Yes we did find tomatoes at the market. $2.50 a lb. but when you want a BLT hell with the cost. 
Like they say if you have to ask... you can't afford it.

After Missoula it was south and on across the famous US 12 and the Lochsa River byway on the way to Lewiston.
We have camped and fished this river in the past so knew we would love this route to points west. 

Ya this drive is well worth it and I like it so I don't have to go north out of Missoula on I-90 going up to Coeur d'Alene. 
To me it is nicer going over Lolo Pass than north up to Coeur d'Alene.  But US12 is a very winding highway for about 200 miles. But if you are not in a hurry go for it. Just loodk at the pics below. 

As we got closser to Orfino it became smoky so much so it blocked out much of the sun. We later found out it was because they were burning off the wheat fields on the highlands west of Orfino. Told it has been going for a couple of weeks. 

Below is a pic of Orfino from on high.
These are from when we were here in Sept. 2010

Now the reason for all this is high up this is what you will find. Wheat fields forever. In Orfino the alt. was about 900 ft and up here much much more.  Getting from the river valley to the highlands. 

Now back at our great BLM campground. 

Our campsite at the BLM just north of Orfino, ID right on the Clearwater river is called Pink House since that was what was on it when they took it over and made this great recreation site, open all year with heated water pipes and full hookups and for next to nothing with a golden age pass. 
Now is this a great looking BLM campsite or what?

This spot in Orfino was an old river crossing and this is a tribute to Nez Perce Indians.

Found another Farmers Market on Tuesday afternoon in Orofino Idaho We hit the jackpot with some great tomatoes at a $1.50 a lb. Had to stop at the grocery to pick up two packages of bacon.

This was one entrance to the city park where the market was held. I had Terry get out and check to see if the truck would make it under. We cleared by about 4-5 inches. They did have another way in and out. 

From Orfino we headed to Lewiston and stopped at Walmart for stuff. Next off on a new route on US 12 and then State 261 & 260 to Othello. Eastern Washington is not for the faint of heart as the back highways go up and down to the high up wheat fields and then back down to the valleys. Up and down keeps your hands on the steering wheel at all times, but if you want an off the interstate route, slow drive (blue road) this is a good one. 

West out of Lewiston along the Snake River. 

Later after leaving the Snake River we went west on US 12  (see the above map) as it went on and on just like in this pic.

This goes on and on and is a fun drive.... As you can see there is not much out here in this part of WA.

We were going to fill up in Lewiston at $3.97 but held off and later had to get diesel at $4.22. rural eastern WA 
is not the place to look for fuel, me now knows. 

We landed in this Bureau of Reclamation campground south of Othello, WA.  It was manicured to the ninth with even a underground lawn watering system. While we were there many were fishing for perch and loving it. Boat docks right at the campsites.

The view from inside our trailer. 

Terry catching the sunset. The campground is very nice right on Scooteney Reservoir.

If you have been following our summer adventures you will recall when I got ill in West Yellowstone with pain and finding blood in my urine and had to rush to Bozeman to the ER and it turned out to be kidney stones.  Well that was right at two months ago... 
I didn't think it could happen again BUT it did.

We are camped just south of Othello, WA and I got to see the inside of their hospital at about 4:30 AM with another kidney stone attack. Morphine and a cat scan later back at the campground at 7:30 AM felling beter taking it easy with oxycodone acetaminophen and generic flomax to relax my ureters so to pass the stone.  The next night the pain came back big time so went back to the ER a second time. They gave me another shot for pain and sent us home saying they should not do another cat scan as that would be more radiation that I should have so soon. Fun times we are a having. 
Update... I did pass a bigger stone a few days later and am doing good.. 
The campground is very nice right on Scooteney Reservoir. I have received the cat scans and blood work results from both hospitals so when in AZ this winter I can have my pcp and a urologist compare them. At least I got somthing out of all this to use later. 

Our next run was from Othello (right lower) to Roslyn (on map just west of Cle Elum about where the HW 903 sign is)

We took the long way around going south of Othello on HW 24 and HW 243 for the scenic route up the Columbia river to meet I-90 to go west toward Ellensburg. On HW 243 you could see all the RVs on the Columbia river in a parking lot fission access. Salmon spawning season is on and the fishermen are out in force. 

The Wanapum Dam developed cracks and they lowered the river levels. If it failed it could take out all the dams to the coast. 
Not good. For more info on all this see this link on the dam repair status and this link as to why the crack happened. 

Yep time to cross over the BIG ONE.  Now as we drove up from the south we could see the river levels were so low. 

Through Ellensburg on to Cle Elum to Roslyn, WA

Everything you wanted to know about Roslyn, WA   There is so much history here... as this is a famous coal mining town and was very diverse in it miners. Many a first in race relations were formed in this place. Do read more about this place and the history of the mines and miners.  They have a great museum to browse through and you know how much I like museums so it must be good. 
You do know the Northern Exposure TV show was shot here form 1990 to 1995 don't ya.

We are here moochdocking at our good friend Tad's place here in Roslyn where he had a huge garage/shop built and 
Terry is helping him to wire it and build a enclosed shop room inside. Now he can put his class C MH inside. 
Tad took us up the Cle Elum river to watch the Salmon going up river to spawn. There is no fish latter on this dam so the Yakima Indian tribe catches them and transports them up over the dam so they can continue upriver. What a sight it is to see them in the shallow water.

We stood on the bridge and I got this shot of Tad and Terry. I yelled... turn around... as they were walking away.
I got a not so nice response to my request... But that's normal...  me thinks from these two. 

Sept 10
Timing is everything
We are sitting in the Jellystone RV park in Missoula, MT for a week. Yikes a RV Resort and paying good money for it no less. $230 a week. This sure isn't boondocking or in a BLM or fishing access site on some fabulous Montana trout river. But as the tag line sez timing is everything. We have hit a bit of bad weather and this is just the right time to be in a RV park with power. It is to get to freezing overnight and snow, yes I said snow big time on all the passes in and out of here, and most of west and central Montana. Our stay was planned to be here but we didn't know about the change of weather till we arrived. Terry likes to spend time in Missoula as he has good friends (an older couple who befriended him) and are teaching him the art of painting and there other skills. They are true multifaceted artists into painting, sculpting, silver work, and lapidary work. He met them at the Quartzsite Gem and Mineral Club years ago. They don't go south in the winter anymore so we stop here in the summer. 

Jellystone Park

Ya it's a parking lot RV Park but whats ya gunna do. When you want power and close to town this is it.
We have a heat pump so don't need to burn propane to keep warm. 

BUT I'm getting ahead of myself... before we landed in Missoula we spent most of a week along the Blackfoot River (HW 200) in a very nice MT Fishing Access Site (Russell Gates Memorial site) that has a campground. We have been here before so knew about it and lucked out to get a big spot to land as it was a busy place. The drawback was tall trees and no Internet sig off the dish. So we pulled out out our portable DirecTV dish and set it up.  For internet we could get 2 bars of 3G on my Verizon smartphone so we got by.

Terry getting suited up for fly fishing. He did catch several rainbows and some browns but they were small by his standards, but he was happy no less. 

Ya that's him out there.

We did as usual take day trips scouting out other fishing sccess sites for possible camping but they were all to small with trees to handle our rig. Go here for a Montana Fishing Accessing Guide.

Some of the roads get darn right narrow and go up high with a big drop off to the river on the left.

Wish we could find a way to carry a bost along like this to really fish these great trout rivers like they are doing. We shall see.

When not fishing Terry made these stickey buns. Evil to be sure. Try to take a good blood sugar number after eating one of these. 

We will be here in Missoula till Monday Sept. 15 and then head down south to Lolo and over the pass on US HW 12 heading to Orofino and Lewiston. US HW 12 is one scenic route not to miss along the Lochsa river.  The Lochsa River Scenic Byway in Idaho & Montana.   And we feel the pass going west is much easier than going more north to Coeur d'Alene on I-90. There is a nice BLM campground called "Pink House" near Orofino which will be open since most Forest Service sites are closing down for the season.  After that it will COE campgrounds in Washington state on the Snake river as we head toward Roslyn, WA to visit our good friend Tad, who summers there.
 
 

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