From Flathead Lake, the Flathead river flows south and then west to merge with the Clark Fork river near Paradise, Montana. Then their combined water flow northwest as the Clark Fork river and for just over one hundred miles until it flows into Lake Pend Oreille, in Idaho.

From Lake Pend Oreille, the Pend Oreille river flows west in northern Idaho and then into Washington were it turns north and flows towards Canada. Once it crosses into Canada, it turns west again and then converges with the Columbia river less than one mile before the Columbia crosses into the US.

The Pend Oreille river is also called the Clark Fork of the Columbia River, which would make the Clark Fork river a total of 440 miles long.

Columbia River, British Columbia, CAN, 49.003611, -117.620278

Lake Pend Oreille, Idaho, 48.238889, -116.606944

Rocky Mountains in Idaho, Washington, and Canada

Northern Rockies of Idaho, Washington, and British Columbia

130 miles

Clark Fork, Pack River, Priest River, Salmo River

The Little Pend Oreille river is a tributary of the Colville river which merges with the Columbia river 45 miles downstream on the Columbia river from where the Pend Oreille merges with it.

After a week in Ponderay, Idaho, I awake, drive to the d-mart to purchase a carton of coconut milk and then drive south on US 2 to Sandpoint, Idaho, then east on US 2 along the north side of the Pend Oreille river across the rest of Idaho. I have chosen to drive to the Washington coast because it has become much to hot here for me to stay any longer. In fact, the last few nights have not cooled off below 80 degrees until after ten each evening.

As I drive along the river, I notice that this area of the Northern Rockies holds true to the ecoregion description, that is of being a well watered region. I am so impressed of how green it actually is here, especially since this continent has been in a prolonged multi-decade drought. I continue along this river taking photos often, which shows just how widespread this green belt actually is.

Just before I cross into Washington, I cross to the south bank of the Pend Oreille and enter Newport, Washington. Here, I stop at a ff-mart and purchase a cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich. Then, I turn off of US 2 onto SH 20 and continue along the south bank of the Pend Oreille river within this same green belt flowing upwards along either side from the valley to the mountains.

When I arrive in Tiger, Washington, turn left past the Tiger Store, leave the Pend Oreille river, begin climbing up into the mountains, stopping to look at a couple of National Forest campgrounds but do not stay as they are much too expensive. I do stop at Crystal Falls viewpoint on the Little Pend Oreille river and take a couple of photos.