Friday 8/25/00
Day 8: Grand Coulee Dam, Conconully & Curlew
I
woke up at 6:00 as it was clear skiea and expected to reach 85 degrees today.
I started to walk the trail to the Lake
Lenora Caves that would lead up the basalt rock and overlook the valley.
After about a fifteen walk you would see natural incisions that were about ten
feet high and about six feet deep wher the basal rock had left a natural cave.
I also came to an enclosure of a larger cave that you would have to walk down
into. The indians would live herein the winter to stay warm. It is more interesting
from a geological stand-point as it's commmon sense that people would use this
as shelter during coldl weather.
I
left the caves around 6:00 and would start driving back towards Grand Coulee
Dam. It was a nicer drive in the morning with the sun shining on the rocks across
the lake. I did stop to take a picture of Steamboat
Park as it was quiet and many people were bringing their boats to launch
this morning. There were also nice places to have picnic with ducks swimming
in the lake. The steamboat rock is a large rock that sits right in the middle
of Banks lake. There is a trail that will take you to the plateau on top of
the rock.
Next
are the towns of Electric City and Grand Coulee. As you enter Grand Coulee you
see the Windmill Garden which is at the city park. There are many different
types of windmills all twirling as the wind is blowing. It was a colorful and
intersteing piece of art. I was here last night so I went straight to the visitor
center for Grand Coulee
Dam but it would not open for another thirty minutes. There were squirlls
running around the ground and one was patient enough for me to get a closeup
picture. I did drive over the dam and took a couple pictures, but didn't want
to wait for the visitor centerto open. I continued on state 155 along the Colville
Indian Reservation and would drive into Omak. This was a clean little town with
one main street of business that had many small shops. there is also a newer
part fo town wher there is a Wal-Mart and shopping center off of the highway.
About one mile sourth is also the town of Okanagan
Conconully
was the next little town that was about fifteen miles west as this is a small
resort area. The town is in the middle of a reservior, lake and state
park. Most of the sights looked like they were full at the state park. I
decided to take a back road and try to find the China Wall that was build back
in the early 1900's. This is about 30 ft high and goes on forever and was to
be used for a building mill in the late 1800's. The mill never got completed
but the wall is stil left standing after 100 years with the nickname 'China
Wall'. I first saw this about fifteen years ago when my grandpa took me on backroads
to see it and I've always been curious about it since then. I took Salmon Creek
Rd as this had many nice farms and a creek running beside it. After ten miles
is where the old town of Ruby use to be. Thie was mining area about 100 years
ago and this place was booming. Nothing remains now but a couple signs to explain
the past hisotry.
There
was a gravel road that went up Ruby Hill as it was not real steep but was one
lane overlooking a cliff the whole way. I finally came to a Y intersection of
Bazard Lake Rd that lead to mining areas and Loup Loup Creek Rd, which is where
the China Wall is. Both roads looked like they required 4-wheel drive as it
was steep and still wet in May from melting snow. I decided to turn around and
go back to Conconelly. On my way down I started having porblems in 1st/2nd gear
as it was rumbling and now bouncing up and down. I shifted into drive and kept
the brakes on all the way down and didn't have any futher problems. Once on
Salmon Creek Rd. again I turned left and took another gravel road to Green Lake
and Brown Lake. These were small lakes surrounded by hills and just a couple
houses around them. I had to turn around at Brown Lake as the road was flooded
and I would have got stuck in mud since it wasn't paved.
I
finally got back to Conconnelly and would look for the China Wall some other
day. I continued north and woudl pass Fish Lake, Blue lake and Palmer Lake.
I was almost at the border at a samll town of Nighthawk when I saw an old mining
outfit along the Simlkameen River. There were private property and no tresspasssing
signs all along the propety as it looked like it had been deserted for quite
some time. There were also many old barracks here. I continued on and took the
Loomis-Oroville Rd east and went to Oroville and looked at Osoyoos Lake State
Park. This is the southern part of the lake as the northern part extends into
Canada where there is a large tourism area. This was nothing spectacular as
there was access for boating on the lake here.
I
drove south to Tonasket and then went east on highway 20 towards Republic as
I was still having problems with the truck when I drove in towns, but on the
highway I was ok. I then went N on W Curlew Lake Rd and would drive to the small
town of Curlew. I stopped in the local store in Curlew to get something to drink.
While I was there somebody came in and asked if they could see the chicks in
the back of the store. The cashier called out someobdy's name who then proceeded
to have the customer come to the back of the store. There were also live turkeys
for sale at the front of the store in a cage. It doesn't get much more laid
back country living than this. I continued N to Danvilles and found a small
town that didn't seem like it was worth stopping at. I drove back south on the
east side of Curlew Lake this time and had decided I should get to Spokane tonight
because of the problems with the truck.
I did stop in Republic but everything was pretty much closed down at this time of night. I drove west to Kettle Falls and then S on 395 until I reached Spokane around 10:00. I stayed at Liberty motel on N Division St for $35 and ate at the Tomatoe Street restaurant which had good Italian Appetizers for a reasonable price.
I drove 500 miles today, 2500 total