Monday 9/17
Early start. Heard the logging trucks going up about 4:00am. One lane gravel road, didn’t want to tangle with them today. Out by 7:30am and clear sailing the 5 miles back to St Joe River. Moseyed along, stopping and checking out a couple of campgrounds on my way to St. Maries. Lots of trailers parked along the river. It must get deep because i see docks and 18’-20’ jet boats. It’s really not that far from Spokane, i guess that’s why it’s so crowded.
A couple of miles outside St Maries my phone finally wakes up. Lots of road construction in St Maries so i blow right thru and stop in Plummer for fuel and groceries. 137 miles, 10.2 gal diesel @ $3.39. No single road is going in my direction so i zigzag in a northwesterly direction. Palouse country, wheat, wheat and more wheat.
Head for Steptoe Butte State Park. Not sure how high but highest point for a ways. Could see over a 100 miles according to the chart! Pretty….if you like wheat fields. Also a slug of antennas at the top. Four bars, so i get caught up with loading the blog. Ate lunch at the top.
Meandered NW…..if you seen one wheat field, you’ve seen them all (yawn). Oakdale, Odessa, Sprague, all little farm towns. Heading for BLM spot on Pacific Lake for the night. A bit of a PIA to find but that means it won’t be crowded. No cell coverage so it makes it more difficult to navigate. One bar “extended network” no 4G, no internet, no google maps. Just a paper map and some reckoning gets me there.
During dinner i older gentleman drives up with a small kayak, like i been thinking about, and puts in with his fly rod. I finish and walk down to the ramp and fish are rising so i go back and get the tenkara rod. Catch a couple of small bass and watch the kayaker catch some nice trout!……i just need to figure out a way to carry one easily. Bullshit with him a bit and he says Coffeepot Lake is even better. The only problem with the kayak is he gets stiff after a couple of hours.
Grand Coulee Dam tomorrow then North Cascade NP the day after…..unless i buy a kayak and come back here to fish.
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