I feel lucky to live in a state with lots of beautiful scenery, including large stretches of wild, free-flowing rivers. One of these is the Clearwater River.
These photos were taken along the Middle Fork of the Clearwater, which is formed on the western slope of the Bitterroot Mountains by the confluence of the wild Selway and Lochsa Rivers. It has stretches of whitewater, but mostly provides for a nice summer time float. The river’s water is exceptionally clean — hence its name.
The river is a migration route for Pacific chinook salmon. It’s part of the traditional territory of the Nez Perce tribe, whose ancestors have lived in these valleys for about 10,000 years.
The hills surrounding the river are formed of volcanic rocks, which in areas display prominent lava columns.
