quick lunch at McD's, then headed to Wallace to find the road. We climbed for awhile and were treated to this view of the valleys below.

 The old mining town of Murray, partly a ghost town, boasts the Spragpole Restaurant and Mining Museum. The museum was indeed chock full of all kinds of mining memorabilia. We enjoyed very good milkshakes while in the Spragpole, too! If you click to enlarge, you will see a lady of the evening peering out the upstairs window!

 Gold was first discovered near the town of Murray in 1882. A.J. Prichard and his partners came to the Coeur d'Alene from Walla Walla WA, following Mullan's Military Road. The area swelled to 5000 miners, mostly centered in and around Murray. By 1886 the mining activity had shifted elsewhere. Today the mines near the towns of Kellogg and Wallace and others along the I-90 corridor are still producing ore.

Here we photographed one house that has been abandoned for a long time. The rest of Murray was about half a block long with not much evidence of the thriving town it once was.

 And here is our surprise! We were traveling along the Coeur d'Alene River Road, looking at the lush greenery and the swollen river, when suddenly this moose appeared, very close to the road. He, or she, was eating leaves, nonchalantly ignoring passing cars. We stopped and had to honk our horn to get her to look our way. Then she went back to chomping the vegetation. It was my very first moose-sighting, apart from one at Northwest Trek and one in Yellowstone. I expected to see moose in those places, but not along the road here when I only thought I might see a deer.

 We looked for awhile, then turned around and drove back to look again. This moose went about her business, entertaining us even more on a day already filled with the beauty of north Idaho.

Last, the Coeur d'Alene River is gorgeous, even in flood stage as it is here. Very little of it is visible from the freeway, so we were happy to find and explore this area. I never knew this part of Idaho had so many rivers, creeks and lakes, truly a watery paradise! We look forward to many more scenic drives throughout our summer here!

The Mullan Tree

 

As we've worked and lived in Montana, and now Idaho, we've noticed how many places, roads, and at least one town, are named after John Mullan. Mullan is responsible for building the 6oo plus mile road back in the 1850s and 1860s, from Fort Benton in Montana to Walla Walla in Washington. The road was used for all kinds of travelers, and parts of it still exist today. Taking a drive on a mountain road which came out on the freeway, we discovered a sign pointing to the Mullan Tree. We just had to see what it was!

At the parking lot we found a trail leading to parts of what was once the original Mullan Road. Here is Mr. Keith finishing his soda as he looks down the road. John Mullan, an army engineer, led the construction party of soldiers and civilians who built this road. Parts of I-90 still follow Mullan's road. The original route was marked with the letters "M. R." on posts, trees and rocks. The "M.R." stood for "military road", but it has always been referred to as "the Mullan Road."

The Mullan Tree was inscribed with "M. R. July 4 1861" by Lt. John Mullan's road crew during the construction of the military road.  His crew celebrated July 4th at the summit, chopping the date into a great white pine which probably looked like this ancient tree beside the monument. The tree was the last surviving mile marker on the Military Road. Fourth of July Pass, Fourth of July Canyon, and Fourth of July Creek were named for the inscription on this tree.

 The Mullan Tree was about 250 years old when it was blazed in 1861. In 1962 the top of the tree broke off in a windstorm. In 1988 the remains of the blaze were removed for preservation. (Quoted from a sign on the site of the tree.) The tree stump is now housed in a museum in Coeur d'Alene. We loved being in this deep, old growth forest with remnants of deserted roads and the history that took place here.

Little Things

 Our porch up, and our awning out. Now it feels like home!

 (Click to enlarge any of these photos.)

 A walk on a forest trail on a sunny afternoon.

 Soft, delicate, spring wildflowers, some kind of clover.

 Turtles catching some rays, active even amidst the flooding debris.

The pavilion in the tenting area — beautiful reflection, though it means no tent camping till flood waters recede!

A Daring Deed!

 Our anxiously awaited first opportunity to visit the family in Wenatchee finally came. The weather was perfect, and we had 2 days to see the kids and the Valley after a year away. This is Saddle Rock, probably the most notable landmark in the Wenatchee Valley, and seen at the most beautiful time of year, spring-time!

 We've been so excited for our 10 year old granddaughter ever since we learned she had joined the Wenatchee Youth Circus. It's doubtful we can attend an actual performance because of our work schedule, but we did get to go to the practice. There is Natalie, up 30 feet in the air, walking the tight wire for her 3rd or 4th time! We held our collective breaths, amazed at what we were seeing! She showed no fear, did not waver, and made it safely from one end to the other.
(Click to enlarge for a better look.)

 This looked even scarier! The two young men above are seasoned walkers, and had coached Natalie well. Her life was in their hands, and on their shoulders!

 Ta Dah! Half-way there! And they made it!

 http://wenatcheeyouthcircus.com/

 Back down to earth, here is Grannie admiring one of daughter Betsy's backyard chickens.

 And daughter Jessi, with her best friend's son Jakey.

Katy, 13, wouldn't pose for us, so this is the best I could do. She and mom are checking out the camera. I tried to get my son in a photo but that didn't work out. We got to enjoy the whole family at dinnertime, a yummy hotdog barbecue on Betsy's newly decorated patio. We had a wonderful visit with our family in Wenatchee, hopefully to be repeated a few more times this summer.

Hey, Ma! Look at this!

 It's been raining so much here in north Idaho, Mr. Keith decided to put the awning out so we could keep dry when we open our door. He went around back to take the step ladder off where we have it bungie-corded to our RV ladder. This is what he found! Hey, Ma! Look at this! He very carefully put it back so Mama Robin could sit on her eggs once again. It looks like the nest has a nice roof over it to protect it from the rain.

 Our 5th wheel sits right up against the forest in the back of our space. Mama Robin must have thought this looked like the ideal sheltered place to set up housekeeping and baby raising. We had no idea what was going on out there! I'll be sneaking around the back occasionally to have a peek. I imagine we'll be able to hear the peeping from inside if we listen carefully.

On a more serious note — Lake Coeur d'Alene is predicted to rise about 5 feet or more above its normal level, and has already risen half that. This is the view from our campground office, looking down on the tent sites. (Click to enlarge.) The water has covered more than half the sites and will reach nearly to the road that you can see in the photo, just beyond the flower boxes. We're told that doesn't happen very often. The last time was 2008. It's that rain, combined with warmer days melting the snow in the mountains too quickly for it to be absorbed. We look at the geese and ducks swimming around down there, some with babies. They at least are having a good time!

Cataldo Mission

After a week of hard work, we had a beautiful, sunny day to go sight-seeing. My first choice was the Cataldo Mission State Park. If you know Mr. Keith, he likes to go anywhere using back roads. Before we drove into the Mission, which is the oldest building in Idaho, we explored the very small town of Cataldo, and found this lovely photo opportunity up a gravel road. This is a Mennonite Church, reflected beautifully in a pond made by the overflow of the Coeur d'Alene River.

I first visited this site many years ago and have always been fascinated by its story.

In the early part of the 19th century, Coeur d'Alene Indians heard of a neighboring tribe who had powerful medicine men in black robes. Wanting this power themselves, they traveled the long journey east to St. Louis, inviting the "black robes" (Jesuit priests) to live among them. Father DeSmet, and soon Father Ravalli, came and established the mission with the help of the Indians, who did the labor to construct the mission, from 1850-1853. Many became Christians and lived at this site for years. I've always been amazed at how these two priests got around! Many places in Montana also bear their names, for instance, St. Mary's Mission in Stevensville, Montana, the oldest building in Montana, and St. Ignacius Mission on the road to Glacier Park.

The complex sits on a hill right above the Coeur d'Alene River and is beautifully landscaped and preserved. The Parrish House, to the left, has also been restored and is fun to tour. The history of the association and co-operation between the Indians and the Jesuit priests is fascinating. There were no wars fought here!

Father Ravalli must have been a genius, multi-talented and vastly educated. He designed and supervised the building, hand-carved the altar and much of the furnishings, and even painted the art-work. "The Mission of the Sacred Heart was constructed using a technique called "wattle and daub" which involved using large hand-hewn logs latticed with saplings, woven with grass and caked with mud. The resulting walls are up to a foot thick and built without a single nail. The limited materials were used ingeniously to decorate the church. The walls were covered with fabric and painted newspaper, creating the illusion of wallpaper. The main wooden altar was painted to resemble marble; tin cans were shaped to create chandeliers. The blue color of the interior wood is not paint, but a stain made of huckleberries."

Beautiful and amazing!

 

As we stood at the back of the mission complex and looked over the hill we were treated to this lovely picture, the swollen Coeur d'Alene River surrounded by trees just beginning to leaf out, with the snow covered hills in the background. There were wildflowers popping out all over, a warm breeze, sunshine, and a great feeling of God's presence in this place!