Palouse Falls

[Helen]

We got home last night and we had such fun.  We stopped at my cousin's Kathy and Mike's in Cle Elum yesterday and they took us on a tour of the farms over there right before dusk to watch all the deer that come down from the hills to graze and then we went past a big farm owned by the Nordstrom family; where they grow some very prestigious hay.  We then watched a herd of about 35 Buffalo as they were beginning to hunker down for the night.  Quite amuzing to see they seem to have a pecking order of who gets to settle before who; just as Kathy said they would.  It is a Buffalo farm off Swauk Road and they have a sign out if you want to buy Buffalo meat.  We had Buffalo and wild rice for dinner.  Very tasty!

So since it is still fairly early in the year, here is a view of Palouse Falls as it was Monday, about 80 miles from Cle Elum; on the Snake River.  They say Snoqualmie Falls is 270 and Palouse is under 200 feet; but I could not tell the difference.  Especially in this Grand Canyon like setting.  It was pretty breath taking.  Especially since the look out is on a sheer cliff.  Just on the other side of the fence, there are these marmot like critters climbing around on the cliff walls that some must be feeding; because they seem to be very interested in humans.  They looked like fat squirrels with short tails and it was fun to watch them walking along the walls of the cliff.  At the beginning of the video, just to the left of the top of the falls; there is a rock formation that I pointed out to John and said, "Look at that rock formation, it looks like a castle!".  As leaving we read the plaque.  Guess what that formation is called?  (Sorry, the video doesn't do it justice).

Palouse Falls

[lanny]

---Very spectacular! Sounds like a fun trip. It sure is nice to get away from things now and then.
Lanny

[Helen]

Very much Lanny.  We really wanted to stay away longer.  Family events took us to Pasco Sunday, but we wanted to see The Palouse since we were that far out and the falls are actually just the west end of the great Palouse.  It is the wide expanse of farmland in Southeast Washington State that extends into Idaho and Oregon and I recommend anyone who can; go and see it.  Right now, the fields are full of dark green, foot tall stalks of wheat which were beautiful, but about the end of August they will be twice as tall and bright amber; ready for harvest.  Miles and miles of rolling fields of grain.  They are the patchwork looking farms you see when you fly over our state and they are on soft rolling hills that are so pleasing to the eye.  We plan on going back on our way to Flathead lake Montana; sometime late in August and this time we’ll drive all the way through Pullman and see as much as we can.  I can hardly wait!

This video has some comments from Obama and I’m unsure what that is about; but there are some great photos of the Palouse to see. 

There is a field...

The video's web site has more very nice photos:
www.palousephotography.org

[candy]

Wow, Helen thanks for the video.  I live right on the edge of the Palouse and yet didnt  know about these falls.  I will visit there for sure.  We also are off to Flathead this summer, as we do every summer.  I love it there and we always try to get up to Glacier too.  I am sure Glacier must be God's summer home.

[Helen]

I agree Candy.  I lo-o-o-o-o-o-o-ve Northwest Montana!

[Helen]

http://www.fs.fed.us/hellscanyon/overview/index.shtml

Well John and I are really getting around this Summer.  Here we are at Hells Canyon Oregon, in the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest; which is called the “Switzerland of America”, and I can absolutely see why.  This is our first time here and the Snake River you can see at the bottom of the canyon is a depth of almost 7,000 feet below Hat Point; where we had to drive 25 miles up a gravel road to reach.  The Grand Canyon is around 6,000 feet deep and though it is longer and wider than Hell's Canyon, Hell's Canyon is North America's deepest gorge; at over 8,000 feet.  We saw alot of deer, chipmunks and even some Mountain goats.

This time, we are visiting with some of John’s family in Oregon and since we couldn’t get away for the 4th; we met up with them on the 6th.  We’re  staying in the town of Enterprise, which is about a 2 1/2 hour drive from here up to Hat Point lookout.  The drive up on Hwy 350 to Imnaha, OR and the gravel road to Hat Point was like a dream.  Beautiful rolling farms (we saw a Clydesdale horse farm) and deer in almost ever field, with steep green mountains that you could almost reach out the car window and touch.  The gravel road was along sheer cliffs most of the ride up; so it was very exciting in John’s truck. 

You can see what I mean about the green rolling mountains in this video below and if you notice, there had been a fire back in '89, when the mountain was struck by lightening; which resulted in about 40 acres of damaged trees around Hat Point.  After these 20 years, the trees were no longer black, looking more like grey drift wood; so they were beautiful in their own way among the 20 years of new growth.  Sorry, this computer at the motel we are at does not have sound, so I could not tell what was said.  Hope it is okay.

Hat Point Oregon

Here's another video, by I think the same folks that did the above video and it shows the gravel road we had to go up, but looks down the opposite side of the mountain at the Imnaha valley and Imnaha river where you first get on the gravel road.  At this point, there is still about 15 miles of gravel road to go before you get to Hat point. 

Road from Imnaha to Hat Point Oregon