|
Departing Boise on Day One our ride takes us northwest through Cambridge, Idaho and into the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. We join the Wallowa Loop Mountain Road, a two lane road, full of twisting turns and ride the 40 miles to the Hells Canyon Dam. Stopping at the dam, we take a jet boat ride on the Snake River; the best way to experience the towering cliffs of black and green basalt that form the walls of this famous canyon.
After an exciting jet boat ride, we continue on the Scenic Hells Canyon “Wallowa Mountain Loop Road” to Joseph, Oregon where we spend the evening.
Hells Canyon, North America's deepest river gorge, encompasses a vast and remote region with dramatic changes in elevation, terrain, climate and vegetation. Carved by the great Snake River, Hells Canyon plunges more than a mile below Oregon’s west rim, and 8,000 feet below snowcapped He Devil Peak of Idaho’s Seven Devils Mountains. There are no roads across Hells Canyon’s 10-mile wide expanse, and only three roads that lead to the Snake River between Hells Canyon Dam and the Oregon-Washington boundary. The Hells Canyon National Recreation Area is about a half-day ride northwest of Boise and encompases an area of 652,488 acres of beauty and adventure.
Aside from being known as the deepest river gorge in North America, the area offers scenic vistas of mountain peaks and cascading waters, and glimpses of abundant wildlife in a remote wilderness setting. Prehistoric tribes roamed the area and artifacts from these earlier inhabitants as well as the colorful ruins of early miners and settlers are visible.
The earliest known settlers in Hells Canyon were the Nez Perce tribe, although the Shoshone tribe later called the area home. In 1806, three members of the Lewis and Clark Expedition entered Hells Canyon along the Snake River. However, they turned back without seeing the canyon. It wasn't until 1811 that the Wilson Price Hunt expedition explored Hells Canyon while seeking a shortcut to the Columbia River. Hunger and cold forced them to turn back, as did many explorers who were defeated by the canyon's inaccessibility. There remains no evidence in the canyon of their attempts, except their expedition journals.
The early miners were next to follow. In the 1860s gold was discovered in river bars near Hells Canyon National Recreation Area and miners soon penetrated Hells Canyon. Gold mining was not profitable here and evidence remains of their endeavors visible along the corridor of the Snake River.
Three Hydroelectric Dams on the Snake river in Hells Canyon generate approximately 1150 megawatts of electricity. These dams are the lowest on the Snake river lacking fish ladders of any kind which block native salmon and other fish from migrating upstream. The three dams are the Hells Canyon Dam, Oxbow Dam and the Brownlee Dam.
At Hells Canyon Dam we will take a half-day guided jet boat tour down the Snake River. On the river, look for wildlife including mountain goats, Big Horn sheep and bald eagles. The walls of the canyon are like a museum, where pictographs and petroglyphs display evidence of the Indians’ early settlements.
As we continue our ride west we arrive at Joseph, Oregon where we will spend the evening. Originally named Silver Lake and Lake City, in 1880 the city formally named itself for Nez Perce Chief Joseph. The town was deeply affected by the collapse of the timber industry in the 1980’s. However, in 1982 a new industry was born with the opening of Valley Bronze, a fine art bronze foundry. The town continues to prosper and is well known for production of bronze statues.
While in Joseph, we will visit Wallowa Lake; a beautiful lake, located south of town at the foothills of steep, forested mountains; also the burial site of Chief Joseph, leader of the Nez Perce Indians.
|