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Published: July 19th 2017
After a thrilling Independence Day, I left the Hells Canyon Jet Boat Trips and RV Park in White Bird ID for the Chewelah Golf & Country Club RV Park in Chewelah WA on July 5, 2017. I had been told on the jet boat trip that the hill north of White Bird was a monstrosity. Just north of White Bird, I started the treeless ascent. The modern, multi-lane highway climbs 2,700 feet for 7 miles at an average gradient of over 7% to White Bird Hill Summit (elevation 4,245 feet). My information was spot on, but White Bird Hill was no match for the new Ram powerplant! My on-board computer, however, displayed fuel mileage in the 3.x miles per gallon range during the climb!
I had set my GPS to take me over as many scenic roads as practical via Orofino ID (US 95, ID 13 & US 12), Lewiston ID (US 12), Coeur d’Alene ID (US 95), Spokane WA (I-90) and, finally, Chewelah (US 395). About half the drive was treeless and half heavily forested. For a good part of the forested portion, I was accompanied by a babbling or serene waterway of some sort. Just east or Lewiston,
How Disappointing – I Stopped to Smell the Roses!
Scenic Drive #1 - Springdale, Hunters, Kettle Falls, Tiger, Newport & Deer Park WAI turned north on US 95 from US 12 toward Coeur d’Alene. Very shortly, 4 miles north of Lewiston, I encountered Lewiston Hill, a first cousin to White Bird Hill. Like White Bird Hill, the maximum grade is 7%, but the hill is only a mere 6 miles long. Again, the diesel performed flawlessly, and the fuel mileage sucked. My arrival at the RV park went without incident save the compromised fuel mileage numbers!
With only three full days in Chewelah and some domestic chores looming, I opted to spend my first day as Mr. Domestic and then to spend two days journeying over some eastern Washington scenic byways. On Friday, July 7, 2017, I began Scenic Drive #1 by heading south from Chewelah on US 395 for only a few miles until it intersected with WA 231 westbound toward Springdale. Just short of Springdale, I turned toward Hunters WA on the Springdale-Hunters Road. Near Hunters, I turned north on WA 25 toward Kettle Falls WA and then east on WA 20 to Tiger WA where, still on WA 20, I turned south. I continued south on WA 20 until I turned west on Deer Park-Milan Road, toward Deer
The Brief Bios Give a Life to the Face
Kettle Falls Historical Center - Kettle Falls WA Park WA. There I caught US 395 north and returned to Chewelah.
I made a stop at the
Kettle Falls Historical Center in Kettle Falls. Yes, folks, there is a Kettle Falls; however, it should be renamed Kettle Lake. When the Grand Coulee Dam impeded the flow of the Columbia River, the backwaters covered the falls. The museum focuses on the native peoples of the area but touches on some aspects of the early white settlers, and a special exhibit has 20-25 quilts on display. Several nicely done murals depict historic lifestyles, and exhibits, such as the fish preservation area, are enlightening. I found the basket weaving exhibit and the tanned furs display, complete with a key for identification purposes, particularly interesting.
Another display I found quite interesting has photos and short biographies of the Coleville Confederated Tribes chiefs. In 1872, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation was formed by executive order under President Ulysses S. Grant. The Confederate Tribes consist of twelve individual tribes – the Arrow Lakes, Chelan, Colville, Entiat, Nespelem, Okanagan, Methow, Moses-Columbia, Nez Perce, Palus, San Poil and Wenatchee – who inhabited most of what is now eastern Washington and parts of British Columbia, Idaho, and
Crystal Falls Is Not Spectacular but Makes for A Nice “Stretch Your Legs” Pause
Scenic Drive #1 - Springdale, Hunters, Kettle Falls, Tiger, Newport & Deer Park WA Oregon. Although miniscule by comparison, the large reservation area originally included a wide variety of habitats and natural resources conducive to sustaining the Natives’ traditional lifestyle; however, the initial reservation boundaries were quickly diminished. Some of the best lands were excluded from the reservation to be made available for settlement by European Americans. Sound familiar? I’ll recommend those passing by on WA 20 make a 30-minute “learn something while you stretch your legs” stop.
After visiting the museum, I resumed my eastward journey on WA 20 along the Little Pend Oreille River. About 15 miles east of Colville, I happened upon
Crystal Falls. This nice 30-foot, roadside waterfall has a parking area and is worth a brief stop. In Tiger, I headed south on WA 20 – part of the
International Selkirk Loop. The complete International Selkirk Loop is a 280-mile scenic drive encircling the Selkirk Mountain Range in northeastern Washington, northern Idaho and southern British Columbia. A very nice drive if I say so myself. Just north of Cusick on WA 20, I saw a sigh for a rest area and decided to take a preemptive potty break. In the rest area, I discovered an uncharted diamond in the rough. The
I Guess the Columbia River Lies Somewhere Beneath Lake Roosevelt!
Scenic Drive #1 - Springdale, Hunters, Kettle Falls, Tiger, Newport & Deer Park WA Kalispel Tribe of Indians had constructed the rest area in 2013 and had incorporated a cultural center into the facility. This VERY small addendum makes the restrooms the main attraction. After a short, unanticipated learning break, I continued south on WA 20 until I turned west on Deer Park-Milan Road, toward Deer Park WA. There I caught US 395 north and returned to Chewelah. The day held some anticipated moments, but most were complete surprises.
On Saturday, July 8, 2017, I set out on Scenic Drive #2. I began northbound on US 395 from Chewelah until I turned west on the Addy-Gifford Road to Gifford WA. In Gifford, I took the ferry across the Columbia River to Inchelium WA where I proceeded westerly on the Bridge Creek Road. When I encountered US 21, I turned north toward Republic WA. In Republic, I turned east on WA 20, the
Sherman Pass Scenic Byway, and then south on the Inchelium Highway back to Inchelium. I reboarded the ferry but turned south on WA 26 in Gifford bound for Enterprise WA. After missing my turn, I ended up driving to Davenport WA on WA 25, northbound
through Ford WA and, staying on WA 231, continued
I Am Amazed at How Quickly the Wildlands Recover
Scenic Drive #2 - Inchelium, Republic, Gifford, Davenport & Ford WA to its intersection with US 395. On US 395, I headed north to Chewelah.
I think all ferries are a hoot, and the
Gifford-Inchelium Ferry (free and part of the Washington Department of Transportation) is no different. As I approached the ferry dock in Gifford from the north, I saw the ferry approaching the dock from the west; and, going eastbound, the westbound cars on the roadway several hundred yards from the river were a clue the ferry might be unloading. Even though a round trip for the ferry is only thirty minutes, I hoped I would arrive before its departure. I did. Timing is everything!
The Sherman Pass Scenic Byway is a very picturesque, 35-mile route between Republic and Kettle Falls on WA 20 that traverses, ta dah, Sherman Pass – Washington's highest mountain pass. Some areas remind the traveler of the mammoth forest fires that devastated the area in days past but also assure us the forest is a tough hombre that will rejuvenate quickly. Near Sherman Pass, I pulled off at a very nice picnic area, made use of the restroom and walked the 1/2 -mile or so loop complete with placards about the wildfire/ecosystem interface.
Babbling Brooks Abound
Scenic Drive #2 - Inchelium, Republic, Gifford, Davenport & Ford WA A nice stop for those with extra time, a need to stretch their legs or to relax their bladder.
I noted earlier that I had missed my turn near Enterprise WA. I had planned to turn eastbound onto a very winding, serpentine road just south of Enterprise and drive to Ford; however, I never spotted my turnoff. Later examination (the zoom feature in Google Maps is phenomenal) revealed the road I was planning to take, Old Highway 22 or McCoy Lake Road, does not intersect WA 25, but rather intersects with West End Road which DOES intersect WA 25. This failure to perform meticulous homework resulted in an extra 70 “probably-not-as-scenic” miles and 1 hour and 15 minutes of bonus sightseeing time AND an opportunity to devour the view from atop a bluff overlooking the confluence of the Columbia and Spokane Rivers in Miles WA.
I had a nice time in Chewelah, ate a couple of nice dinners at Mondo's Italian Café and saw some extraordinary scenery. I find scenic byways much more relaxing if I have only the truck to navigate and am not dragging along the “house.” A different conversation can be had about stopping for
Confluence of the Columbia (R) and Spokane (L) Rivers near Miles WA
Scenic Drive #2 - Inchelium, Republic, Gifford, Davenport & Ford WA a photographic opportunity – a whole lot more practical without the fifth-wheel. East central Washington is not a destination for the average tourist but is a worthy base of operations for those who want to spend some relaxing time exploring some scenic byways or for those fishermen who want a change of pace from Lake Roosevelt. I’ll let my photographs help you decide.
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