Tools & Technologies

First event of the summer at Travelers' Rest State Park; visitors learned about traditional tools of the Salish Indians (stone hammers, basket making, toys, woven mats, etc; navigational tools of the Lewis & Clark Expedition; flint napping and stone tools; 20th century logging and foresty tools, and also local bird life, complete with a spotting scope to watch the comings and goings of a pair of nesting woodpeckers.

Kids had the opportunity to make Indian "parfleche" pouches (although theirs were made of of heavy paper instead of rawhide), and plaster casts of animal tracks.

There were presentations of bows, knives and scrapers made from the horns of Rocky Mountain sheep, and everyone had the opportunity to try their hand at the atlatl (a prehistoric spear thrower), which some first-timers did very well!

The weather gods were kind to us and we had beautiful, warm, sunny weather for our entire event. There was a private reception in the visitor center after the event, and just as the reception was ending and folks were heading out, a nasty looking thunderstorm rolled in to take their place. Good timing...

Next month's event will be "Cooking and Food", including a Dutch oven cook-off!