LoLo Creek; On the Nez Perce and Lewis and Clark Trail

     In early September my wife Louise and I traveled a section of the historic Nez Perce and Lewis and Clark Trail, in north central Idaho.  It's also called the LoLo trail and it hugs a high mountain ridge, above the Lochsa River.  The elevation of the much of this trail is around 6,000 feet and the Lochsa River is 5 miles to the south at mere 2,500 feet.  The LoLo trail follows the old Nez Perce Indian trail that has been used over the millennium by the American Indians, traveling from the Palouse country, east to the Great Plains.   The Indians followed this trace to hunt buffalo in the plains country of what now is eastern Montana.   The mountains in this region are incredibly rugged and heavily forested and winters snows hang on well into June some years. 
      Our first camp was on LoLo Creek, which flows to the west and merges with the Clearwater River.  The campground was empty so we had our choice of locations and we found the perfect spot.  Right on the creek.  LoLo Creek is a silver ribbon of painfully cold and clear water, surrounded by old growth forest.  Western Red cedar, western white pine, Douglas fir, and grand fir.  A grand ancient forest.  At our camp there were several rounds of fire wood scattered about.  Western red cedar.  Dry.  Ready to burn.  Splitting maul required, which I just happened to have stowed in my pickup.  The cedar split with ease.  Butterwood.    I soon had a roaring fire that spit fire brands in several feet in every direction.   Like so many  incendiary rounds which were a real nuisance.  I deployed the tent and walked down to the creek, to check out the water hoping to see a 40 pound King Salmon darting up the swift water.  A finned silvery torpedo of muscle and brain, cruising its home waters, after a long trek from the Pacific Ocean, some 400 miles away. There were no fish to be seen. 
     Lewis and Clark traversed this area in 1805 on their way to their coastal wintering area, where they constructed Fort Clatsop on the lower Columbia River.  In 1806 the Corps of Discovery left the coast headed back for the St. Louis Missouri, and camped in this region for more than a month.   The deep snows on the LoLo trail in the Clearwater Mountains and the distant Bitterroot Range kept Lewis and Clark in camp for a month.  The expedition members spent their time trading with the Nez Perce and hunting deer, elk and bear and fishing for salmon and trout. By mid June the snows had melted enough that they were able to cross the Bitterroot Range.  
     We relaxed that evening, and the breeze carried the pleasing smell of spruce and cedar, while LoLo Creek played a symphony; water rushing over pebbles and tumbling over stubborn stone.   The next day we would drive to the east and begin the climb to the main ridge line. There were still several rounds of cedar firewood left the next morning and I smuggled them aboard my truck.          































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