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.All Trips / Idaho / North America / Pacific Northwest
Idaho’s Roaring Lochsa River
Idaho has some outstanding whitewater experiences for rafters and kayakers, but few compare with the Lochsa (pronounced lock-saw) River, especially for those looking for a string of seemingly endless rapids. Apparently the fishing is also great, but most people come to run the river, especially in late spring when the water is at its best. At times of peak flow, many of the rapids are class VI (at the limits of navigation), with at least 60 being graded as class III – IV (medium to difficult). The water passing through the river at peak flow is twice that going through the Grand Canyon.
The name Lochsa is a Nez Perce word meaning “rough water”, and rafting it is not for the …
Tagged Lochsa, rafting, River, whitewater
“Pic of the Week”, February 7, 2020: A Winter’s Day in Idaho
While driving through the mountains in the winter can be risky, on a clear day it’s an absolute pleasure to do so, especially if there’s been some recent snow. These photos were taken in in southern British Columbia and northern Idaho.
(Click on thumbnails to enlarge, right arrow to advance)
Feb 6, 2020
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.All Trips / Idaho / North America / Pacific Northwest
Don’t forget to stop at Twin Falls
Most travelers seem in a big hurry to complete their drive on I-84, through the lava fields of the Snake River Plain. Their destinations are often Boise to the north, Yellowstone National Park to the east or Salt Lake City to the south. I’d encourage people to slow down and use Twin Falls as their base of operation if they want to explore places in south-central Idaho like Craters of the Moon National Monument or the Sun Valley area.
Twin Falls is a small, clean neat city — typical of so many in the heartland. It provides very reasonably priced services to travelers (a large …
Tagged desert, Idaho, Snake River, Snake River Canyon, Twin Falls, waterfall
.All Trips / Idaho / North America / Pacific Northwest
In Hemingway’s footsteps: Ketchum and Sun Valley
As we drive north from Twin Falls, through the lava fields, farms and sage, I take in the majestic mountains up ahead as they emerge from the clouds. It’s easy to see why this area had a special place in ‘Papa’ Hemingway’s heart, and why he had chosen this as his final home…it would hard to find a better setting.
I’d first heard of the adjoining twin towns of Sun Valley & Ketchum when reading about one of my favorite writers, Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway was a complicated individual but an extremely talented writer. A man who lived life to the fullest in almost every way — manly outdoor adventure, partying, drinking, and writing about these experiences in …
Tagged Ernest Hemingway, Idaho, Ketchum, mountains, Salmon River, Sun Valley
.All Trips / Idaho / North America / Pacific Northwest
Craters of the Moon National Monument
Sometimes as I reflect on my travels, trends stand out that I might otherwise never have noticed. For example, I’d not have thought myself unusually interested in volcanoes or lava, but in the past year I’ve visited three locations rich in recent volcanic history — Iceland, the Big Island of Hawaii and now the Snake River Plain in Southern Idaho. So at some subconscious level I must be deeply fascinated by volcanism and lava flows.
Idaho is a state rich in natural beauty and is one of my favorite places to explore. It’s a mountainous land (home of its big timber business) with several grand lakes and fertile plains (where all those big potatoes are grown). This …
.All Trips / Idaho / North America / Pacific Northwest
Wallace, Idaho: Center of the Universe!?!
I’ve driven past the picturesque town of Wallace (population 784), nestled in the Idaho Panhandle’s Silver Valley at around 2700′, many times and had always been drawn to the historic buildings and beautiful setting. I remember telling my wife that someday we needed to exit and explore the town. We finally booked a room at the historic Jameson Inn in Wallace and were anxious to visit and explore this small but historic town.
Wallace was born during a mining boom and mining still is important to the economy. Silver was discovered near Wallace in 1884, bringing in hordes of prospectors and the expected secondary tide of merchants, saloon-keepers, bandits and brothels. By the …
.All Trips / Idaho / North America / Pacific Northwest
The Bald Eagles of Lake Couer d’Alene
I live in eastern Washington state, less than an hour’s drive from the Idaho Panhandle, an area I think is one of the prettiest in these United States. There are three huge natural lakes nearby in the Panhandle — Priest Lake, Lake Pend Oreille and Lake Couer d’Alene. All are great tourist destinations, especially in the summer when the weather is warm and dry, providing great recreational opportunities including boating, water-skiing, fishing and kayaking.
Every year between mid-November and mid-January there’s a migration of bald eagles to Lake Couer d’Alene from northern Idaho and the Canadian Rockies (numbering a record 250 eagles this …
.All Trips / Idaho / North America / Pacific Northwest
A Colorful Fall Hike to Blossom Lake
Blossom Lakes are located on the Idaho/ Montana divide, just off the Thompson Pass highway (between Murray, Idaho and Thompson Falls, Montana). There’s an Upper and Lower Blossom Lake and we’d heard this was a good place for a day hike (or short backpacking trip). So on a nice fall day four of us — friends Greg and Oscar; wife Sylvia and your humble correspondent — left Spokane for a pleasant drive through the beautiful landscape of the Idaho panhandle. The road leading to the trail head is paved, of good quality and not very busy, every corner yielding another beautiful vista. There’s a large parking area at the trail head located …
