Day 16-Lowell, ID to Kamiah, ID-31.90 miles

Today was a somewhat of a dilemma. We either ride a rather short route or a very long route with a challenging uphill. We chose the short route followed by a moderate one for the challenging ride. As one can see, our mileage is not high today. We took our time enjoying another river (see the student question below for more information on the river) on our left the entire day. This river is much wider and tamer than yesterday’s Luchsa River. Occasionally we could see and hear whitewater but it was not a constant thing as yesterday. It still is mostly level or downhill for the entire 31 miles, so it was not a challenging day either. We stopped at Lewis-Clark Resort just outside Kamiah and across the road from a Nez Perce Historical Site. Earlier today we crossed into the Nez Perce Indian Reservation. This site depicted the legend of creation from the Nez Perce point of view. The historical site setting was quite fitting for the story and I enjoyed taking the tour.

The resorts in this area are quite complete. This particular one has a pool, hot tub, laundry, café, and even a fishing pond. Not that we could partake in all those amenities. We just enjoyed the pool, hot tub, and café.

When we came to our assigned site this afternoon, on our picnic table sat a baby bird. He was sitting straight up and not afraid of us at all. We sat at the table with it and took some pictures and he never moved. I couldn’t identify it but I could hear a vaguely familiar buzzing from the birds in the trees. Finally, I picked up the bird and started to move it to another table. Immediately the trees above me came to life with that buzzing and I recognized the parent birds as Cedar Waxwings. We have Cedar Waxwings in Indiana but they are not as commonly seen. Anyhow the baby flew away with a stuttering flight and we figured we had seen the last of it. Lo and behold, after supper, we came back to our tent and there he sat again on our picnic table. We watched him for a bit and then Tai picked him up (it just seemed to like to sit in Tai’s hands) and carried him to the next picnic table. Soon he flew, much more skillfully, into a nearby maple tree. The only reminder that he had been there was the deposit he left on the table. Of course, I found it by sticking my hand in it!

-clarkwheel

Student question: At Lowell, ID, we camped at the confluence of the Luchsa River and Selway River. These two come together to form the river we followed to Kamiah. What is the name of the river we followed today? Beware, it has a long name.