Panorama of view from Graves Point Lookout of Hells Canyon

Highway To Hell – Kirkwood Ranch in Hell’s Canyon

Kirkwood Ranch is difficult to get to, but very worth the trip.

Years ago, when I worked for Frito-Lay, I went on a company excursion on a jet boat up Hell’s Canyon from Lewiston Idaho. Along the way, we fished for sturgeon (giant prehistoric fish), saw the sites in North Americas’ deepest river gorge (7993 feet deep), and stopped at Kirkwood Historic Ranch to see the museum that is maintained there. Hell’s Canyon is really close to where I live and it is a huge obstacle in the way of any travel to Oregon from here. Chief Joseph and his Nezperce used to cross the Snake River on the way to the Wallowa mountains in Oregon. The only way to drive there now is to go around Hell’s Canyon. You can drive either

Hashagen Homestead – Digging Up History On This Idaho Gem

Hashagen Homestead – Digging Up History On This Idaho Gem

Every rustic and weathered old farmhouse or homestead has a story. The little shack outside of Grangeville is no exception. It took me two years to figure out the history of this little homestead and it is more interesting than I had hoped for. History became much more interesting to me when I figured out that it isn’t just a list of dates and events, but the story of

barn at sunrise

7 Ways We Have Changed In 100 Years and What’s Next

Let’s take a stroll down memory lane and see how things have changed in the last 100 years. When our grandparents or great-grandparents were our age, they did things a lot differently than we do today. Inventions in areas such as transportation and communications have made things easier. While this blog post is a little different from my normal post, in some ways it’s not. Often when I am out shooting pictures of old homesteads or ghost towns, I am thinking of what life was like for the people who lived in those places. I know that I get so busy in the day-to-day business of living that it’s easy to forget how only 110 years ago

The Camas Prairie Railroad Part 3 – Reubens to Highway 95

The Camas Prairie Railroad Part 3 – Reubens to Highway 95

Exploring the Camas Prairie Railroad has been something I really wanted to do for the last few years.  In this part of my series exploring the now abandoned 2nd subdivision of the Camas Prairie Railroad.  This is the most exciting section, in my opinion, and it inspired this desire so I traversed it first.  This 23-mile section of the railroad clings to the side of Lapwai Canyon and climbs from 1589 ft elevation at Culdesac to 3665 ft elevation at Craigmont.  The builders conquered this rugged terrain using 17 bridges and

Gold Point Mill – Elk City Idaho

Gold Point Mill – Elk City Idaho

Gold Point Mill is located on Forest Service Road 222 near Elk City Idaho.  It was entered into the National Register of Historic Places in the year 2000.  The weathered-looking building and beautiful forest landscape make it a