I woke up on Labor Day morning in Moscow and planned to continue my drive down the panhandle south toward Boise. The drive that day was beautiful, winding through mountains so with views so stunning they would surprise you at every turn.
The drive took me into Nez Perce, which is both a National Park and a Reservation named for a native American tribe that the French thought pierced their noses (they did not). Their name for themselves is Niimíipuu, or people and they lived in an area called the Columbia Basin, which was part of Lewis & Clark’s trail to the Pacific. The staff at the Visitors Center was very friendly, and they let Tamu into the center. This was a good thing because the day had turned very hot, and the trash containers warned of bear.
The guide also suggested that I stop by Clearwater River during my visit, so Tamu and I wandered off to see the Spalding settlement. The Spaldings were Presbyterian missionaries who established a church in two different eras there. Their approach to mission was to stamp out native cultural practices, but they published books in the native language for education for use in teaching and Bible translation. The church they built there in 1871 is still active. Tamu and I visited the cemetery and remains of the Spalding home, which was built with a school in 1836, Idaho’s oldest buildings.
Nearby is Clearwater River, aptly named because the cool water was pristine. I tried to wade in it, but it was uncomfortably cold. Tamu simply lazed at the sand beach and enjoyed the break from the heat and sun. Lewis & Clark had weathered a snow storm during their September visit in 1805, so I had reason not to complain. Eventually, the rush for gold brought settlers to the area in the 1860s, which stymied agreements between the Nez Perce and the federal government.
The next part of the drive took me through the Nez Perce Reservation, which was stark and barren until we arrived in Nez Perce town, which was a tidy grid pattern of streets and buildings. We stopped off at East Kamiah, which is the site of the Nez Perce creation story. A recording is available to listen to the story. It seems that there was a monster, and Coyote killed the monster by being swallowed by it with a knife and cutting his way out. Animals from all over came to help dismember the monster, and those parts were scattered to make the people of the world. At the end, Coyote created the Nez Perce from the blood he washed off his hands. The burial mound contains the monster’s heart.
Labor Day was getting shorter, so we headed back down the road, eventually meeting up with the Salmon River for more stunning views and a beautiful sunset.
At points along the drive, the smell of burning rubber and smoke was heavy, and I learned later that I was probably smelling the effects of wildfires, which were prevalent that summer. Our destination for the night was McCall, where I was promptly stopped by police for speeding about five miles over the limit. Unlike the cop in Washington, the McCall officer declined to ticket me. I have always wondered how much that was due to the Alzheimers Association sweatshirt that I was wearing, which generally brings out kindness in strangers. It is my go to sweatshirt when traveling.