Day 17: Hells Canyon

Every morning we start the day similarly, it's something of a routine that sets in. That's in the habit of humans and it's good for little children. Our route today is 2 1/2 hours with 120 miles. We leave the outskirts of Boise and agriculture is present again. This part is more populated, there are some places we leave behind. Half an hour before the destination, the landscape and road layout change. A straight road becomes a winding road. Then a lake with a dam appears. The water of the Snake River is dammed here. The landscape is hilly, but it doesn't look like a canyon. The road continues to be very curvy and runs along the river. It takes a long time until we reach Copperfield. There, the river is dammed again. Another 6 miles with hairpin bends is the selected place. We log in via a tablet and search for our spot. First, we relax and munch on cupcakes and fruit. Erik wants to go fishing. On the boat dock, Rene manages to catch a fish, but it wiggles a lot and regains its freedom. We decide to drive a bit further. After all, the canyon is a popular attraction in the region. So far, we don't realize that. A few kilometers after the campground, a deer runs across the road. But I don't see it. Only Rene catches a glimpse. He is warned and slows down a bit. Then suddenly something furry runs across the road. It comes from the river side and now climbs up the mountainside. We can't believe it, it's a bear again. A few meters further up, it stops. We look at each other. He is as interested in me as I am in him. After a while, he moves on. As we later find out, it's a black bear with brown coloring. But he still seems young.

Now the canyon can gradually be seen. The green disappears and gives way to dark rock. Hells Canyon is the deepest gorge in North America and has its highest point at He Devil Mountain with 2500 meters. We are now 32 kilometers from the last place, when another dam appears. This one can be driven and a kilometer behind it is an information center and the road ends here. Now we are in the middle of Hells Canyon. The Snake River has returned to its original wild course. Not many visitors get lost here. We are now impressed by the impressive elevations on the left and right. Unfortunately, Erik only has eyes for fishing. So we look for a spot. I briefly see a huge fish, but it doesn't bite. After a short time, we give up, but then I see a sign that fishing a certain species carries a $200 fine, and I completely lose interest. A group is preparing for a 5-day boat trip. Impossible with children. We start the return journey around 5 p.m. Then halfway there, my luck. A bald eagle sits on a treetop. Then I realize that we didn't see an eagle in Yellowstone Park because this one was too small. It's really fantastic to see so many different animals, who would have thought that in this canyon.
After dinner, we go back to the dock and fulfill Erik's fishing wish. I manage to catch a fish twice, but we don't eat fish and don't want to kill them for no reason, so we release both back into the wild. Erik initially cries because he wants to keep the fish, but then he is happy about the release. Originally, we wanted to stay here for 2 nights, but we move on because we have seen everything and just fishing is boring.