Salmon River

Last Sunday we checked off the last of our 'must-do-outings' from our list. It was about time because Fall is almost upon us, and this trip is only do-able in dry conditions.
The weather had been very hot all week, but Sunday we had a day of reprieve, with a cold front coming through and a forecast of only 78F. Perfect!
We drove to Riggins and than up into the mountains through scenic canyons, following the Salmon River on a narrow (but paved) one-lane road.

             

The morning sun reflecting on the river made for beautiful views all the way up, until after 28 miles we arrived at the point where French Creek flows into the Salmon  ..

                                                 

We made our way down to the creek for coffee with (homemade) peach/blackberry-cobbler .. life doesn't get any better than that!                                           

                    

French Creek

From here we turned right and followed French Creek up into the mountains to drive the famous 'finger' switchback grade, so named because from above or on a map they look like fingers ..

It's a one-lane dirt road, rather rocky and full of 'washboard' but otherwise in fairly good shape, and it's where the 'dry' conditions I mentioned before are coming into place, since rain will make this quite a slippery slope ..

                          

After scaling the Secesh summit we continued our way down the other side, where the road was a little better and the scenery more woodsy than the other side, which is a lot more arid.
We passed the hot springs in Burgdorf ... unfortunately, due to the coronavirus, they were closed.

Too bad, it would have been such a wonderful lunch stop, followed by a little soak in those springs ..
Right in front of the springs is this marshy area, it's actually a
wildlife protected area, but no wildlife that day ..

                

After passing Upper Payette Lake ..

                           

                                              .. we finally arrived in McCall ..

We'd been here earlier this year, in February, but it looked a little bit different back than!

We were looking for a 'safe' place to have lunch, preferably somewhere outside, and James came up with the idea of going to the golf course, which most likely would have an outside terrace of sorts ..

We called ahead and they were open but unfortunately it was much cooler there with a hard wind, so we ended up eating inside after all.

Fortunately there were very few people in the dining room. It turned out that wearing a mask is mandatory in McCall, so we joggled one on and off in between eating and drinking.

                 

Of course we than came up with a brilliant idea .. why not go for a round of golf while we were there?

We so happened to have the clubs and shoes in the truck (such a coincidence eh, honey?!) since we golfed in Grangeville the previous day, and there was no 'dress-code', so I was OK in my jeans!

There was a T-time open on the Cedar course (they have 3 nine-hole courses here), although we did get paired with another two-some.
They turned out to be a very friendly mother and her daughter who, for a couple of holes only, were accompanied by a friend of them.

It was a fun little course with some water and even some sand-traps (no such things in Grangeville), and we had a good time!

The weather warmed up considerably, and after our round we could even have a drink on the terrace!

It's about an hour drive back to Lucile from there, but it took us a little longer because the highway at Polk, where that rock-slide came down in July, is still closed for traffic.
We had a 30 minute wait for the pilot-car to show up, to escort us on a detour over the bridge to the other side of the river and back again.

But, all in all, another beautiful sight seeing day! And although it was officially the last one on the list, we'll probably re-do some smaller trips when the fall colors will show up in a few weeks. Hopefully ..



OK, what else? Time for another work update! A fun one this time, because the painting of the ceilings and walls is all done, and the guys have brought in the cabinets from the trailer, and installed them all as well.

They've even hung most of the doors! It really starts to look like something now ..

All those doors still need to be varnished and the cabinets will all get painted, but a start has been made, and I think it already looks great!

Walk-wise, I still manage to get them in fairly early, and I have a little more time now that the guys are starting half an hour later (at 7am), and are having coffee and lunch later too ..

Fall is approaching, and the Mountain Sunflowers are turning into seed-magnets for the little Finches now the flowers have died and the seeds are ripening.

       

They're quite the acrobats trying to get them out ..

We still see a lot of deer, including our resident mama and her babies. 

It's hard to see but those are them as I see them through the window from behind my computer ..

                            

Well, that was all she wrote .. I think ..

Oh, I made a Peach-Blackberry cobbler ... yup, the one we ate there in the picture at French Creek!

With a nice blob of whipped cream (or even without, but why would you), it was delicious!