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Selkirk Expedition


norseman

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I was raised in Kettle Falls and the story I always hear is that it would be very tough for the fish to make it up around Grand Coulee with a fish ladder, but the real killer is getting the smolt back over the dam with out killing them. Either they are going to go over the very tall spillways or through the turbines. And they may get lost in the massive lake behind the dam as well, because they rely on current to flush them out.

Makes sense. Too bad, that.

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Good luck to you, norseman. My father and his family are all from eastern Washington - farmers, less than half-an-hour from Spokane. Own land on lake Coeur D'Alene. I've been up there several times, if the Selkirks north of CDA are anything like the terrain immediately by the lake, it's one heck of a gorgeous place. I'm jealous you live so close to those areas!

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I agree, our pred scent must be masked or confused by the horses scent. I would always use a horse if i had the chance.

Hey NM how many in your group? any ladies? I support the idea that the chances of the big guys visiting your camp improves if you have some ladies with you. Men can spend all day in the bush trying to find them. Then a Bf will show up at your camp because they hear women laughing or they smell them. Girl power even works on the big guys, go figure?

According to Colville Indian oral tradition they are looking to steal a mate.

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Good luck to you, norseman. My father and his family are all from eastern Washington - farmers, less than half-an-hour from Spokane. Own land on lake Coeur D'Alene. I've been up there several times, if the Selkirks north of CDA are anything like the terrain immediately by the lake, it's one heck of a gorgeous place. I'm jealous you live so close to those areas!

The farther north you go from the lake the bigger the mountains are.

flickr5

I live farther north and west along the Columbia river.

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Man NM, that flickr album you ref. to has some of the most beautiful photos I've seen posted to the internet for quite some time (Idaho/Washington/Montana). Thanks for sharing that.

Edited by bipedalist
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Man NM, that flickr album you ref. to has some of the most beautiful photos I've seen posted to the internet for quite some time (Idaho/Washington/Montana). Thanks for sharing that.

It's the northern Rockies, and I agree it's some beautiful country. It's not as wet as the Cascades, but it's still pretty wet.

Rainfall

us_precip.png

Topo

usa_topo_sm.jpg

Looking at the map, I think if one is using rainfall as a guide, NE Washington and especially N. Idaho are a good place to start looking. NW Montana is also another good spot, although Glacier NP takes a big chunk out of the search area, as well as the other "wet spot" in NW Wyoming (Yellowstone NP).

After my elk hunting trip to the Gifford Pinchot national forest my eyes were really opened. The roads are paved and there are lots of people using the forest. Compared to where I'm from in which it's a strange thing to see paved roads or people while out in our national forests. Add to that the fact that our forest and mountain areas are bigger, more remote and are connected with Canada (to be fair theirs are as well)? I think there is a good chance something could be residing out here (if they are anywhere).

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Makes sense. Too bad, that.

Rejoice in the fact that your fisheries in AK are intact, and work hard to protect them.

Then you won't have to make songs like this one:

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It's the northern Rockies, and I agree it's some beautiful country. It's not as wet as the Cascades, but it's still pretty wet.
IIRC, the extreme north Idaho, NE Washington, and NW Montana are on the edge of an Inland Rainforest, mostly located in British Columbia.

I agree with Bipedalist, the album has some stunning photographs!

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  • 2 months later...
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This spring as the snow allows it I'll be heading off to the Selkirk's to take a look around at some of the more remote river and creek basins in that area. It's about an hour drive from my house, and I'll be taking saddle stock over to access this country. I have hunted in this country before for deer and elk, and it is a very very wet climate for being so far inland. ....

The trail system drops all the way over into north Idaho and the Priest river drainage. This country is very remote, and doesn't get nearly as much traffic as places farther east like Glacier NP.

If any Sasquatch inhabit this area of Washington (yes there are some reports) this is a very good place to look I think. There is plenty of elbow room, plenty of ungulates running around including white tail deer, mule deer, elk, moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat and a few woodland caribou. Plenty of plants, both aquatic and non, including huckleberries. And plenty of lakes, rivers and creeks.

Hey how's the trip planning going?

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When I was younger I was more understanding, I understood that the dam created electricity for many major urban centers in the west as well as irrigation water that made the Columbia basin spring to life, growing many many crops. But now that I'm older I guess I'm getting greedy, not only was one of the largest salmon runs in the WORLD killed off. But the falls itself, the mighty Kettle Falls that was such an important cultural center for all of the tribes in W. Montana, N. Idaho, SE BC and E. Washington is gone forever.

Since this post got "bumped" I wound up seeing it, reading it- and I'd like to make a brief comment on what you've said above.

I dont think its being "greedy" of you at all to feel the way you do.

In fact I think its quite admirable of you to have taken a more environmentally/conservationally conscious view of the situation.

When I look at these situations, and bring it down to a base level- the question becomes in my mind- was the **** put there for the betterment of society, or was it put there so that a company could profit from using natural resources to effectively set up a "money making machine"? The question can be answered in the affirmative for both.

In my mind, when an engineer, or the planning committee sits down to figure out how to best apply the pieces of the puzzle- their goal should be to both meet the needs of the projects goals, but to also factor in the impact to the surrounding environment. Sadly because of when the **** project went through that process- there was little or no thought about environmental impact.

What's even more sad- is that as you stated... once its done- for the most part, its done. It would be very difficult (and costly) to try to re-engineer a fix to re-establish the Salmon population, and the prey fish they feed on at this point in time.

One of the "good things" about living in NY state (trust me at this point there arent many left), is that our Wilderness areas (Adirondacks, Catskills) were from very early on protected from any such activities.. Many people in NY grew concerned about widespread logging and deforestation, so they got involved, got organized, and made a difference.

In 1885, legislation declared that the land in the Adirondack Park and the Catskill Park was to be conserved and never put up for sale or lease. The park was established in 1892, due to the activities of conservationists. The park was given state constitutional protection in 1894, so that the state-owned lands within its bounds would be protected forever -thus there designation as "forever wild".

It's too bad there werent more people who got involved out in that area at the time, maybe they could have made a difference....

Imagine being able to go to those places, and see them as they were 150 years ago..?

In the end, considering I have only one life to live, and the value that I assign to being able to get out and lost in nature- I'll take "forever wild" anyday over having access to cheap electricty, or water for someone elses crops hundreds of miles away..

That's my take anyway...

Art

Oh, here's a pic I took couple years ago near Whiteface Mtn/Lake Placid area... while hiking w/ some friends..

whiteface.jpg

Edited by Art1972
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Man NM, that flickr album you ref. to has some of the most beautiful photos I've seen posted to the internet for quite some time (Idaho/Washington/Montana). Thanks for sharing that.

D I T T O !!!/ Me too !!

Wow...

That Canon takes some stunning pics !!!

Love how on some of your waterfalls you did an extended exposure and got the water all "fuzzy"... love that effect..!

I could probably spend the entire evening lookin at your pics, that is some beautiful country you guys have out there !!

Art

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  • 4 weeks later...

I've been out twice, once up Deadman creek in Ferry County and just this last Sunday I was up Harvey Creek in Pend Oreille county next to Sullivan lake.

(Only Harvey Creek is in the Selkirks, Ferry County would be the Kettle Crest area)

The snow pack is currently at about 3500 feet above sea level here. We saw a black bear, so they are definitely out of hibernation now, plus his scat. In Ferry County we saw a moose as well. Plus countless tracks and scat of Moose, Elk and Deer.

Nothing more interesting to report than that.

But for sure, there is alot of snow pack left this year, and still lot's of cool weather and rain, even in the interior here. Certainly good tracking conditions.

Edited by norseman
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Nice, and there's even snowpack. Hope you enjoy the new tool in searching for sign in your travails.

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