The Road Genealogist: Lake Coeur d'Alene

Showing posts with label Lake Coeur d'Alene. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Lake Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

Hayden, Idaho, Library

Looking west from the edge of a high-end hotel on the shore of Lake Coeur d'Alene.

A view to the NW from the bike/hike path along the north shore of Lake Coeur d'Alene.

Panning to the far left, a shot generally toward the east.

[Click once to enlarge; press ESC to return here.]

I drove and walked to this point to see if the end of the lake was visible. Not so!

Key facts about Lake Coeur d'Alene; namely, the lake is at an elevation of 2124', is 32 miles long, has a surface of c50 square miles, and its depth is unknown.

While you can't read the fine print, the map with the hike/bike path along its north shore is helpful.

Before I continued around the lake to the Beauty Creek inlet I took this photo from near the Coeur d'Alene River inlet.

Despite a statement on the USFS Coeur d'Alene National Forest website that the Beauty Creek campground opened on 13 May, I learned from the new CG hosts that it wouldn't open til 18 May. Drove slightly over 5 miles up the paved road to a saddle where I dry-camped (aka boon-docked) for the night.
Not sure what kind of trees these are with clusters of small white blossoms, but perhaps the boys from Idaho Veneer Company can tell me when they see this.

In addition to the trees with blossoms, there are some ponderosa pines (which like dryer west and south slopes) as well as Douglas firs.

A close-up of a cluster of blossoms on the trees with bark that was similar to that of most plum trees.

Yes, tent caterpiggles are everywhere -- not just in your gardens or orchards. Did see an ant with a red body and a black head in the same tree branch with the tent, which has a hole which might account for the lack of wriggling bodies in the left side of the tent.
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Links:

Wikipedia article on Lake Coeur d'Alene
Wikipedia article on the city of Coeur d'Alene
History of the Coeur d'Alene Indian Tribe

Beauty Creek Campground

M 14 May Actual Route: Post Falls Walmart - Idaho Veneer Co - Post Falls Library - Coeur d'Alene - bd 5 mi up Beauty Creek USFS CG Rd

T 15 May Actual Route: bd 5 mi up Beauty Creek USFS CG Rd - Beauty Crk CG - Old Mission State Park - Old Mission Landing - Pinehurst - Cataldo - Kahnderosa RV Park

W 16 May Actual Route: Kahnderosa RV Park - Coeur d'Alene - Hayden Lib - Athol Lib - Farragut State Park

Th 17 May Actual Route: Farragut State Park - Athol Lib - Sandpoint - Ponderay Walmart

F 18 May Actual Route: Ponderay Walmart - Sandpoint Lib - Clark Fork - Big Eddy USFS CG, MT

Sa 19 May Actual Route: Big Eddy USFS CG, MT - Clark Fork, ID - Ponderay - Sandpoint - Priest River - Newport, WA, bd

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 Route: Fort Spokane NPS CG - Creston - Wilbur - Grand Coulee Dam

Finding Campgrounds:

RV Campgrounds from TrailerLifeDirectory.com
Family Camping Directories from Woodalls.com
Free campsites website
Info on finding BLM Campgrounds

N.B. I receive nothing from Trailer Life, Woodalls, or FreeCampsites.net for including links to their free campground lookups.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Lewiston to Moscow to Heyburn State Park

Hawley's Landing, Heyburn State Park, ID

The confluence of the Snake and Clearwater Rivers; the Snake is flowing north directly at you while the Clearwater joins it from the east. Since the two Idaho town at this confluence are named Lewiston and Clarkston you can likely guess who camped here in 1805.

Zooming in, you're looking at Idaho's only seaport (there are eight locks to pass through on the way to Portland) as well as the lowest point in the state at 710'.

Panning right you're looking at the eastern edge of the state of Washington.

Panning left your can see a bridge over the Clearwater toward the south and another across the Snake; I crossed both, the first intentionally and the second when I was in the wrong lane to drive up the Snake (ie., south) to Hells Gate State Park.
You can assume that wherever you see trees, there are also houses -- especially since trees are largely absent from the hills further south.

A large paper plant on the south bank of the Clearwater River; I smelled it before ever seeing it.

While it appears I had too much to drink before I took this photo, the hills become smaller as one drives north from Boise. In fact, from the Grangeville on the Camas Pairie to Moscow and even to Plummer, where I turned east to Heyburn State Park, it's "hill and dale" through newly planted wheat fields. [Don't know where Idaho stands among the spring wheat states such as the Dakotas and Minnestoa, but it's clear the wheat is a major crop in the "Gem State."]

Though the Nez Perce Indians were willing to learn more about the white men's ways, they changed their tunes once gold was discovered and those seeking it claimed their land.

This view reminded me of the drive from Petaluma, California, toward Bodega Bay -- mainly because the rounded hills looked similar.

Here's the bridge to Oscolia, WA, which I was forced to cross.
A young woman was walking her dog on the path you see below next to the river. Felt like yelling, "Smile....You're on Candid Camera," but the angel on my right ear convinced me otherwise.

Looking south along (or up) the Snake River a few miles from Hells Gate State Park.

Houses in or near Asotin, WA, on the Snake River bluff.

Most farmers cut down the ponderoas pines and Douglas firs in order to plant wheat. Clearly, Virgil T. McCrosky "marched to a different drummer."

Hope to visit the Sacred Heart Mission in the Coeur d'Alene area; Father Cataldo also established Gonzaga University in the Spokane area.

The snow-capped Bitterroot Mountains along the Montana/Idaho border from just east of Plummer, Idaho.

Note the small hill in the center of the photo; it was almost certainly given a "haircut" by the first farmers in the area.

This field was not plowed and planted this spring -- though there is some wheat growing here; my guess is that the plants came from spillage during last fall's harvest.

While the map says that Heyburn State Park is at the southern end of Coeur d'Alene Lake, the park's website mentions three different and smaller lakes: Charcolet?, Benwah, & ?. [Think the southern end of Lake Coeur d'Alene is also know as Benwah Lake.]

Because the lake appears to extend to the left at the far end of this view past a railroad bridge, my guess is that this is part of Coeur d'Alen Lake.

Zooming in, the RR bridge appears to be a "swing bridge" rather than a drawbridge. [There are several swing bridges on the Sacramento/San Joaquin delta in California.]
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