Strictly speaking, this picture might count as a threat to national security. I took it without permission within the Idaho National Laboratories boundaries.
That’s Idaho State Highway 28, AKA Salmon Highway, looking west, back up into the Lemhi Valley. 70F in the valley, 90F on the plains.
A typical scene driving along the Lochsa River on US 12, in north-central Idaho.
I arrived at Canyon Creek too late for good pictures.
Canyon Creek is a tiny tributary of the Lochsa, and is where the Kooksia Internment Camp was located, in this little tiny valley.
Nothing remains to tell the tale, obviously. Just under 300 Americans of Japanese descent were housed in this lovely place, in a prison work camp between 1942 and 1945. They built sections of US 12, perhaps the section you see in the first picture above. This tale is not told ANYWHERE along the way. There’s plenty of Lewis and Clark stuff, and some Nez Perce war stuff, but nothing about the prison camp.
History flows away like water.
I didn’t camp there. I was going to camp at the nearby Apgar Forest Service Campsite and go back to Canyon Creek in the morning, but it was full. By the time I got to another campsite, I was 40 miles away. I ended up at Wilderness Gateway Campsite.
And that experience is a whole other ‘blog, for which I might just have to start putting people on my protected list. 
The confluence of the mighty Snake and the Clearwater Rivers:
They’re both pretty big, so it’s hard to get a shot of both. The Clearwater is to the right and joins the mighty Snake which flows from the lower left to the upper left. You can see a tiny corner of Clarkston, WA, for the Snake to flow around. I’m taking the picture from Lewiston, ID.
At this same spot is (of course) a Lewis and Clark interpretive site, with this marker:
Note that the marker is on the south side of the Clearwater river, rather than the north side of the Snake.
You can also see a shipping vessel on the far bank; since the mighty Snake and the Columbia below it have been dammed, Lewiston is Idaho’s inland port.
More stuff at the interpretive site… This sculpture:
At first I wondered why Sacajawea was depicted as melded into a wall. But then it turns out she’s the earth mother. The sides depict nature scenes with wildlife. She has a fountain flowing out of her hands and into the pool in front of her.
I’m writing some stuff, but it’s mostly not for public consumption. However, here’s some stuff I saw:
WA highway 261, near Palouse Falls:
Palouse Falls, did you say?
I bet Palouse Falls are on the Palouse river. And I bet there’s a gorge that it falls into:
So why do they call it the Palouse?
Note to self: Need circular polarizer big enough for new lens.
And, of course, the one I posted earlier:
Lookout! Bigfoot!
The Lolo Pass rest area has wi-fi. It’s also made of logs, as you can see.
Their wi-fi connects over dialup, so only one picture:
The palouse is an area of eastern Washington and into Idaho. It looks like this no matter where you go. It’s like if the Teletubbies were farmers.
Later tonight, I’ll be starting up the van, pulling out the driveway, and heading for the Texas gulf coast via Colorado.
I want to make a note of the route I’m taking, because, well, it’s better for others to know. You know?
So: Seattle, Ellensburg, Washtucna (that’s what it’s called), Starbuck, Clarkston, Lewiston, Kooskia, Weir Creek (hot springs), Lolo, Missoula, Lost Trail (pass), Salmon, Sharkey (hot springs), Leadore, Mud Lake, Idaho Falls, Chubbuck, Malad City, Tremonton, Ogden (Red Roof Inn, if history is a guide), Henefer, Echo (what?), Evanston, Lyman, Little America, Green River (see also), Point Of Rocks (census designated place), Wamsutter, Sinclair, Rock River (windfarm), Laramie, Livermore, Fort Collins, Lafayette.
And that’s enough for a while.
Dreams Across America, wherein immigrants take the ‘Dream Train’ and go to rallies to talk about the real experience of immigration, and hopefully raise issues having to do with sane and humane immigration policy.
David Neiwert is going, naturally, so keep up with it.
Why do I like the band The Books? In no small part because I just heard the guy sing, “He was pleased to find his road trip was enhanced by number-color synasthesia.”
Profoundly disgusting poop joke.
Update: No, it’s really funny. Seriously.
