Over Chief Joseph Pass

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If you look for "Chief Joseph Pass" on a map of Washington, you won't find it. Instead you'll find "Sherman Pass."  I'm just trying to correct what was obviously a mistake.

The good general did end up in Washington State for a time after the Civil War, and, as the Secretary of the Army after Grant was elected to the presidency, he directed the campaign against the native Americans throughout the west. He would famously say, "War is hell." But, like many of his contemporaries, he also believed in giving hell to the Indians wherever they "impeded progress."

So the state lawmakers, in their wisdom, named a beautiful mountain pass after him.

Meanwhile, Chief Joseph tried to lead his people to safety in Canada. With just a handful of warriors protecting hundreds of women and children, he successfully eluded federal troops for months, defeating them repeatedly in running battles, until finally surrendering just short of the border. He famously said, "I will fight no more forever." He lived the rest of his days on the Colville Reservation in Washington.

So the state lawmakers, in their wisdom, named a dam on the Columbia after him.

What? Has to be a mistake.

So for me the pass is Chief Joseph Pass, the dam is Sherman Dam. Makes all the sense in the world to me.

So today the boys and I drove over Chief Joseph Pass to Spokane and back for orthodontist appointments. Isaiah took this shot as we were nearing Republic, the mountain town nestled at the foot of the pass.

 I took some more shots as we climbed...

Reached the summit--at 5,575 feet the highest pass in Washington State--and started down the other side.

Then Jeremiah took the camera, and, after a shot of his current reading material, finally started taking shots out the back of the truck as we wended our way down through the fog and snow.

It was beautiful.

P.S. We're having a thaw. I hope to be fishing before the week is out.