Went for a little drive

[MT Matt]

Funny how you many times don’t see some of the historical things right in your area even though you’ve lived there all your life. So Dawn and I decided to take a drive a couple days ago on a road before it closes for the winter.

Everyone drives I-90 through Montana and Idaho across Lookout Pass. There is another pass north of there near Thompson Falls that has some history, Thompson Pass. Never been across there before.

Needed some groceries so we went to Kellogg, Idaho and tossed some things in a cooler.  Also stopped at Tractor Supply for a couple items.  Went a couple more exits west and then northeast up the Coeur d’ Alene River towards Murray, Idaho.

Crossed some old iron bridges along the way.

Murray, Idaho was a booming gold field in the late 1800s.  Now it’s just barely a small town of rundown buildings. The entire valley is a mess of mine tailings for miles and miles.

Looks like they got every ounce of gold possible.

The last few miles went very steeply up to Thompson Pass. This is Granite Peak and the pass is to the left of it at nearly 7,000 feet.

Someone had installed a pipe along the road if you needed a drink. Ice cold.

The road was steep and windy just below the pass. Winter maintenance stops with the first heavy snow until it melts away in the spring.  Hard to believe wagons made this trip daily to the gold field in Idaho from the end of the rail line in Thompson Falls.

At the top of the pass was this placard with a little history.

We saw a cow moose on the way down in Montana. I wish I could have got a picture of the base of Thompson Falls where the bridge crosses but there was no space to walk on the bridge.  It’s just something you’d have to see when passing over.  We finished the 200 mile loop home with a stop at Quinn’s Hot Springs for dinner. We didn’t see any Bighorn sheep near Thompson Falls on the cliffs but saw plenty of deer and a few elk. It was a nice drive with the fall colors, such as we have in Montana. Thanks for riding along!

[augercreek]

That was a very nice tour!

[naedlaen]

Thanks for the road trip.  I was in that area (Eureeka, Kalispel, through Glacier NP to St. Mary) once upon a time, so had to look at the map to see the roads you drove.  That is definitely you can't get to there from here country compared to the Midwest.  Especially Iowa, where most of the roads run east-west or north-south on the section lines (or half mile).  Square country.  Not that there are not parts that run ridge and valley, but the majority is square.  

Maps says about 40 minutes from Murray to Thompson Falls.  Compared to a full hard day in the 1880's.  I have ridden 25 miles in a day in flatter terrain, and that is tough.  And I am not sure that the reduction in time to travel the distance is truly progress.

After seeing the relief on the map, I have to wonder how you have any flat land as shown in your haying photos.

Neal

[MT Matt]

1 hour ago, naedlaen said:

Thanks for the road trip.  I was in that area (Eureeka, Kalispel, through Glacier NP to St. Mary) once upon a time, so had to look at the map to see the roads you drove.  That is definitely you can't get to there from here country compared to the Midwest.  Especially Iowa, where most of the roads run east-west or north-south on the section lines (or half mile).  Square country.  Not that there are not parts that run ridge and valley, but the majority is square.  

Maps says about 40 minutes from Murray to Thompson Falls.  Compared to a full hard day in the 1880's.  I have ridden 25 miles in a day in flatter terrain, and that is tough.  And I am not sure that the reduction in time to travel the distance is truly progress.

After seeing the relief on the map, I have to wonder how you have any flat land as shown in your haying photos.

Neal

No, you’d better have a good Forest Service map if you want to go out into the mountains to drive around. Most places connect but sometimes are gated to protect the wildlife.  There are walking trails to most any peak also. Just have to want to…

Between myself and one other farmer, we put up hay on just about every possible field within 15 miles of home. So no, not many flat places here and with constant development, less every year. 

[cobfly]

Rode our bikes up that way a few years back. Nice country. Enjoyed Thompson pass. North fork of the Clearwater is nice. Clark fork is quite the river.

[cobfly]

Me too.

[Jacka]

Would absolutely love to drink that water.I was raised here in the east and there were springs like that everywhere in Pennsylvania. Farmers, passerbys,etc.,watered their horses in them.Some had troughs.We had one on a road adjacent  to one of our hay fields. Always went there to drink and people lined up to fill their jugs so they didn't have to drink town water.Now most are closed do to public "health" concerns.My daughter lives in Colombia Falls,visted her once.  Beautiful country,only if I went there when I was younger. 

[cobfly]

The Rocky mountains are a young man's game, unless you're in a vehicle.

[Chester5732]

1 hour ago, Jacka said:

Would absolutely love to drink that water.I was raised here in the east and there were springs like that everywhere in Pennsylvania. Farmers, passerbys,etc.,watered their horses in them.Some had troughs.We had one on a road adjacent  to one of our hay fields. Always went there to drink and people lined up to fill their jugs so they didn't have to drink town water.Now most are closed do to public "health" concerns.My daughter lives in Colombia Falls,visted her once.  Beautiful country,only if I went there when I was younger. 

We had a good one here too. Until the big dairies moved in and sucked the water out of the ground.