To the Top of the World

Clarkston, Washington: Fresh off our triumphant football victory, today we really had an adventure - and just a fabulous day! But first, I promised to show you the RV park and the great bike path along the Snake River in Clarkston.

Granite Lake RV Resort in Clarkston, Washington - front-in sites face Granite Lake


Typical campsites at Granite Lake RV Resort in Clarkston, Washington


The Clubhouse at Granite Lake RV Resort (there is a kitchen too).


The bike path, between our campground and the river


Just down the bike path is a shady park with a boat launch - today Idaho Fish & Game
were scanning any steelhead from the fishermen for microchip tags - very interesting!


The pretty Greenbelt Bike Trail along the Snake River in Clarkston, Washington


I spoke with the owner of this spiffy 1948 Hudson - with a wooden dash and the original upholstery


DT jogs back to our motorhome

Today we took one of the scenic drives recommended by Granite Lake RV Resort. They even provide you with a little map and itinerary! (We had planned to take a Hell's Canyon Jetboat, but every operator only offered 11-hour tours this weekend, and frankly, that was just too long for us - especially in this heat.)

So we packed a little picnic, said goodbye to our new Duck friends, and headed up the Snake River. I wanted to put up a map of our route - but many of the roads we drove today do not show up on maps and most were not available on EITHER of our GPS's!) We left Clarkston and headed south on Highway 129 (6th Street) to Asotin (the bike path that starts near our RV park, ends in Asotin!). In Asotin we left Highway 129 to follow the Snake River Road (County Road 209).

A typical view along the Snake River Road - across the river is Idaho

We stopped to search for Petroglyphs at a Nez Perce Historical Buffalo Eddy Petroglyph Site approximately 14 miles from Asotin. The site is well marked (Historical Site Ahead), with a large parking area and an easy path to the rock art. Informational signs explain the historical site, and there are literally hundreds of drawings to explore.

The trail at Buffalo Eddy National Historic Petroglyph Site
 
Petroglyph (and close-up inset)


Petroglyph (photo by DT)


Buffalo Eddy Petroglyph National Historic Site (photo by DT)


Buffalo Eddy Petroglyph National Historic Site (photo by DT)


The view at Buffalo Eddy

We continued along the Snake River to the bridge, basically the end of the civilized road near the start of the Hells Canyon National Scenic Area past Heller Bar. We did find a small RV park just past Heller Bar with full hook-ups. The road is fine throughout (though a few miles are gravel, it is well-maintained) and there were a few big rigs camped at the No Key RV Park, so anything is possible. There are also huge fields in this area full of RVs - loads of fishermen camp here during the fall fishing season.

So, we reversed our route. But instead of driving straight back to Clarkston, we took a left on Couse Creek Road (about six miles from Asotin) and followed Couse Creek Road through a canyon and then up, up, up to nearly 4000 feet and the top of Montgomery Ridge. (I don't need to mention here that we were driving our tow car today, do I?) We enjoyed our picnic in Fields Springs State Park and then followed 129 back to Clarkston. All-in-all 102 gloriously scenic miles. Here are photos of our afternoon:

Here is the view from the top of Montgomery Ridge. We drove the road at the bottom
of the canyon up the curvy track on the right! What a fantastic vista!

And guess what we ran into at the top of the ridge? A Number One Cowboy driving his cattle (cows with calves) from one field to another - with the help of his trusty steed and two Border Collies. While the cowboy was talking to us, the dogs were jumping up and down - so anxious to get to work!

Let's go round 'em up!


Moving down the road


What are those two city slickers doing here - and why are they taking our photo? (photo by DT)


In the field where they belong (according to the cowboy). (photo by DT)

Notes on the drive: any car/truck can make this drive. (We were in a Honda CRV.) Bring drinking water. There is a restaurant at Heller Bar (8 miles past Rogersburg) operated by Beamer's Jetboat's. Sometimes it is open; sometimes it isn't. Check first, or bring a picnic. Heller Bar is a popular boat launch and fishing area. There are (not very nice) pit toilets at Heller Bar and flush toilets at Fields Springs State Park. We spent nearly five hours on our drive today. We stopped a few times along the river and then for quite a while at the Petroglyph site and again for a picnic at Field Springs State Park. All of the scenery was magnificent - from along the river to massive fields on top of the ridge!

And so we arrived back to our motorhome, tired - but very excited about our adventure. We looked through our photos and I am am afraid too many are on this page today.

Later we went a few blocks to Rooster's Landing - a very popular local watering hole on the lake. Rooster's is famous for an appetizer they call "Kabooms: pepperjack cheese, black olives, sweet red peppers, broccoli, carrots, corn, cream cheese and a dribble of buffalo sauce, stuffed into an egg roll and fried to a crunch with pepper jelly to dip". Our server said they were "Mexican eggrolls". Sounded strange enough that we gave 'em a try.

Kabooms


They weren't bad, they were different. Probably wouldn't order Kabooms again though -
unless I can get my hands on some Lipator.

We needed real food, not Kaboom food. We ordered Gull Wings (chicken wings, eerily similar to Buffalo Wings). The Kabooms were only $6.95 and the wings were $7.50 - Rooster's is very affordable. The bar has televisions showing "the game", the service was good and everyone seemed to be having a good time. Our waiter, Trae (not a typo), is friends/goes to college with Joe, our waiter the other night at the Sycamore Street Grill. Three days in town and we are getting to know the locals.

Gull Wings from Rooster's Landing - very delicious. Crispy outside, meaty inside.


Another blurry restaurant photo

Pedometer: 10,374 steps. A healthy lunch of small, low-fat, organic homemade sandwiches on whole grain bread, and all that exercise - ruined by ten minutes of Mexican eggrolls and chicken wings.

We leave Clarkston tomorrow. Not sure where we are going... just driving out into the Palouse. Until my next update, I remain, your Snake River correspondent.

RV Park: Granite Lake RV Park.