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Ghost Towns of Idaho

As announced, here are some images of three ghost towns dating from the gold rush. Most of them have been inhabited for a few years before new gold discoveries decide to relocate their inhabitants.
 
 
1. First visit at Custer, in Yankee Valley
 
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2. Traditional log construction.
 
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3. This house was built in 1854.
 
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4. Second visited site, Bayhorse. The mill for sorting the ore is still standing. This site was initially very popular for gold – this is the site where the largest amount of gold was extracted at that time (approx. US$ 90 million!) – then silver and copper.
 
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5. Seven coal furnace allowed to produce this essential fuel.
 
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6. Higher in the same valley, the SkyLark mine where a steam freight elevator allowed to bring the ore mined down the valley.
 
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7. One of the Skylark mines.
 
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8. River West of Salmon.
 
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9. I got to spend the night to another hot spring which pools were unfortunately destroyed by the floods of winter…
 
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10. Diagonal…
 
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11. Late afternoon.
 
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12. He turned when I touched his tail… 😉
 
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13. The first Big Horn Sheep I saw.
 
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14. On the road to Lemhi Pass, in typical grasslands of North Idaho and Montana.
 
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15. I spent the night at Lemhi Pass, on the Continental Divide. Beautiful rainy Sunset.
 
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16. Sky like a paint…
 
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17. Amazing clouds while the sun is down since long…
 
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The following will show you a little of Montana, in a few days… 😉
 
 

Idaho (3)

Still discovering Idaho
 
 
1. Sunset from Sunset Peak, above Boise.
 
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2. Trying to reach Deadwood Reservoir, I was one more time stopped by the snow.
 
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3. The altitude marshes are waterlogged…
 
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4. … and rivers overflow.
 
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5. An osprey hunting.
 
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6. I really like these altitude landscapes.
 
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7. Powerfull rapids on the South Fork Salmon River. It’s the only Salmon River that originated 60% of salmons in the Columbia River.
 
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8. The “Elk Meadow” where I spent the night.
 
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9. Here too first flowers appear.
 
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10. Elegance…
 
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11. This marsh is aptly named: this evening, I saw over 50 deers at a time!
 
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12. I try to discreetly approach…
 
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13. … and this time achieved it more or less.
 
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14. Later, I needed more than two hours to make hime accept me and let me take this picture!
 
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15. The next morning, elks are still there.
 
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16. The next day, I made a long walk in grizzly territory to hot springs.
 
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17. By late afternoon, a small detour to the Cape Horn Lake; I train for Patagonia! 😀
 
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18. Kayaking on the beautiful Lake Stanley.
 
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19. VivaLaVida at camp, three yards away from the lake.
 
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The next update will show you some of the gold rush ghost towns”. To come soon…
 
 

Idaho (2)

Not far North of City of Rocks, I did some hikes in the Independance Mountains.
 
 
1. Green pasture.
 
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2. Going up in the mountains, I find the tender green of young leaves again.
 
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3. Snowmelt floods forest roads that borrows VivaLaVida.
 
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4. Color contrasts…
 
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5. The first flowers only appear at this elevation.
 
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6. Bells.
 
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7. Grazing light…
 
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8. A Moose going only hundred yards away.
 
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9. Sunset.
 
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10. Last colors before the night.
 
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11. Early the next day, I went to Independence Lakes, probably the most scorching hike I’ve done since I travel in VLV. 7 hours hike in deep snow, just backbreaking…
 
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12. Back to VLV, I was resting when without warning, this young moose came out of the forest only a few yards. Excitement for both! 😉
 
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13. He walks away, looking at me from time to time.
 
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14. Crossing Okleay.
 
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15. I then continued the road to the north through Boise. In this Memorial Day, I went to see the mountains nearby and the Boise River. Here, a reservoir on the Boise River.
 
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16. Boondocking along this powerfull river.
 
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17. Going upstream the next morning.
 
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18. Descent of Trinity Lakes I have not met, the snow still blocking the pass to access to.
 
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19. Nice small lake at Atlanta ID. Just above is the best hot spring in which I bathed so far!
 
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20. Old cabins in Atlanta, a Gold Rush town still inhabited today.
 
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21. This one looks more “cosy”…
 
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22. … and that one more rustic.
 
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23. The river along which I slept that night…
 
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24. … and a neighboor ! 🙂 It’s an endemic marmott of the Rockies.
 
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Next to come soon.