Orofino, ID Hillside Letter "O" - Rattlesnakes, Thorny Flowers & Barbed Wire Fences!

The hike to the Orofino, Idaho hillside letter "O" was not for the faint of heart! Letter Ladies Martha, Dawn and Rena tackle what looks like an "easy" hillside letter, but turns out to have way more challenges!

The Orofino, Idaho "O" is located on a hillside above the Orofino High School. According to local historian Tammy, who works at the Clearwater Historical Museum, the current high school was built in 1971/1972. And she believes that the hillside letter "O" was constructed about the same time. The Clearwater Historical Museum offers a ton of great information about this history rich area of Idaho. Here is a link to their website. https://www.clearwatermuseum.org/

The Orofino High School mascot is The Maniacs. Why The Maniacs? One theory is because the state mental health hospital is located in Orofino, Idaho. And yes, they are still in operation. A second theory, offered by Ron at The Clearwater Historical Museum contends that in the early 1900's Orofino didn't have a mascot. During a basketball game, the players came out screaming and rambunctious, so much so that the opposing team called them the "Maniacs". And the name stuck. If you know the origin for the Orofino High School mascot, The Maniacs, let us know by leaving a comment. We love to learn history about the hillside letters we hike!

OK, back to the hike! Early August in Idaho is usually filled with wildfires and smoke. The major fires down by Orofino had been put out or put under control days before the Letter Ladies went down for their hike. It was still smokey, but not as bad as it could have been. And, of course, it was HOT....very, very hot. And kind of muggy, which is unusual.

The hike to the hillside letter "O" looked very straight forward, but of course it was not. The first attempt was by the water tower. But the barbed wire fence was very much intact. So, the Letter Ladies decided to try a different approach via a road to the west of the "O".

The gravel road led to a trail that took the Ladies to the top of the hill above the "O". But, what looked like an easy hike turned out to be riddled with challenges. First, there was the threat of rattlesnakes. So Dawn and Rena used their walking sticks to hit the ground and alert any snakes that might be hiding in the tall weeds and grass. Second, let's talk about the weeds and grass!! The weeks were these beautiful flowers with LONG THORNS. Oh my! Yellow Star Thistle! Not a fun thing to hike through in shorts or a dress! And the "grass" was a very fine, slippery grass. So, that was a challenge.

Finally, this hillside letter was surrounded by a 4 wire barbed wire fence. No matter which way, there would be a climb through a fence. Luckily, the Letter Ladies are still fairly agile and could get through the fence with not too much trouble.

The Orofino, Idaho hillside letter "O" is constructed of white metal. A very smart way to construct a hillside letter as it doesn't need yearly maintenance.

The Letter Ladies explore hillside letters to learn about the rich history and to go on a fun hike. And, when there is a hot springs near by, they are sure to go for a soak.

Subscribe to The Letter Ladies YouTube channel to learn more about hillside letters. Visit the Letter Ladies Instagram @letterladieshiking.

Next time you are driving out west, and you see a hillside letter, stop and take a moment to appreciate all the work, time, and community spirit that has gone into these symbols of community pride. And if you have a chance to soak in hot springs, please remember to be respectful of these natural treasures.

Shot on my Samsung S21 FE Phone, on our new DJI Mini 3 Drone (still trying to be brave and fly the drone higher!!!), and on my super brand new DJI Osmo Pocket 3 (still learning how to use it!)