D-Day + 80 Years with the M1 Carbine in the Coeur d'Alene Mountains

I usually try to go to the range on holidays with military significance, especially Memorial Day, D-Day, and Veterans Day.  This year I was able to shoot on both Memorial Day and D-Day, but didn't have time to write about Memorial Day.  Since I didn't take any photos anyway, my range report is short:  It was "GI Bringback Day".  I took several pistols to the range that day, all of them German pistols that were used in WWII and brought home as souvenirs by returning GIs.  Entries about those pistols will have to wait for a future range session when I shoot them again.

For D-Day, I was out in the mountains rather than a dedicated firing range, but I made sure to shoot! Shortly after Memorial Day I left for a week-long trip that included several days of camping in the Coeur d'Alene Mountains.  These mountains extend eastward from where I live all the way to the Montana border, about 60 miles away.  Nearly all of that land is either National Forest or BLM land, which is part of why I wanted to live here. But despite their close proximity, I have actually spent relatively little time exploring them.  I had a week in June to fit in a backcountry trip, and I decided it was time to explore closer to home.

I started off with a visit with my sister in Montana, during which we visited the site of the Circle Eight Ranch where we vacationed with our family in the 1970s.  The ranch is now owned by the Nature Conservancy and is called the Pine Butte Ranch.  We explored the old buildings and reminisced about the history of the ranch and our time there.  I didn't take many photos, but this framed piece hanging in the lodge caught my eye:

A poignant appeal for conservation.

I left for home on Wednesday morning, so my exploratory camping trip actually proceeded from east to west, on my way home.  That worked out very well, and I saw some very pretty country.

Wednesday, 5 June 2024

This day started off in Bigfork, Montana at my sister's home.  We had a nice breakfast, and I packed up and left with plenty of time to get into the mountains and find a place to camp.  I drove around Flathead Lake on US-93, then turned west on Montana 28.  When I got to Montana 200, I turned north toward Clark Fork instead of south toward St. Regis, from whence I'd come.  The drive up the Clark Fork River was beautiful.  I saw some unexpected signs warning about bighorn sheep, which was interesting.  This route was extensively used by Indian tribes on their annual trips east to the buffalo hunting grounds, and was also an important travel and trade route for the Hudson's Bay company fur traders.

You don't see a sign like this every day!

This was not the optimum season to see sheep, but it was interesting anyway.

As soon as the highway crossed over to the west bank of the river at Thompson Falls, I turned off onto MT 471 and headed into the mountains.  It was getting late enough in the day that I wanted to find a campsite, and I didn't go too far into the woods before I found a nice level place where I could get off the road behind some trees and have a peaceful, isolated place to spend the night.

CDA Mts Jeep Camp 1

The forest here was relatively open, so I could see for some distance.  As I sat in my chair relaxing, a couple of mule deer got curious and came surprisingly close to me.  I kept expecting them to panic and bound away, but they just came closer and closer, checking me out, until they were no more than 20 or 30 feet away.  Then, curiosity apparently satisfied, they wandered off again at their leisure.  They never did break and run the way I'd expected them to do.

Later that evening I caught a motion out of the corner of my eye and looked up to see a black bear walking through the forest.  It stopped to look at me and I saw the distinctive outline of its head and ears.  I reached for my binoculars, but it disappeared behind some trees before I could get a closer look.  My rangefinder told me that it had been about 125 yards away when I spotted it.  I spent a very pleasant evening enjoying the gradual nightfall, finally feeling tired enough to go to bed around 2300.  The long summer days make for short nights!

Thursday, 6 June 2024

I awoke around 0500 and got up shortly after that as it was light and I wanted to get going.  I was expecting a heavy dew, but was surprised to see that the droplets on my sleeping bag were actually frozen!  

The microfiber shell of this Western Mountaineering bag works just as advertised, beading up the moisture even though it is not technically waterproof.

I took my time with breakfast and packing up, giving the sun a chance to dry off the dew.  While I was drinking my coffee and loading the Jeep, I heard a vehicle drive up a couple of hundred yards away.  It parked, and I could see glimpses of a red pickup truck through the trees. A little later, three people with backpacks on came walking slowly through the woods, keeping abreast of each other and talking loudly as they scrutinized the ground around their feet.  I have no idea what they were doing, but their situational awareness was nil, as they passed within a few yards of me and didn't even notice me.  I later surmised they might have been looking for Morels, but I'll probably never know.

I got back on MT 471 and drove up over Thompson Pass into Idaho.  I didn't realize until I got to the top that I had already been there once from the other side.  The top of this pass is the location of the trailhead to Revett Lake, where we hiked with Tillie a couple of years ago.  I just hadn't made the connection yet.  Shortly after crossing the pass, I came to a roadside spring that had been diverted into a pipe for convenient drinking, so naturally I had to stop and have a drink (several, in fact!).

My old Sierra Club cup is still in service. There is nothing quite like it for getting a drink from an ice-cold  mountain stream!

I continued on down the highway (now Idaho 9) to the former mining town of Murray, which was one of my planned stops on the trip.  I have been reading a book about the Coeur d'Alenes Gold Rush, and wanted to drive through some of the areas where mining activity had been most prevalent.  Murray, Eagle, and Pritchard were all on my list to see.

Murray is a tiny little town that seems to trade primarily on its status as a former mining hotspot.  There are a couple of restaurants, some historic buildings, and a few homes.  I stopped into the Sprag Pole Inn and Museum to see what it had to offer.  

It doesn't look very big from the street, but looks can be deceiving.

It was lunchtime, but I decided to visit the museum first.  I later thought that perhaps I should have done it the other way around, as the museum was deceptively large, with room after room of displays that just kept going.  A lot of it is simply shelves of stuff (some might say "junk", other would say "artifacts"), loosely organized by theme.  There were shelves and shelves of bottles, mugs, pitchers and washbasins, photos, knickknacks, household items, tools, office equipment, advertising signs, etc etc - you name it.  It had the feel and musty smell of a small town antique store, with some specific organized exhibits interspersed throughout.  Interesting examples included a recreation of the room of "Molly B-Dam", a local "lady of the evening" who lived a colorful life and became a beloved local personage due to her charity and benevolence towards the sick; a local woodcarver of some renown, a barber shop, an office of some sort, etc.  There was an exhibit on dredging and hard rock mining that was quite good, as well as another one on forestry/lumber that was well done.  

I finally made my way back out to the restaurant/bar and ordered a patty melt and fries (why settle for peanut butter when I'm in town?).  It was a *very* generous serving that I was barely able to finish.  I was pretty sure I would not want dinner that evening. My table included an interesting item on the wall: 

A part of frontier history.

The former gold rush towns of Murray, Eagle City, and Pritchard were all along the same road. I had intended to visit all of them, but it turned out that only Murray is actually still visibly a town.  I passed right through the former site of Eagle City without realizing it, until I came to the former site of Pritchard at a T-shaped intersection. I backtracked to the site of Eagle City and turned up the road, as I also wanted to visit a site I had seen labeled on my USFS map as “Grove of Ancient Cedars”.

The trailhead seems to promise an interesting hike on a well-maintained trail.

The Settler’s Grove of Ancient Cedars was a pleasant drive up the road along Eagle Creek.  The road terminated in a parking area that has a restroom and a park bench at the start of a hiking trail. Some cedars were visible as I approached, and from the parking area, but I suspect the really ancient ones are father up the trail.  I did not hike it due to time limitations, and also because I thought this might be a place I could bring my wife for a day hike. The trail seems well-maintained and the first part did not seem too steep or demanding.  A family with young children arrived and started up the trail as I was preparing to depart.

I continued my drive into the mountains with no particular destination, examining the map to see what might be of interest as I made my way west towards home.  I noticed a terrain feature that promised an interesting view, so I decided to go there.  Once I arrived, I decided that this is where I would camp for the night.  I felt pretty good about having found it with no prior guidance or recommendation. My experience backpacking as well as my years as a combat engineer in the Army have given me a pretty good eye for terrain, and the ability to read a map and visualize the lay of the land. It really paid off this time, with spectacular views all around!

The view to the east.

Looking southeast

Looking south

The view to the southwest

Looking west

Looking northwest

Since it was D-Day, I fired a few rounds through the M1 Carbine I'd brought along.  The M1 Carbine is one of my favorite military firearms.  Its history is a remarkable example of American industrial mobilization for World War II, and besides that, it's fun to shoot!

U.S. Carbine, Caliber .30, M1

In 1940, the War Department issued specifications for  "Light Rifle" and requested submissions of designs for testing. It was supposed to weigh no more than five pounds and fire an intermediate cartridge.  The rifle was intended for soldiers who needed something with which to fight if necessary, but whose primary job was not infantry combat and thus did not require a full-size battle rifle (e.g. clerks. cooks., truck drivers, etc.).  It was also intended for soldiers manning crew-served weapons (machineguns, mortars, artillery, etc) for the same reason. The rifle was to fire a modified pistol cartridge that became known as the .30 Carbine.  After months of testing, the Winchester design was selected.  An engineering team from the Inland Division of General Motors worked with Winchester to adapt the design for mass production.

The rifle was eventually produced by ten prime contractors, with parts made by hundreds of subcontractors.  Over six million were produced during the years 1942-1945, making it the most-produced U.S. small arm in history.  It was lightweight and handy, and was also adopted by the Airborne as a primary weapon.   The M1 Carbine has a long and colorful history, and is an object of considerable collector interest.

I have a modest collection of these carbines myself, for both historical interest and for their utility.  The carbine I took on this trip was an early Inland (manufactured in about August 1942).  It happens to be the first M1 Carbine I ever acquired, bought at a gun show in Michigan in the late 1980s for $120.  It has been my "camp carbine" ever since, accompanying me on camping trips to provide both camp security and shooting enjoyment.

For this shooting session to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, I set up two Appleseed 100-yard Rimfire KD targets at a distance of 25 yards.  These simulate the appearance of a full-size Appleseed silhouette target at 100 yards.   I then fired ten shots at each target, while sitting at my camp table ("from the bench").

Always good to get out the old carbine and give it some exercise!

49-4V and 50-6-V, for a total of 99-10V.  I can live with this, but it is interesting to compare these groups (10 MOA and 8 MOA, respectively) with the group I shot from a more stable rest 2 days later.

I put the rifle away, made dinner, and once again enjoyed a peaceful and relaxing evening as the sun set, and eventually turned in for a perfect night sleeping under the stars.  

I never get tired of watching sunsets in the mountains.

The Haven RidgeLight is handy when I need to work after dark.

Friday, 7 June 2024

After breakfast I finished my coffee and updated my trail journal while sitting out on the rocks enjoying the view.

Quite a view for morning coffee!

I was reluctant to leave, but there was more to see.   I headed west through the Coeur d'Alene mountains, continuing to explore and hoping to find another special place to spend the night.  The further west I got, however, the more people I began to encounter.  This is natural, as I was getting closer to population centers and also starting to travel on wider, better-maintained forest roads.  Although I prefer silence and solitude, I didn't really mind too much, aside from the fact that many of these people seemed completely oblivious to the fact that they were kicking up enormous dust clouds as they drove by.  Some people are courteous and slow down, but others just blast by and leave you choking on their dust.  I began to consider closing the top of the Jeep and rolling up the windows, but that kind of defeats the purpose of being there.

I was getting discouraged and starting to think I would just drive all the way home, but then I came to an intersection that allowed me to turn onto a less well-traveled road, so I went that way.  I was still wondering whether to just go all the way home when I saw a two-track that went to my left across a stream, and disappeared. I decided to follow it to see where it went.  It ended up leading me into a large meadow with several good places to camp, fairly well screened from the road I'd been on.  I decided that this would be my campsite for the night.  It turned out to be very peaceful and quiet.

I was reminded of a favorite poem that I'd first read in "The Complete Walker" over 50 years ago:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

     - Walt Whitman

Saturday, 8 June 2024

The next morning I decided to stay in the same place, and take advantage of the large meadow for a shooting range.  I was able to set up a 100 yard range with a safe backstop (the mountain!).  I was firing parallel to the road, with the only entrance to the area behind my firing line, so it was extremely unlikely that anyone could cross my line of fire without passing by me.

I had brought along my Birchwood Casey portable shooting bench and a collapsible sunshade, as well as some target stands.  I set it all up and proceeded to spend the day shooting at my impromptu range!

My portable shooting bench in use. It is rock-solid and stable, especially with the Caldwell rest I used. Its utility is evident in the difference between the groups I shot here and the groups I shot simply resting my elbows on the portable camp table.

I started with a 100-yard Service Rifle target scaled for 100 yards. The first group from the Ruger 10/22 was high.  My IMC calculations produced the second group, which will serve for a 100-yard zero.  IMC works!  If you want to know more, come to a Project Appleseed shoot.   

Establishing my 50-yard zero for the Ruger 10/22

The Birchwood Casey bench includes an adjustable swivel rest for a rifle, but I prefer the more stable Caldwell rest. It also has handy pockets for miscellaneous stuff and a drink, plus a hook for binoculars or whatever. Both the tabletop and the seat swivel around the central post and can be secured with large set screws.  I’d love to set this up near a prairie dog town!

The bench is easily broken down. All the pieces fit into a duffel bag, except the table top.

The M1 Carbine from the bench at 100 yards held a 6” (6 MOA) group on this 20” wide (man-size) target. 6 MOA  translates to 18" at 300 yards, the required maximum effective range for the M1 Carbine in the original design specifications.  This target also illustrates the utility of IMC in comparing groups shot at different distances.

My last target was just for fun - ten shots at the steel plate in a standing offhand position  at 50 yards.  Ten shots, ten hits.  The .30 M1 Carbine will do the job!

Well satisfied with the day's shooting, I packed away all the shooting equipment in anticipation of heading home in the morning.  I then enjoyed a quiet evening in camp, taking some time to remember and mentally thank the men who carried rifles like mine into combat to secure our freedom.

Sunday, 9 June 2024

After a good night's rest sleeping under the stars (no roof any night on this trip - I was very lucky with the weather!), I loaded up for the last time to head west out of the mountains and go home.  My plan was to make my way to the Fernan Saddle, and drive down Fernan Lake road past our home range and back out of the National Forest and into  Coeur d'Alene.

Predictably, the farther west I got the more people there were, until it seemed like Grand Central Station.  The Forest Service has done a good job of maintaining access roads along the rivers in this area, and there were many people camped out along them.  I can understand the need for this, as people have limited time and want to get away for the weekend.  But it's certainly not my first choice for camping.  

I slowed down to a crawl each time I came upon an occupied roadside campsite, so as not to be kicking up too much dust.  I was really disgusted by all the yo-yos who were tearing around at high speeds on their ATVs or in their closed-in air-conditioned trucks, sending thick clouds of dust rolling into these campsites (and into my Jeep),  blanketing everything and everyone with grit.  I felt badly for the people camping there, and felt grateful that I have the flexibility to spend enough time to get away from the crowds to the less-travelled, more isolated areas.

I finally gave in to the inevitable, and stopped to close the top on my Jeep.  From then on, whenever I saw another vehicle approaching I just rolled up the windows, then put them down again when I emerged from the dust cloud.  The rest of my drive home was uneventful, and I came home relaxed and happy after a worthwhile week spent doing all the things I enjoy most.  

Mood: Happy

Music: Silence