Lemhi River & Sacagawea Center

Putting the design on the eraser before carving.

Letterboxing

One of the things that I researched was letterboxes. Linda Varonin introduced me to this hobby, and I needed to carve a new stamp for myself, since my original one had been lost in the Great Move.

It was pleasant to sit at one of the tables in the local park by the rushing river, munching on an outstanding crisp almond croissant from the local "Odd Fellows Bakery" and carve my new stamp from a lowly eraser. It's not the best medium for doing this, but it works.

Finished stamp.

Carving is a little nerve-wracking because if you make a mistake, there's no going back. Once a piece has been removed, it's gone forever. If the knife slips, you either have to start over, or just live with it.

My letterbox handle is "LarkspurLass."

Sacagawea Interpretive Center

I wanted to visit the Sacagawea Interpretive Center anyway, but having a letterbox hidden there was an added incentive to go and explore. The Center is located there because the Lemhi Valley is the birthplace of this remarkable woman. Captured by the Hidatsa when she was about young, she was married to Jean Paul Charbonneau a French trapper when she was only 13. Charbonneau was hired by Lewis & Clark, so he and Sacagawea acted as guides for the expedition. She walked thousands of miles as a teenager, had a baby en route, and was instrumental to the success of the explorers because of her facility with languages, familiarity with the landscape and other tribes. She died when she was only 25 years old, although this is uncertain and there are other claims that she died in 1884 rather than 1812. Regardless, it's an amazing story.

Pair of Sandhill Cranes at the Sacagawea Center

This is a shoulder season, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that the Center was actually open, even though hours were not posted as such. So I got to see the exhibits and buy a few postcards, as well as chat with Carmen, the friendly and informative lady who was there. 

The Center emphasizes education, so there is a lot of information that's oriented towards kids. One little boy was quite fascinated by the flintlock rifle there: "It WORKS!" he exclaimed delightedly, showing off his prowess in firearms by pointing it out the window and pulling the trigger. He was also very pleased to wear the coonskin cap, prancing around with rifle in hand. It was impossible not to smile.

Aigadika sweat lodge

In the summer, the Center expands their offerings to teach workshops flint knapping, basketweaving, and other native arts. I would love to attend!

Besides indoor exhibits, you can wander along several outside interpretive trails. There are examples of several different Aigadika Shoshone structures: tipis, wikiups and even a sweat lodge; a log cabin and corral; and a wealth of information on natural history, especially on salmon and various roots, which were so important to the local tribes as a food source.

I was excited to see a couple of sandhill cranes, a robin, a mourning cloak butterfly and a number of other birds and animals.

Pretending to get into the "gah tine"
through the "mother poles"

And I found the hidden letterbox!

It was with some regret that I left to head north to Missoula, but I'd told Ted and Michele that I'd be there in the late afternoon. I WILL be back to explore Traveler's Rest and some of the other areas that I didn't have an opportunity to visit on this trip...

I'm beginning to sound like Arnold Schwarzenegger with the familiar refrain, "I'll be back!"

Robin -- not an unusual species,
but I'm getting the hang of the camera!

Lemhi River and Bitterroot Range
from near "Grandma Maudie's" letterbox