Trish & Phill's Tandem TransAmerican

Tour 2003 

Jul 10 Jackson - Darby 79mi

The mosquitoes are extreme but patchy,  I think it may be due to the fact that a lot of Ranches here use water irrigation channels. The rainfall is low so water run off is used to flood the paddocks and green up the grass that cows will eat. They also have large reticulation systems going. The still water in some of the channels must allow mosquitoes to breed, well that's my theory anyway. The other day we have saw for the first time Sheep in a field for the whole of this trip so far, I have not seen Lamb on a menu yet.

We passed over Chief Joseph Pass today 7241'. Just an hour before that we called into the Historical site of Big Hole Battlefield. This is the site were Government soldiers killed about 90 (mostly women and children) Nez Perce Indians. Chief Joseph was a peace maker of that tribe and was forced to flee the scene with his people leaving the dead and dying behind them. This was a tragic incident for the Indians. The Park Rangers tell the story of the battle in great detail. The participants had been invited back to the scene and recorder the events 20 or 30 years latter. 

By the time we got to the top of the pass we were really tired such a long steep climb, Phill just had to lie down.

The down hill side of Chief Joseph pass was very steep and we stopped several times to allow the brakes to cool however the scenery was worth stopping for 

Page owned & maintained by Trish Collins email to  trishphill@aapt.net.au.  Last Updated 28/07/2003