Imnaha Ending...24º

Not Pat's favorite thing.

We navigated the suspension bridge back across the Imnaha river after refueling our tummies and continued south exploring the upper Imnaha...Janie has stories to tell, not only about Mary Marks and the homesteaders but also about her and husband Doug...About the old days when Doug had cattle and Forest Service allotments...She talked about cow camps, brandings, gathering cattle and moving cattle both spring and fall, to best use the land...Good times and hard times that make up ones life.

So many things in the canyon have outlived their usefulness, such as in the photo below is the remains of an old "root cellar", a must for every homestead...Some were made of stone and a few still stand, this one made of logs and rocks, no longer usable, just a reminder of days gone by.

Dilapidated Root Cellar 

Forest Service, College Creek Guard Station, seldom used.

We continue as far south as the Imnaha Grange Hall, a stately building no longer used...At one time it was the life blood of this valley, with people coming on horseback or horse and buggy bringing families and food for a night of dancing and socializing...Up until just a few years ago this tradition continued only now people arrived by car...Granges are dying out all over our country as life changes and we find new activities to fill our busy lives...Although the Imnaha Canyon has little access to the internet or cell phones the people that live there have more connection to the outside world, making more trips to Wallowa Valley and beyond...Improved roads and cars make the travel much easier than in the late 1800's when the homesteaders arrived.

Imnaha Grange Hall

In wrapping this up I must include a couple of things...First a grade school K thru 8 is still educating children before they are bused out to Joseph to attend high school and second a church was built in Imnaha about 15 years ago after services were held for many years in the grade school.

Another photo shows what changes only with the seasons...Breath taking views everywhere one looks.

There is so much more to tell but I will stop for now and recommend that a good book for the coming winter is "Four Lines A Day" written by Janie Tippett...Hugs To All...OWAV:)

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