Smurf Turf

Since we were just down the road in Boise, we wanted to get a picture of the famous (or infamous) blue football field at Boise State University. Their football team is a pre-season pick for national championship contention, so when they say their practice is closed to the public, they get pretty protective. We had asked a fellow about just getting a pic of the field, and he seemed to think if we did it quickly, it would be OK. As soon as we approached the glass observation area with our cameras, a couple of staff members exhibited concern, and one left the football field to "greet" us. We told him our story, and let us take one quick shot, and after a little less than cordial small talk, we were on our way. It seems like it would be a very fun place to watch a college game.

Reptile scare

So the guy camped next to us is a local that has been coming here for 35 years, back when the place was called Rattlesnake Canyon. He relates that this place holds more rattlesnakes than any other that he has seen. So when the wife lets out a shriek as we're folding up the tent, you wish you had warned her as you had thought about and intended to do. At first glance, the little reptile discovered under the tent corner caused a brief scare. But he was lethargic enough to get a pic - I then picked him up and set him up on a rock in the sun where I was able to snap another picture before he warmed up and scooted off.

Charlcie's Birthday present

Although Charlcie had already picked out her birthday presents, we were not where we could go out to dinner to celebrate. She just wanted me to catch a suitable fish for her to photograph for her birthday. So there are several different images that show just how special the rainbow trout are that reside here - besides the brilliant colors, they are defined by very pronounced spots, which set them apart. I only caught one - an 18" beauty that made my day.

South Fork Boise River - Anderson Ranch Dam

A fantastic fly-fishing destination that doesn't get much attention (not bad), but after reading about it in a couple of fly-fishing mags, decided to try it. And we were not disappointed! Another one of those imposing high-dessert canyons, down a steep, dirt, switchback road, to the oasis at the bottom. Even if there was no intention of fishing, we would have had a great time. Had a little time to observe and contemplate life, but as you will see from the views from all angles, not too much to think about other than being so blessed to be able to do what we are doing!

Shoshone Falls

Canyons, mountains, waterfalls - so many, so spectacular that you quickly run out of superlatives to describe them. Shoshone Falls are higher than Niagra Falls, just over a mile up-river from where Evel Knievel failed in his attempt to "jump" the Snake River canyon. The smoke that engulfed the area was so thick that although appearing as a cloudy day, it was actually clear and sunny, with the smoke providing the shield from the sun - and creating a kind of eerie quality to the atmosphere (and the pictures). If you are ever out this way, you need to see this area - as mentioned, there are many other waterfalls, etc. to see, but we had to move on to get to cleaner air.

Snake River Canyon

Similar to the White River in Missouri and Arkansas, the Snake River crosses the entire state of Idaho and in to Montana. Offering so many scenic canyons and countless quality fishing opportunities, an entire vacation and more could be spent exploring this river. Our first encounter was while heading to the Boise area and knowing that we were going to do a side trip around Twin Falls area to see Shoshone Falls, as recommended by our relatives in Ogden - and are we glad we did! The pictures will look a little hazy due to the smoke from dozens of lightning-sparked fires all across southern Idaho. We didn't fully explore this area as some samll towns on our route were being evacuated and the smoke was pretty intense (everything in our truck smelled like campfire). Not so many wildflowers around here, but there are always trains, so to satisfy Charlcie's fascination with them, we will always include a picture.

Scout Mountain campground

Not wanting to spend another long day driving, we settled for a Forest Service campground outside Pocatello. Nice campground with nice views of the mountains and valleys, but no fishing and no wildlife to view other than free-range cattle. This area is apparently well-suited for winter Nordic skiing, based on the designated areas we saw, but we had to be content for doing a lot of walking (probably good for us), and just plain relaxin' (probably too much). And the second night could be properly designated as one of the most disgusting nights of camping we've ever experienced - several groups of rowdies partying and chopping wood all night, vehemently arguing and threatening the camp hosts and camping neighbors - puncuated as we were leaving with 3 sheriff's cars and Forest Service enforcement officer issusing citations and hopefully with a few arrests. A somewhat scary night for us, but the real disappointment was the fact that they had several very adorable children with them that were being exposed to terrible behavior and language (constant "F" words) exercised at decibel levels heard all around the canyon. We were glad to be moving on.

Bear Lake UT/ID

After a fantastic week with Eva, Barney, Della, Parker, and Danielle in Ogden, we headed up Logan Canyon with the intention of camping for a few days at Bear Lake. Reluctantly passing up the opportunity to fish in the enticing Logan River, or stopping for a fresh raspberry shake that the area is known for, we spent considerable time trying to locate a campsite. The idea was that we would get settled in and then treat ourselves later. We tried numerous campgrounds (some very appealing ones) without success - sadly,they either had no suitable vacancies, were poorly maintained, or otherwise unworkable for us. So we ended up traveling all the way to Pocatello and checking in to a motel for the night. We were disappointed that we weren't able to enjoy Bear Lake - aptly nicknamed the "Caribbean of the Rockies" because of the color of the water. Although the pics don't realistically reflect the true color of the water, if you were to view them without being told, you could easily conclude that it is a spot in the Caribbean.