Anyone who has come to our area or has bought a new property knows that this area is steeped in history. I’m going to share a few stories from a friend of the Brokerage, Ben has many stories that you may be interested in especially if you like to get out and explore! I’ll be sharing these stories in the next few blogs. Enjoy!
Story 5:
Several times a year, during summer and fall, I load up my 4-wheeler and ride up the Cool water Lookout Road out of Lowell Idaho, near Kooskia. It’s about a 12-mile ride and begins near the
confluence of the Lochsa and Selway Rivers. The vegetation changes from heavy fir and cedar forest to open sub-alpine with a change of elevation of over 5000 f
eet. In July and early August, the Ridge will be covered with multi-colored wildflowers. The Selway Crags rear up to the East, with the Bitter Root Mountains way off in the distance at the Montana/Idah
o boundary. To the West is the Camas Prairie with the Blues forming a backdrop in Washington and Oregon. I like to pull up a rock and sit for hours drinking it all in. Ben (Cool water Lookout area has had a fire recently and may not look exactly as Ben describes anymore. The road was closed for a long time and is now open. Still worth a drive and the view is still as majestic!)
Story 6:
Living in Kooskia Idaho, which lies at the confluence of the Middle Fork and South Fork Branches of the Clearwater River, it’s pretty natural that I do a fair amount of fishing. In January I put on my thermals, buy some maggots and go after whitefish. Most everyone has their own secret recipes for smoking them- mine is the best. As the ice begins to break up in late February and early March, I switch to the big boys, ocean going Steelhead. The B run on the Southfork will usually produce 20 plus pounders. Later, through mid-summer, Chinook start to run. A little lady I know landed a 35 pounder awhile back. Summer and early fall produce great cutthroat trout fly fishing, particularly in the nearby pristine Lochsa and Selway Rivers which feed the Clearwater. The smallmouth bass fishing also gets hot, and I like to pop over to the Salmon River and float a section with my rubber raft. Evey cast-a strike!
The Salmon is also the home of the giant white sturgeon and a six or seven footer will sure get your attention. Well just jotting this all down is getting me excited, I’m going fishing! Ben
Story 7:
Kooskia Idaho, where I live, is just a few miles from the largest contingent parcel of public lands in the lower 48. Together they all add up to over 3 million acres of Idaho State Forest Lands, National Forests, B.L.M (Bureau of Land Management)and Wilderness Areas. I spend all my spare time out there hiking, hunting, fishing, camping, berry picking, mushrooming, firewood cutting, and of course barbecuing a steak or two. Somehow the food tastes better and the wine is finer. It is truly an outdoorsman’s paradise and I am very privileged to be able to live here. Ben
