We stayed in Salmon the second night, the drive there was just gorgeous, a little more snow than I had expected, but beautiful just the same!
At least a foot of snow!
On our way to West Yellowstone, outside of Salmon, we stopped at Big Hole National Battlefield. Big Hole National Battlefield is a memorial to the Nez Perce Indians, who fought and died here on August 9 and 10, 1877. You can read more about it here. This is hallowed ground, making it a very special and sacred place to visit.
Then onto West Yellowstone! This part of the world holds a special place in my heart, as I was almost raised in Island Park, just outside of West Yellowstone, about 20 miles or so. My parents built a cabin there when I was a small child, so most of my summers and much of the winter was spent there. Even after I was married, and up until about six years ago we enjoyed many wonderful times at the cabin. . . . oh my goodness, the memories! Most of them now are bittersweet, but I still love to go to West Yellowstone and remember . . .
On our way to West Yellowstone, we stopped at Quake Lake, this area and lake is testimony to one of the most
violent earthquakes to ever shake the west. On Aug. 17 1959 at 11:37 p.m., the Red Canyon fault and the Hebgen fault, both in the
Madison River area, moved simultaneously and triggered an earthquake
that measured 7.5 on the Richter scale. That earthquake forced a massive
landslide that screamed down mountains and hills at about 100 miles per
hour. Tons of rocks and earth crashed into Madison Canyon. The results
were catastrophic. The force of the slide caused a flood and high winds
swept a giant wave downstream. Five people died in the flood alone. The
landslide killed another 28 people. It also dropped the north shore of
Hebgen Lake 19 feet. Cabins on the shore washed into the water as huge
waves crested over Hebgen Dam. Three sections of Highway 287 fell into
the lake, the dam cracked in at least four places and hundreds of
campers were trapped. The landslide eventually stopped, essentially
damming the Madison River and creating Earthquake, or “Quake Lake,” a
190-foot deep, six mile long lake.
My mother remembers this event well, and like to tell this story about that night:
I (meaning me), had climbed into bed with my parents that night, and my mother kept telling me to stop wiggling! In my little four year old voice, I told her that I was not wiggling. She realized that something was wrong, and then heard voices out in the street. She and my father got up to find most of the neighborhood, standing in the street in their pajamas, trying to figure out was was happening. She says it is the only time she saw her neighbors in their pajamas! We lived about 100 miles from the center of the quake and mother said it really shook things up!
It always feels just a bit eery here! These are the tops of trees that were at the edge of the camp ground, where the lake is now.
Then look what we ran into just outside of Quake Lake! They didn't seem to mind us, as the meandered on their way to . . . who knows where!
What a fun vacation - now on to reality!
Hugs,
