Ft Spokane US Park Service Campground
A photo of the dam and powerhouse on the Pend Oreille River, the large outlet of Lake Pend Oreille. Eventually the river turns north and joins the Columbia -- but not until it crosses into Canada.
While the falls should have been called Poirier Falls, this plaque not only explains why it was called Albeni Falls but gives a "bird's-eye view" in a drawing of the falls as they looked in 1887. If there was a spot from which all three falls could be viewed simultaneouly, then Albeni Falls rivaled Shoshone Falls on the Snake River at Twin Falls.
Since the dam and powerplant are a U.S. Corps of Engineer project here's another plaque with facts about the operation. [Click once to enlarge; press ESC to return here.]
The Union Pacific Railroad bridge above Albeni Falls. While eating lunch yesterday along Lake Pend Oreille a long train of empty ore carriers headed east towards Montana -- and it wasn't obeying the 65mph speed limit!
A closer look at the dam itself. I'm guessing that all 10 gates are all closed at the same time.
A sunflower-like wildflower similar to mule's ear flowers in the Sierra Nevade of California.
A photo of an arm of Lake Franklin Rossevelt on the Spokane River, which is the outlet of Lake Coeur d'Alene at Post Falls Idaho. (While this and all which follow were taking in Washington, the six photos above were taken just east of the Idaho border.)
A look down Washington SR25 at Lake Roosevelt.
A wheat field on the plain of the Spokane River just upstream from Fort Spokane.
Where there's water, the trees grow -- which is just the opposite of California where most of the forests are in the mountains. And with less water than the Idaho panhandle, the mix is the same, ponderosa pines and Douglas firs, but the percentages are probably 90% pine and 10% fir whereas the wetter parts of the forests around Coeur d'Alene are probably 70% firs and 30% pines.
[Click once to enlarge; press ESC to return here] A brief history of Fort Spokane, established in 1880 in Washington Territory.
The Fort Spokane Guard House, now a Visitor Center for Fort Spokane, which is part of the National Park Service's Lake Roosevelt National Recreational Area.
The fort's quartermaster building, one of the three remaining structures which is still standing.
[Click each of the four photos of plaques once to enlarge; press ESC to return here]
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Links:
- Brief Wikipedia article and photo of Albeni Falls Dam
- HistoryLink.Org article on Fort Spokane
- Lake Roosevelt National Recreational Area
Su 20 May Actual Route: Newport, WA, bd - Milan - Chattaroy - Colbert - Spokane - Airway Hts Walmart
M 21 May Actual Route: Airway Hts Walmart - Reardan - Davenport - Fort Spokane NPS Campground
T 22 May Actual Route: Fort Spokane NPS CG - Creston - Wilbur - Grand Coulee Dam - Spring Canyon CG
W 23 May Route: Spring Canyon CG - Grand Coulee - Steamboat Rock State Park - Sun Lakes State Park
Finding Campgrounds:
- RV Campgrounds from TrailerLifeDirectory.com
- Family Camping Directories from Woodalls.com
- Free campsites website
- Info on finding BLM Campgrounds
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