A Guy Went Into an Idaho Rain Forest and Didn’t See Bigfoot, Elvis or Marilyn Monroe

He didn’t find any of those things.  What he did find was a rainforest where he didn’t expect one.  As he pointed out in a 21-minute video, you wouldn’t expect it because of geography, but it’s there.  If you like stunning forest vistas, the video is quite entertaining.  He may have a political spin, but not everything should be judged on our views about government and the outdoors.

It's Spectacular Country

I can vouch for what he’s talking about.  I once took a winding drive from St. Maries to Wallace and it was like nothing else I’ve seen in the state.  There were swamps, tall trees, and quite a variety of species. 

I once talked to a guy who worked for Idaho Fish and Game and remembered something that he said.  It’s like five states in one.  There are deserts, high deserts, mountains, forests, and the Palouse.  You can drive all five in one day. 

Keep in mind that much of that panhandle rainforest burned in the early years of the last century.  It can happen.  Weather varies.

The Big Burn Left Scars Emotionally Too

If I could get political for a moment, and I will, the video mentions the history of logging. It made little impact on the Big Burn, but if you want to prevent a repeat, we’ve learned a great deal about forest management over 115 years.  Clear some of the fuel that ends up on the forest floor.

This isn’t a big challenge.  But we’ll need a whole new generation of lumbermen because the institutional knowledge is long gone.

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