Idaho; More than Potatoes!

So far I've focused most of my posts on the larger parks we have visited. They were the meat of the trip. However, as every steak is enhanced by the condiments, our trip was enhanced by the shorter side trips. This post is a taste of lesser known America.

The drive from the Columbia Gorge to Yellowstone took us through southern Idaho, land of the Spud, but if we expected to find Mr. Potato Head, we would have set our sights too low. Oregon, with it's lush forests and waterfalls, had been beautiful and I hated to say goodbye, but if I was worried about leaving the green of Oregon, I had nothing to worry about. Idaho was lovely, with some unexpected treats.

We stopped in both Twin Falls and Idaho Falls and were glad we did. They are both located in southern Idaho, in an area called Magic Valley. Although they are technically high desert, they are along the Snake River and the settlers developed irrigation to create arable land. This high desert was beautiful, rich farmland.

Twin Falls had a couple of remarkable features.

One was its namesake; the falls along the Snake River. The Shoshone Falls is also known as the Niagara of the West. Beautiful!

In early spring it gushes water on both sides of the falls. The near side had some water running over it the day we were there, but you can see the main path of the Snake River! It was this presence of water that allowed the people to use irrigation for their crops. While we were there, we saw fields being watered constantly. Between dry air, lots of sun, and large fields, keeping the fields properly irrigated was a mighty task. That pull on the river also slows the flow of the falls during the summer.

The gorge was beautiful and the bottom of it had been set aside as a park, and golf course. The road to the bottom was quite steep and long. We saw quite a few exercise enthusiasts who had parked at the bottom, and tested their stamina, walking to the top (or as far up as they could) and then back down again.

Another remarkable feature is that the area looks as though it has sprung a leak! Twin Falls is located on top of one of the world's largest aquifers. Called "Land of 1,000 Springs", a 60-mile drive takes you through countryside where the water is literally running out of the hillsides.

We didn't take that drive but this picture demonstrates the springs.

Notice the waterfall begins in the middle of the cliff!

As I stood in the lush valley and gazed up at the rocky, rugged cliffs, I was reminded of the Garden of Eden. The surrounding terrain was rocky, dry, rugged, but the gorge itself was alive and green. An endless supply of water, the gift of life, sprang from the cliffs and a river ran below. Fields of crops grew on top of the gorge. What else would Adam and Eve have needed? It was paradise, indeed.

The closest we got to finding Mr. Potato Head was when we stopped at the Perrine Memorial Bridge. Apparently, Twin Falls is home to the only bridge in the nation that allows BASE jumping. BASE Jumping is an extreme sport that calls for a person to jump off a cliff, or bridge, free fall, and then pull a parachute cord and float to the bottom. Those guys are either totally crazy, or.... well, just totally crazy! The Perrine Memorial Bridge spans the Snake River. It is 487 feet above the water, has 4 lanes plus pedestrian lanes on either side. BASE jumpers take the pedestrian walkways out into the middle of the bridge, climb over the rails, and then jump!

Watch the bridge closely. There is a tiny speck about 1/2 to 2/3 of the way across. At about 12 seconds in, the speck jumps and goes into a free fall, before pulling his chute.

The day we were there, we saw lots of people walking out on the bridge to jump. After their jump they had to climb back out of  the gorge.

The climb back up!

These are two jumpers I chatted with. The one on the left was in the video. I watched them climb out and then come to the wall to watch other jumpers.

Two BASE Jumpers. (NOT Potato Heads.) Cute, and a little crazy, though. 

I asked one guy who was folding up his chute if he was packing it in preparation for a jump or because he had jumped. He answered, "Both". He had jumped, climbed back up, and was getting ready to go again!

Inside the visitor center is a map with pins that show where jumpers are from. They come from all over the world. We were there for a few hours and BASE jumpers were coming and going the entire time.

Idaho Falls is also on the Snake River but almost to the Montana border. It was originally named Eagle Rock by early settlers who found eagles' nests nearby and used them as landmarks for travelers.

This beautiful sculpture sits near the falls commemorating the wildlife that inhabited the area before people.

The town is now named Idaho Falls for the beautiful falls in the middle of town. The river has been harnessed for energy, but the dam runs along the edge of the river creating an unusual effect. Part of the river runs over the dam, while most of the river keeps going and crosses the dam further down.

  

A lovely riverside park has been created that offers a very peaceful place to spend some time.

Idaho was lovely, but there was more to see. My next post will focus on some terrific places in South Dakota. Until then.....

Happy Reading.

Yellowstone

"Oh give me a home, where the buffalo roam..."

...and I'll know I'm in Yellowstone!

Yellowstone! One word conjures up all sorts of images, but the word itself is recognized the world over. Yellowstone is the United States first National Park, created by an act of Congress in 1872 under the Presidency of Ulysses S. Grant. In the early days, people traveled to Yellowstone by train. In 1903, a train depot was built at the entrance bringing visitors directly to Yellowstone. An arch was built to accentuate the importance of this great park and named for then President, Theodore Roosevelt, who also placed the last stone.

Yellowstone is more than just a park. It is an environment made of a variety of ecosystems and climates.

 It is mountains,

and alpine lakes,

canyons,

Yellowstone River Canyon; the park got its name from the yellow rock in the canyon

Firehole River Canyon

meadows and grasslands,

waterfalls,

Lower Falls on the Yellowstone River

Gibbon Falls

and hot springs.

Beryl Spring

Sapphire Pool

Six rivers, numerous streams and the Continental Divide run through it.

Gardiner River

Gibbon River

And so does the 45th Parallel!

In one day you can experience spring showers,

summer sun,

and winter snow, sleet and hail.

Dunraven Pass

It is buffalo,

and elk,

antelope or deer,

and the harder to find bear, coyote and, wolf.

(We did see a Grizzly down in a ravine, and a coyote at the far side of a meadow. These elusive animals live on in our memory, but not in our camera's eye.)

We were also graced with the presence of this beautiful Trumpeter Swan gliding down Firehole River!

Yellowstone is an amazing place.

It was the next big place on our list of "Most Amazing National Parks" that we were trying to visit.
We came here first about 25 years ago, when our kids were in their teens. My memories were vague. It was time to come back and remember what we had forgotten.

Yellowstone is not a park to try and see in one day. You can hit a few highlights, but there is so much you will miss. The inner road around the park is 153 miles long! This does not include the distance from any of the entrances which can range from 5 miles to 29 miles. We camped in West Yellowstone, a town just outside the park. The west entrance is the most popular entrance. The entrance to the main circle was 14 miles through some of the prettiest buffalo territory in the park.

There were buffalo everywhere. The herds consisted of the ladies and their children, including young males.

Signs warned people (sometimes fruitlessly) to stay back from wildlife. Here, the river separates the animals from the crowds, but buffalo cross the river all the time!

Male buffalo tend to keep to themselves or in small groups.

Cowbirds line up in a row on the back of this male buffalo. Indians used to call them Buffalo Birds. The birds eat ticks off of the animals so they are very beneficial.

Of course the babies were the most fun to watch. We experienced everything from watching them romp and play to nursing from mom.

We will never see the numbers of buffalo that once roamed this great land, but they are no longer on the verge of extinction. They are making a comeback.

Most people plan to visit for a day or two. We spent five days there and saw most of it. Most of it? Yep. Like I said, Yellowstone is big! As much fun as it is to watch the animals, the hot springs are one of the park's biggest draws.

Yellowstone's most famous feature is Old Faithful. Old Faithful isn't the biggest geyser, but it is the only large one that can easily be timed (withing 20 minutes or so.)

Old Faithful in geyser mode!

While most of the attractions are pull-outs or moderate sized parking lots with boardwalks to view the hot springs, Old Faithful is THE attraction, with its own visitor center, snack bar, lodge, etc. The anticipated time of the next 'show' is posted, but can be anywhere from 10 minutes before to 20 minutes after its appointed time. It is a "Guess-timation". We waited about 20 minutes from the posted time, but we were not alone. There are rows of benches almost a third of the way around, and a boardwalk that encircles the geyser so no one will miss the show!

Geysers and hot springs are all over.

Watching the steam rise from the earth as you drive makes you realize you are driving around on what was once a huge volcano and Mother Earth is still venting.

Orange Spring

Some of the springs have left beautiful mineral formations. Others are just steam pots bubbling away.

There are mud pots

And paint pots

geysers,

and hot springs.

I love the yellow flowers that surround this spring. They became a sign for me to look closer whenever I saw them. There was usually a small spring nearby.

And then there is Mammoth Hot Springs! The views below are all part of this huge spring that has two boardwalks on different levels to allow visitors an up-close experience!

I mentioned that we didn't see all of  Yellowstone. Tower Falls is one place I didn't actually see. It was a lovely day when we left the campground. By the time we got to the Tower Falls on the far side of the park there was a half inch of hail on the ground and it was cold, windy and raining. I decided to forgo the hike up to the viewpoint for the falls. Other places were either too busy, or we were trying to get back to the RV to unwind. There comes a time when you say, "I've seen enough. Time for a break."

Yellowstone is a busy park. Although we went before Memorial Day, we had to wait on the road for a space in the parking lot for Midway Geyser Basin. We were told by June 12 it will be almost impossible to get into that basin. There are only three hot springs there, but they are popular ones and the boardwalk is lengthy. The boardwalks are necessary to keep people off the fragile surface around the springs. There are fissures underground and new springs crop up all the time. There are constant warning signs for people to stay ON the boardwalks.

Excelsior Geyser is now dormant as a geyser but it spills 4050 gallons of water per minute, which flows into the Firehole River

The Grand Prismatic Spring is beautiful if you can see it! Birds have the best view. People stood on benches to take selfies hoping the angle down would pierce the steam and give them a good view of the beautiful rainbow colored spring.

For me, I was happy to marvel at the way the sky was reflected in the mineral water runoff that surrounded the spring. It really was beautiful.

The Turquoise Pool was the epitome of beautiful.

Yellowstone teaches a lesson in environmental control. Shortly after we entered the West Entrance we noticed a lot of young growth.

Full grown trees would dwarf this buffalo. These trees are only around 25 years old.

We also noticed an incredible amount of downed tree trunks laying around.

All of it was a result of the 1988 fires. I became really interested in what I was seeing. We came here first in 1990, 2 years after the fires. There was so much burned forest, it was sad. But we also saw the very beginnings of recovery. Blue wildflowers were dotting the hillsides along with little green shoots among the fallen trees. This time there were sign posts telling us more about what we were seeing.

The forest is mostly Lodgepole Pines. Lodgepole Pines grow to 70'-80' and are highly adaptable to all sorts of environments. They grow rather slowly at a rate of 1'-2' a year and hold on to their pine cones until they are quite old, or something causes the cones to open. Fire is one thing that awakens those pine cones. In 1988, the forest was weakened from drought and disease. As the fire burned the old trees, the pine cones burst open, spreading their seeds. 28 years later, I was seeing the return of the forest. Nature takes care of its own!

We also noticed many trees had bark stripped from them about 4-5' from the ground.

Our first assumption was that it was from the elk rubbing the velvet from their antlers. We noticed it was more prevalent in certain areas. In one wooded picnic area, every tree was marked. There had to be more to the story, so we asked a park ranger. We weren't far from the mark. It was actually buffalo that rub their horns against the tree. They also rub their backs against the tree to help get their thick winter coat off!

This rest area reminded us that wildlife come through here. First, there was the markings on the tree, and then we saw the cow patties left in the parking lot!

Before I leave Yellowstone, I want to share just a little of the things that would catch us off guard and make us say "HUH?"... or maybe just "WOW". The truth is, the park is so big, with such a varied story, it is impossible to really show it. (But I gave it a shot!)

Does this single little tree growing out of a rock look as defiant to you, as it does to me?

Speed limit? Make up your own!

A simple reminder the weather can change at any moment...and does!

 In a hurry? Don't go to Yellowstone. The animals own the road here, not you!

Afternoon Siesta in Mammoth Hot Springs

They own the town, too, when they want to.

There are two things that got my attention at this falls. 1) The power and force of that water that just kept coming. Wow! And 2), do you see that tiny tree growing in that falls. HUH? How does it do that? Why hasn't it been swept away?

We spent a lot of time there, and by the day we left, I was ready to move on. We were heading to Cody, Wyoming which was on the eastern side of the park and we had to drive through it again. As ready as I was to go, it was still hard not to stare out the window for that last peak of antelope, or first sighting of a fox or bear. How wise our forefathers were to set aside this wonderful space so that people like me, and my grandchildren, can enjoy it the way it was 100 years ago!