ON THE ROAD with Maria + Stephen

Northeastern Oregon

10/09/201917/02/2020 by Maria+Stephen, posted in 4WD Drive, Camping, Coffee, Dining, Hiking, Rodeo, Scenic Drive, Shopping

After leaving Hat Point and the breathtaking views of Hells Canyon and the Snake River we followed the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway to Joseph, Oregon. Joseph is a small town (pop. 1081) named after Chief Joseph, the leader of the Nez Pearce. The town was historically highly dependent on agriculture and timber as the major drivers of its economy. Tourism and three local bronze foundaries have replaced agriculture and timber.

Joseph is a gem. Despite its small size it has a number of fine restaurants, coffee shops and interesting retail stores. The town is the classic main street with no traffic lights and diagonal parking (no chain stores here!).

We stayed at a brand new hotel called the Jennings located in a turn of the century brick building that was formerly…you guessed it…the Jennings Hotel. A local artist by the name of Greg Hennes brought the hotel back to life through a Kickstarter funding campaign. Each room is unique – designed by a different artist or designer.

The Jennings also has an artist in-residency program and a cooking and crafts school. A very cool and fun place to stay. The second floor has a covered porch where you can sit and watch everything happening on Main Street or take in the Wallowa Mountains that lie just outside the town.

The Wallowa-Whitman NF offers an abundance of hiking, fishing, equestrian and camping opportunities. After leaving the Jennings we ventured into the Wallowa by journeying south some 20 miles into the Lostine Canyon. We camped along the banks of the Wild and Scenic Lostine River from where we could access a number of challenging hikes that provided us with the opportunity to climb high into the Wallowas for views of the Hurrincane Divide and wading in glacially formed lakes surrounded by granite cirques.

We left Lostine Canyon exhausted but happy!

We completed the Hells Canyon Scenic Byway with stops in Enterprise, Wallowa and La Grande before departing further north for the city of Pendleton. Pendleton is the home of Pendleton Woolen Mills and very much the classic cowboy town.

Our visit to Pendleton coincided with the 109th Pendleton Round-Up. The Round-Up takes place over a full week with many activities – parades, rodeo events, pageants, dances and concerts. Rodeo contestants come from all over to participate and the round-up includes a Professional Bull Riders (PBR) competition.

We extended our stay to watch the womens barrel racing event. These riders and their horses have no fear. The speed and power of the horses is amazing – particularly to the unitiated like us.

We are working our way west from Pendleton with the expectation (at least for now) that we make the Oregon coast about a week from now.

Be seeing you!

**Sacajawea Peak, Eagle Cap Wilderness, Wallowa NF**

**Slippery Rock Creek, Wallowa Mountains**

**Hurricane Divide, Wallowa Mountains, Eagle Cap Wilderness**

**Womens Barrel Racing, Pendleton Round-Up**

Hells Canyon + Snake River

06/09/2019 by Maria+Stephen, posted in 4WD Drive, Boondocking, Camping, Hiking, Scenic Drive, Wildlife

After leaving the McCall area we traveled west to follow the Snake River north to Hells Canyon. The Hells Canyon Wilderness has been on our must see list for quite some time. Three dams were constructed on the river by Idaho Power Company (IPC) in the early 1960s, which generate significant power to Idaho. The dams and power plants are so remote that IPC provides company housing nearby each of the facilities.

The good news is that below the last dam (Hells Canyon Dam) the canyon and river remain a protected wilderness – there is no road – no electricity – no water. In order to access the canyon in the wilderness area you have three options – walk, go down river (raft, kayak or jet boat) – access at HC Dam – or fly in utilizing the grass airstrip on the banks of the river by the former Kirkwood Ranch.

Today, Hells canyon is completely uninhabited. A number of families attempted to make a living ranching and mining within the canyon but only a couple of ranches managed to survive for any length of time. The last ranch was abandoned in the early 1960s. There is ample evidence from pictographs that native americans were in the canyon long ago.

Hells Canyon at is deepest point is the deepest gorge in North America (7900 feet). We wanted to experience the canyon from river level, from above, and go as far downriver as possible. Fortunately, we were able to catch a jetboat tour that took us downriver 27 miles to the site of the former Kirkwood Ranch (sheep) before returning to the dam access point. Our river journey provided us with the ability to see the very remote and pristine canyon – we could not possibly have hiked anywhere near that far downstream. The added benefit was the fun of running the numerous rapids on the river between the dam and our turnaround point. We did hike along the river for several miles which gave us the on the ground vantage point. Finally, we drove the Hat Point Road to gain a spectacular view of the canyon and river from an elevation of 6900 feet above sea level.

The Hells Canyon Wilderness is a beautiful, awe-inspiring area, but come prepared as there is very minimal infrastucture anywhere near the area and almost no connectivity.

P.S. Summer temperatures average daily high 100+F!

**Hiking To Stud Creek Trail, Snake River, Hells Canyon**

**Imnaha, Oregon Pop. 159 – Starting Point for Hat Point Road Drive**

**Wild and Scenic Snake River Viewed From Hat Point (Elev. 6982)**

McCall, Idaho and Payette National Forest

05/09/201906/09/2022 by Maria+Stephen, posted in Biking, Boondocking, Camping, Cities, Coffee, Hiking, Kayaking, Scenic Drive, Wildlife

When we last posted we thought we were heading to Eastern Oregon but…….98-100F temperatures in the Alvord Desert caused us to reconsider. Ultimately, we opted to head north to McCall, Idaho where the daily high temperatures were in the 80F range.

McCall is a summer resort town sitting on the eastern shore of beautiful Payette Lake and nestled at the southern base of the mountainous Payette NF.

The drive north from Boise on the Payette River Scenic Byway is splendid as the road winds north hugging the rapid filled Payette River.

We camped at Ponderosa State Park for the first couple of nights before heading up into the Payette NF ahead of the Labor Day weekend crowd. The night sky from our mountain top campsite in the Payette was absolutely stunning. We were transfixed by the enormity and brillance of the Milky Way, the consellations and the numerous satellites and rockets criss crossing the sky.

Additionally, our stay here was most pleasant since we were able to bike into town from our camping location at Ponderosa SP and drink cappuccino and tea and then cycle back to our campsite.

The highlight of our stay in the McCall area was our kayaking trip on the North Fork of the Payette River. We were treated to great beauty, solitude and the magic of observing deer and birds of prey along the banks of the river.

We honestly never thought we would spend three full weeks in Idaho but it is beautiful and the weather was perfect. Nonetheless, time to move on…..current plan is to head to Hells Canyon on the border of Idaho and Oregon and then explore the northeastern corner of Oregon.

Be seeing you!

**Biking Peninsula Trail, Payette Lake**

**Kayaking, North Fork of Payette River, McCall, Idaho**

**Camping with a View, Outlook Creek Rd, Diamond Ridge, Payette NF**

**End of the World or Sunset in Western Idaho**

Boise Snapshot: Coffee, Concerts, Culture and Climbing!

26/08/201906/09/2022 by Maria+Stephen, posted in Art, Cities, Coffee, Dining, Live Music, Museum, Rock Climbing, Yoga

Off the road in Boise to celebrate our 40th anniversary in style. Heading to the Owyhee Canyonlands in Eastern Oregon tomorrow morning.

**Best of Boise – Slow By Slow – Cappuccino**

**Iron & Wine with Calexico – Knitting Factory**

**Eilen Jewell Band – Visual Arts Collective**

**Wally Dion – Circuit Board with Quilt Pattern**

Sawtooth National Forest

23/08/201917/02/2020 by Maria+Stephen, posted in 4WD Drive, Boondocking, Camping, Hiking, Scenic Drive

After departing City of Rocks we traveled north to Twin Falls for fika at Twin Beans (see fikawithfiona on Instagram). From Shoshone we followed the Sawtooth Scenic Byway into the Sawtooth NF.

The Sawtooth is an absolute gem! We were absolutely enchanted with everything about this 2.1 million acre forest and wilderness area. The mountain peaks range from 4000 to over 12,000 feet elevation with a plethora of peaks above 10,000 feet. The Sawtooth reminds us very much of two of our favorite national parks – Glacier NP and Grand Teton NP – but without the crowds!

The Sawtooth is a hikers paradise with a seemingly endless number and variety of hiking trails. Many of the trails lead to secluded waterfalls and alpine lakes while providing spectacular views of the glaciated peaks.

The Sawtooth also provides ample camping opportunities through the forest. We were able to camp along the Wood River near Murdock Creek and on the Cape Horn Creek in complete solitude. Added bonus: outrageous night sky. Our necks became stiff from staring up into a star and planet laden sky. We saw shooting stars, the Milky Way and numerous satellites and rocket bodies pass overhead while listening to the rush of the nearby water.

While in Ketchum we met two former Nutmeggers – one from Southington and the other from Cheshire. Our best hiking and camping spots were recommended by them.

We also met a delightful young couple from Ashland, Oregon. Ashland is on our itinerary because it is the home of Noble Coffee Roasting Company. We think their Ethiopian Buku beans are the best we have had and have been looking forward to visiting after years of purchasing on-line. The couple provided us with a number of recommendations for both Ashland and Bend, Oregon.

Experiencing all the beauty that our country has to offer and meeting so many genuine and friendly people continues to bolster our optimism for the future.

P.S. If you are a fly fisher you must come here to fish in the Wood River.

Boulder Mountains, Sawtooth NF,

Trail Creek Road, Sun Valley, Idaho

**McDonald Peak (Elev. 10068) foreground, El Capitan (Elev. 8500) background**

**Mickey’s Spire (Elev. 10,679) and Thompson Peak (Elev. 10,682)**

**Disbursed Camping at Big Horn Creek, Challis NF**

City of Rocks National Reserve, Almo, ID

17/08/2019 by Maria+Stephen, posted in 4WD Drive, Camping, Hiking, Scenic Drive, Scrambling

We are officially back on the road! Day one consisted of making our way through Ogden (Wasatch Coffee Roasters) and then on to City of Rocks National Reserve (CORNR) Our backroad route took us through Naf, ID. It is officially a ghost town but still boasts one human resident and a dog.

The CORNR is a mecca for climbers and scramblers with its many and varied rock formations. We stayed for three days to take advantage of the ample scrambling and scenic hiking opportunities.

The area that is now CORNR was a major stopping point for emigrants heading to California between the 1840 and 1870. We were able to hike along portions of the route and see the dated signatures of many of the emigrants – applied with axle grease used for the wagons.

There are terrific campsites located around the CORNR which provide tremendous views of the rock formations and the dark night sky. (002.003.004)

Morning Glory Spire, Crack of Doom, Anteater Rock Formations

ART FOR THE STREETS

05/06/201906/09/2022 by Maria+Stephen, posted in Art, Cities, street art

We had the pleasure of taking a private tour with Danielle Mastrion of City Rovers while making a brief visit to the City. Danielle is a well known muralist and painter. Several of her works are featured below. The featured street art can be found in Little Italy, Chinatown, SoHo and the Lower East Side. Many of these murals were commissioned by the Little Italy Street Art(LISA) project. Information about the history and current status of the project is available at lisaproject.org.

Beast Montage On The Road 2.0

12/05/201916/08/2019 by Maria+Stephen, posted in 4WD Drive, Scenic Drive

Carson City to Salt Lake City

04/05/201904/05/2019 by Maria+Stephen, posted in 4WD Drive, Baseball, Boondocking, Camping, Coffee, Hiking, Scenic Drive

After arriving in Carson City and finding it very much to our liking (good espresso, tea, yoga, restaurants and friendly folk) we extended our stay to five days. We took day trips for hiking and sightseeing after our morning yoga and fika: very delightful!

Our extended stay in Carson City did necessitate a speedy trip across Nevada to return the Beast for storage and make our flight from Salt Lake City to Hartford. We covered 650 miles over our last two days on the road. Most of the drive was on Route 50 which runs all the way from Carson City to the Utah border.

The scenery along Route 50 is spectacular. Driving west to east you traverse numerous mountain ranges and valleys between the ranges. These are big mountains – 9000 to almost 11,000 foot peaks and valleys ranging from five to 20 miles across. The peaks are snow capped and the valleys vary between salt flats, sand dunes and prairie.

This is mining country with a handful of extremely large cattle and sheep ranches. The mining towns of Eureka and Ely are pretty run down despite the fact that there are still very large mining operations in the towns of Eureka and Ely. There are two major pits, one producing gold and the other copper. Even traditional pit mines are highly mechanized today and do not require significant labor to operate the mines. Both of these mines are owned and operated by foreign based companies which is very common today in this industry.

Make sure you are well prepared if you choose to cross Nevada on Route 50, known as the loneliest road in America for good reason. There are only two gas stations between Fallon and Eureka, a distance of 180 miles (and they are not 24 hour stations!) Bring your own food and water as well.

We are planning our next trip as we make this final post of On The Road with Maria + Stephen. We will be departing for the Pacific Northwest in August. Thanks for following along.

Safe travels!

P.S. If you find yourself for any reason (we won’t hazard a guess) with the need to be in Bakersfield, California do yourself a huge favor and stay at the Padre Hotel. Classic western hotel with a great bar, cool lobby and friendly staff. Added bonus, and a big one at that is that Rig City Coffee Roasters is 252 feet from the lobby entrance to the hotel.

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Final Preparation for Our Return to CT

Route 50 – America’s Loneliest Road

Garnet Hill – Ely, NV

Eureka – Mining + Basque Shepards + Good Grub

Sheparding in Northern Nevada

Reno – Baseball

Virginia City – Coffee, Saloons + Prayer

St Paul’s Episcopal Church, Virginia City, NV 1876

Genoa – Hiking + Thirst

Lake Tahoe

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Carson City – Yoga, Coffee + Calamari!

Alabama Hills

25/04/201912/05/2019 by Maria+Stephen, posted in 4WD Drive, Camping, Coffee, Hiking, Scenic Drive

After our stay in DVNP we journeyed northward on Route 395 in the shadow of the Sierra Nevada Mountain range. The SN is massive with a north-south length of over 400 miles and an east-west width of 70 miles. Mt. Whitney, the highest peak in the U.S. at 14,505 feet sits just west of the town of Lone Pine. Yosemite and several other national parks also sit within this range. The SN is very impressive physically and stunningly beautiful with an unending line of jagged, snow covered peaks.

We camped in the Alabama Hills, foothills to the Eastern Sierra Range, west of Lone Pine, CA. As camping locations go, this area is one of the most spectacular we have experienced and we have been fortunate to camp in some incredible locations.

The Alabama Hills are also know as Little Hollywood. Many films and television shows have been filmed in the hills which are blessed with incredible rock formations (great for scrambling) and the SN as background.

When you find yourself in this area definitely make a point of eating at the Alabama Hills Cafe & Bakery. If you are feeling adventurous try the Red Beer ( Bloody Mary with beer instead of vodka). All of the baked goods are baked on premises each morning and delicious!

Our next destination is Carson City where we will stay for several days before beginning the trek across Nevada to Salt Lake City.