DAY TRIPPING TO CAMPBELL'S FERRY

I lived at Campbell's Ferry on the Salmon River for a month, about 34 years ago.  I was there with an old mountain woman, Frances Wisner, 38 years my senior.   I was 29, Frances was 67.  My daughter Katy, then 8 years old was also with me.  I learned many things from Frances that year.  The one thing that has stayed with me is:   "one must learn to be content with day to day living, whatever that life might be."

Frances and dog Gretchen by the woodpile:  circa 1979

 

Lorrie & Katy on the Salmon River:  circa 1979

 

This day trip started with the Wednesday morning mail plane. Ray picked me up at 9:00 Wednesday morning, August 29th.  We flew about 30 miles up river to Campbell's Ferry.  The Ferry airstrip is one of the more difficult on the Salmon River as it is short and  an uphill landing. 

Flying up river to the Ferry in the Cessna . . . looking up  river into the Salmon River Canyon . . .

 

Landing the Cessna at the Ferry . . . It started sprinkling as we approached the airstrip. . . .

 

I had breakfast with Phyllis and Doug Tims and their Vizsla, Rita.  The are now the owners of Campbell's Ferry. They have had it since some time in the 80s.  Doug and Phyllis have transformed Frances' cabin into a museum of sorts.  Over the past few months I have been sending them some of Frances' things which I took with me after her death in 1986.  I had her oil lamp base, a few tin dishes, the antlers which hung over her bedroom door, her pencil case and a few books.  This time I took them the last of the things I was to donate to the cabin, the oil lamp base and the antlers.  There is  a web site now for the Ferry found at  www.campbellsferry.org .   Doug and Phyllis have also written a book, Merciless Eden, which is an historical account of Campbell's Ferry and all who lived there.  More information about the book can be found at  www.mercilesseden.com.

Phyllis, Doug and their Vizsla pup Rita at the cabin . . . ..

 

After breakfast we walked down to Frances' cabin where Doug hung the antlers over Frances' bedroom door. 

Frances' cabin at Campbell's Ferry  . . . .

 

Another view of the front of the cabin . . .

 

Doug mounts the antlers over Frances' bedroom door . . . .

 

Frances' leather chaps . . .donated back to the Ferry cabin by Marlene West

 

Frances' desk area in the back of the cabin where she sat most of the day .  . wrote and smoked :-)

 

I played a few fiddle tunes for Doug and Phyllis . . . the first I had ever played in that cabin . . . Irish Washerwoman and Haste to the wedding.  Back in 1978 I played those tunes with my friend Linda Wolfe Karki who was there visiting with Frances at the time.  Linda grew up on the River at Rhett Creek, just a few miles down River from Campbell's Ferry.

 

Me and my fiddle  in Frances' cabin. . . sitting on a chair made by Jim Moore

 who lived across the river from Frances in the 40s.

 

Linda Wolfe Karki playing fiddle at a party at Buckskin's:  circa 1987?

 

I sat on the oven door of the great Majestic woodstove that sits in the cabin kitchen.  I used to sit there with the woodstove warm.  Frances called this the warmest seat in the cabin.  The Majestic was floated down the river on a wooden scow (wooden raft of sorts) back in the 40's I think. 

 

...

 The Majestic Woodstove . . .  It is the biggest woodstove I have ever seen . . .

 

Oven door  of the Majestic, where I sat and talked with Frances on cold days . . . .

 

I took a walk by myself down to the pack bridge built in the 50s that replaced the actual cable ferry, hence the name Campbell's Ferry for the ranch.  It is named after the individual who ran the first ferry across the river.

Pack Bridge at Campbell's Ferry crossing the Salmon River . . .

 

Trail Marker for the pack bridge . . .

 

I had lunch with Doug and Phyllis at their cabin near the airstrip.  We talked of my days living with Frances and they showed me videos and pictures of the 100th birthday party/friends and family reunion which they had at the ferry for Frances back in June of this year.

 

Gathering at Campbell's Ferry celebrating Frances' 100th birthday, June 2013 . . .

 

Ray came to pick me up at 1:30 in the afternoon.  Around Mackay bar he took the Cessna down to the river - about 10 or 20 feet about the water.  We cruised from there to Polly Bemis Ranch whereupon Ray banked the plane up and over Shepp Ranch.  We viewed the airstrip to be sure it was clear and had a safe landing. 

 

Take off  of the Cessna off the Ferry airstrip . . .

 

Flying high above the Salmon River . . . .

 

Flying 10-20 feet above the surface of the Salmon River . . ..

 

Approach . . . Scouting the Shepp Ranch airstrip for game or stock  . . . .

 

It was an emotional day for me.  I had not been back to the Ferry since my days as a young woman.  I have many poignant memories there of love lost, time with Frances and special days with my daughter Katy.

 

And life goes on.

 

This is Katy, now at age 40, a small animal veterinarian practicing in Freeport Maine . . .