Northern Idaho, Western Montana - July 2-4, 2007 (Re-run)

 Leaving Washington on our way to Glacier National Park, we passed through some interesting places in Idaho and Western Montana.  Our first stop was in a small village called Hope, population about 85.  Hope is but one of several towns located on Lake Pend Oreille, the largest and deepest lake in Idaho.  At 1158 feet deep, it is fifth deepest of all lakes in America.  With 111 miles of shoreline, the people who live or visit the lake will tell you it's an outdoor paradise.  Rainbow trout commonly exceed 20 pounds, and there are numerous other fish species, as well.  Wildlife is also plentiful.

 

 

With slightly more than 500 people, Clark Fork is a larger town, situated on the Clark Fork River not far from Lake Pend Oreille.  Yes, the Lewis and Clark expedition came through here while exploring the Louisiana Purchase in 1805.

Farther north, the "city" of Bonners Ferry has more than 2500 residents, making it the largest community in the area.  Originally, a ferry across the Kootenai River enabled gold seekers to quickly reach the gold field in British Columbia in the 1860s.  Later, local mines and lumbering helped develop the community. These days, farming and outdoor recreation are the mainstays of the economy.

Once in Montana, we stopped to revisit the beautiful Kootenai Falls.  Depending on where you get your information, the river here drops 90, 200 or 300 feet in about a mile.  Whichever is correct, the falls are spectacular as the river is a raging torrent of turquoise water.  A swinging bridge across the river was built in 1937, but has been re-built twice since.  The Kootenai Indians consider this to be the center of their world, a place where they meet spirits who give them direction.