Moon cakes on the Payette River, frontal nudity

The shameless title of this post will undoubtedly increase our worldwide readership. But wait, you will be  rewarded.

We left Missoula on an extended drive on state roads from Missoula over the continental divide at Chief Joseph's pass. Despite rain showers we wanted to do a hike in the Bitterroot range. Gina found one on the Googleplex, not too far from our route...1.4 miles each way with moderate elevation gain and views into Blodgett Canyon. This was a cheater hike as the car did most of the climbing. Our legs were still recovering from the severe charlie horse we got from the hike to the glacier. The picture is a lame excuse for the real thing.

I expected Idaho to be like Montana, but it isn't. The drive down from the pass and down the Salmon River canyon is a beautiful windy road in and out of canyons. We stopped at North Fork to look at the main branch of the river and it was flowing the wrong way! It turns out the main branch of the Salmon runs north through central Idaho before veering west to eventually flow into the Columbia River. The branch we had been following down from the pass is known as the North branch and it flows south from the pass until it reaches the main branch and starts flowing north. Must have confused the hell out of Lewis and Clark.

We arrived at Stanley, Idaho after spending the night at a bed and breakfast in Challis. The views of the Sawtooth mountains from here are spectacular. It was 51 degrees so we decided it was warm enough for a spin around Redfish Lake. 

We drove on to find the fabled hot springs along the Payette River. Art and Ben LaBrecque had recommended we check them out and we made it a destination on our route towards Boise. Our first stop was a two hour soak in Kirkham springs. The pools there vary from somewhat hotter than a hot tub with no cold water to pools right on the river edge where cold water runs in creating pools where you can move from hot to cooler temperatures when you feel like it. We jumped right into the freezing cold river at one point to cool off!

Okay, you weren't expecting that bathing suit were you. Well, the second hot springs at Pine Flats has a hot waterfall that spills into a pool. It was 36 degrees when we woke up so we turned the van on, heated it up and had coffee in bed. Then we hiked down to the hot springs and soaked until the sun came up over the mountains.

I know you are thinking what a hunk, and it's true, and that I am an exhibitionist, but really it was Gina that said we have to include this in the blog. 

Yesterday was Mia's birthday so we went back for another soak in Kirkham hot spring in the evening and waited for the full moon to come up. Barb Felitti had given us a box of Chinese mooncakes and we gave some to Mia and Emily before we left with the idea that we would all eat them on Mia's birthday. Gina decided we had to see the full moon from our hot pool before we could eat the cakes...I don't know why we decided that but because we were behind the bank where the hot springs cascade down to the river, I didn't get to eat my mooncake until 10:15, almost three hours after we got into the pools. We were seriously shriveled by then.

This morning was slightly warmer at the campsite. Gina got her hot coffee served in the warm van (I am working off a serious debt in this relationship) and I made huevos rancheros with potatoes from our garden and left over refried beans from the night before.

By the way, we brought a cabbage from our garden as well as garlic and hot peppers. The peppers dried nicely sitting in a small spot near the windshield for two weeks. The one I used in the beans last night was HOT! 

We have made Leah's cabbage salad a few times and still have a hunk of cabbage left. Here's the recipe for a delicious Lebanese cabbage salad:

Slice some cabbage thin like for cole slaw

Dice a moderate or immoderate amount of garlic

Dressing is equal parts good olive oil and lemon juice

Add black pepper once it's made

Delicious!

"Ma" Coppens knitted me a hat in the car just in time for this cold weather. I've been sleeping with it the last two nights. In addition to knitting hats, Ma has learned how to play the guitar on the trip. I'm not really sure what I have accomplished during this time.