September 30
Two wonderful rangers met me at the Nez Perce NHP VC. They provided history of the park and of some of the displays in the museum. With respect to the Nez Perce clothing I saw, if the bead work was in a horizontal flow, then the item was for a woman. Vertical beading would be for a warrior. One of the rangers said there were upwards of 8,000 artifacts in the park’s vault (can only visit with a prearranged reservation), including items from Lewis and Clark of the 1804 Corps of Discovery. They showed me a map of the Lapwai Mission area down the hill from the VC, along the Clearwater River. This was the second location, started in 1838, the first from 1836 being a couple miles inland. The original Indian Agency Cabin from this second site is here, along with the mission’s cemetery (still being used by Nez Perce people today). I can see why the Spaldings picked this site for their mission; it is beautiful.
There are 38 sites associated with this National Park, but they are spread out over a wide swath of the Northwest. The greatest density is within a few miles radius of the VC, so I decided to stay in this area. Two miles down the road is where Fort Lapmai was located, built in 1880. One of its Officer’s Quarters can be viewed. Between the fort and the VC is a sign on US 95 which signifies the location of the previously mentioned first mission. Across the river from the VC is the Ant-Yellowjacket rock formation, a basalt arch. The Nez Perce had great respect for animal life. The two insects were fighting over a sacred fishing site, and were turned to stone by Coyote, a revered animal to the Nez Perce. West of this natural feature, on US 12/95, is the Coyote Fishnet, also a rock formation. Then, up the hill on US 95 is the view of the confluence of the Clearwater River and the Snake River. The sister cities of Lewiston, ID and Clarkston, WA grew up at this spot. For those of you who like to ride jet boats, this is the gateway to Hell’s Gate, a section of the Snake River which gives plenty of thrills. From the confluence viewpoint, you can take the historic Old Spiral Highway. When it was built 100 years ago the road was an engineering marvel. It continues to be Idaho’s windiest road, with plenty of twists and turns, all while your passengers can view the confluence and two cities… the driver had better not be looking at anything except the asphalt.
Three hours later I was at Fort Spokane, one of the focal points of Lake Roosevelt NRA; the other being Grand Coulee Dam. The VC closed for the season on September 3, so I was going to have to wait to reach the Coulee Dam VC to get the Passport Cancellation Stamps. I could only see three buildings of the fort still standing, one being the brick guardhouse, which is now the VC. The fort is situated on a bluff overlooking the Colombia River, its purpose to protect the lands of the native peoples from settlers. This portion of the river is now part of Lake Roosevelt, a body of water stretching 151 miles. One of the goals during the design concept phase was to only submerge land in the United States, not to cover any Canadian land. This meant buying up land to the level of 1,310 feet above sea level, which is where the Canadian land begins. The flow of water through the dam is such that the largest generators at 3,000 tons can be up to speed in less than 12 seconds. Now that is some hefty waterpower.
Eleanor Roosevelt came with Franklin in 1934 when he visited the construction site. She was quoted as saying, “It was a good salesman who sold this to Franklin.” The dam and lake have transformed this section of the country, as well as the country itself. The irrigation system from the lake helps grow crops that travel to all corners of America. And there is plenty of low-cost electricity for residents.
An observation as I was driving across eastern and central Washington. Katherine Lee Bates must have visited this area before writing her famous America the Beautiful poem. The phrase about “amber waves of grain” is appropriate. All I saw was amber field after amber field of wheat. But tonight I am in Chelan, on the eastern side of the Cascade Mountains, which is renowned for its fruits. Between 4 and 5 million boxes a year of apples, pears, and cherries come out of this region. No doubt Grand Coulee Dam plays a part in this business.