Crossing Idaho

The threat of a nasty windstorm kept us in Bend a day longer than intended. It blew through eastern Oregon on May 3 with 60 mph gusts. The following day was clear and relatively calm, so we packed up and headed east toward Idaho on Highway 20.

We went as far as Burns, Oregon, on May 4 and set up camp at a small RV park at the edge of town. We unhooked the Honda and immediately discovered that the battery was dead. Fortunately, the park’s handyman gave us a quick jump so Ron could drive into town and have the battery tested at the local Les Schwab store. The battery had some serious cell problems, so we now have a new one.

Burns was a major decision point. Should we venture south through the scenic wilderness to Winnemucca and across northern Nevada? Or, should we take the shorter and easier route to Utah through southern Idaho? Cold snowy weather forecasts pointed us toward the Idaho route, so we continued east on lonesome Highway 20.

This part of Oregon is sparsely populated and beautiful in its own natural way. Stinkingwater Pass (4,800 ft.) and Drinkwater Pass took us over minor ridges to wide valleys of sage, grasslands, occasional crops and herds of cattle and horses . . . something interesting around every turn. Some small towns that appeared on our map failed to materialize. The town of Harney evaporated and is now a former town site. We blinked and totally missed Buchanan and Juntura. We pulled off the road at Brothers for a quick sandwich. It consists of the Stage Stop and a handful of buildings that have seen better days.

The prettiest part of this drive was along the Malheur River as it flowed through a long winding canyon nearly to the town of Vale. As we approached Vale, dark clouds closed in and snow began to fall. Yup, snow . . . in May. Since it was springtime in most places, we weren’t too concerned. But, the snow came down harder and soon it was sticking on the highway and our windshield. Before we knew it, we were creeping along in a full blown blizzard.

Fortunately, the blizzard didn’t last long. By the time we got to Vale, it was over. It was May 5, so we ducked into Chabelitas Taqueria in downtown Vale and had an excellent Cinco de Mayo lunch and cold mug of Tecate. From Vale, it was a short drive to I-84 and Idaho. We passed through Boise and continued on to the small town of Glenn’s Ferry where we checked into Three Island Crossing State Park on the banks of the Snake River.

The significance of the three islands is that they provided a way for wagon trains on the Oregon Trail to cross the Snake River and continue on to Fort Boise. The river was large and fast. It was a major barrier to the settlers and there were very few good places to cross. An interpretive center at the park told the story of the crossing and the local section of the Oregon Trail.

Around 1850 the Oregon Trail was like a freeway for settlers. As many as 55,000 people followed it west in one year. The local Indian residents weren’t too thrilled about that but couldn’t do much to stop the flow.  A portion of the Oregon Trail was etched into the side of the hills leading down to the river. It can still be seen clearly and looks like a road cut in the photo below.

Much later, a guy named Gus Glenn established a ferry business at this location and the town became known as Glenn’s Ferry.

We took an afternoon drive to a local ridge top to get a good view of the three islands, the river and the valley.

The state park had some nice trails along the river that we shared with a family of deer.

Next stop . . . Utah!