2013-20 Spirit of Boise Balloon Festival & Custer City Ghost Town, Idaho
Hello All,
Following our visit to Lassen Volcanic National Park we headed back to Idaho to rest up before our next adventure. In our eyes, this adventure will take us on one of the most scenic and diverse road trips in North America.
While kicking back for a couple of weeks at home the Spirit of Boise Balloon Festival was held just a few miles from the house. So, we grabbed our cameras and joined the festivities. This annual event draws over sixty hot-air balloons and pilots to the Boise area. We love anything with bright colors, and they did not disappoint us as the balloons glowed against the clear blue sky of the early morning.
Following our visit to Lassen Volcanic National Park we headed back to Idaho to rest up before our next adventure. In our eyes, this adventure will take us on one of the most scenic and diverse road trips in North America.
While kicking back for a couple of weeks at home the Spirit of Boise Balloon Festival was held just a few miles from the house. So, we grabbed our cameras and joined the festivities. This annual event draws over sixty hot-air balloons and pilots to the Boise area. We love anything with bright colors, and they did not disappoint us as the balloons glowed against the clear blue sky of the early morning.
Starting our roadtrip in Twin
Falls, Idaho, we headed north following the Idaho scenic byways into the
Bitterroot Mountains of Montana and then on into Alberta and British Columbia,
Canada. Along the way we visited Glacier, Waterton Lakes, Kootenay, Banff,
Jasper and Yoho National Parks.
Shoshone Falls is a waterfall on the Snake River and was our first scenic area to stop at. It is located five miles east of Twin Falls and is sometime called the “Niagara of the West.” Shoshone Falls is 212 feet high (45 feet higher than Niagara Falls) and flows over a rim 1,000 feet wide.
However, the volume of water flowing over the falls is controlled by dams upstream on the river. Shoshone Falls is best viewed in the spring, as the diversion of the Snake River for irrigation and hydroelectricity generation often significantly diminishes water levels in the late summer and fall. There was only a moderate flow of water over the falls this particular day.
Shoshone Falls is a waterfall on the Snake River and was our first scenic area to stop at. It is located five miles east of Twin Falls and is sometime called the “Niagara of the West.” Shoshone Falls is 212 feet high (45 feet higher than Niagara Falls) and flows over a rim 1,000 feet wide.
However, the volume of water flowing over the falls is controlled by dams upstream on the river. Shoshone Falls is best viewed in the spring, as the diversion of the Snake River for irrigation and hydroelectricity generation often significantly diminishes water levels in the late summer and fall. There was only a moderate flow of water over the falls this particular day.
Here is a shot of the Snake
River looking downstream from the falls.
Departing Twin Falls we headed
north on US-93 to the little town of Shoshone, ID, where we continued north on
ID-75. The Sawtooth Scenic Byway begins at Shoshone. It took us through
beautiful Sun Valley, ID, and then followed the Sawtooth Mountain Range to the
rustic mountain town of Stanley, ID.
This trip we didn’t spend a lot of time in and around Sun Valley, as the devastating wildfires of 2012 had blackened much of the area. Although the resort town was booming, it will take a couple of years for the surrounding countryside to recover.
Our next stop was at Stanley Lake. It is a popular weekend destination for Idahoans. The lake with the Sawtooth Mountains as a scenic backdrop makes for a lovely setting.
This trip we didn’t spend a lot of time in and around Sun Valley, as the devastating wildfires of 2012 had blackened much of the area. Although the resort town was booming, it will take a couple of years for the surrounding countryside to recover.
Our next stop was at Stanley Lake. It is a popular weekend destination for Idahoans. The lake with the Sawtooth Mountains as a scenic backdrop makes for a lovely setting.
We were surprised at the lake
when we came upon a small group of American avocets. The avocet is unique among
North American birds. To feed it swings its long upturned bill through the
shallow water to catch small invertebrates. In summer months it can be found in
wetlands across western North America.
Out of Stanley, ID, we
continued north on ID-75 to the town of Challis, ID, where it intersects with
US-93. We continued north on US-93. This route out of Stanley is the Salmon
River Scenic Byway and goes all the way to Sula, Montana.
A highlight along the route is Custer City Ghost Town. This Idaho mining ghost town was established in 1877 and sits along the banks of the Yankee Fork of the Salmon River just south of Challis, ID. If you ever pass through this area it is well worth taking the time to check it out. Here is a shot of the Yankee Fork of the Salmon River.
A highlight along the route is Custer City Ghost Town. This Idaho mining ghost town was established in 1877 and sits along the banks of the Yankee Fork of the Salmon River just south of Challis, ID. If you ever pass through this area it is well worth taking the time to check it out. Here is a shot of the Yankee Fork of the Salmon River.
Searching a hillside along the
Yankee Fork in August 1876, James Baxter, Eldon Dodge and Morgan McKim stumbled
upon a rich vein of gold ore, exposed by a snow slide, that became the most
famous mine on the Yankee Fork. Named after the popular military general,
George Armstrong Custer, the General Custer Mine discovery transformed a small
mining camp into a lively community and the site of the region’s most
significant mining activity.
Town sites were laid out and given to anyone who would erect a building on them. The first cabin was built by Samuel Holman and “Doc” Adair. Custer flourished, and what began as a tent community rapidly became a town of over 100 buildings lining both sides of its long, narrow, main street. For 30 years, Custer experienced frenzied activity and growth as well as periods of uncertainty and decline until its final bust in 1911.
These are photos of some of the old cabins and businesses in various states of disrepair. This area was protected in 1990 and is now managed by State and Federal agencies.
Town sites were laid out and given to anyone who would erect a building on them. The first cabin was built by Samuel Holman and “Doc” Adair. Custer flourished, and what began as a tent community rapidly became a town of over 100 buildings lining both sides of its long, narrow, main street. For 30 years, Custer experienced frenzied activity and growth as well as periods of uncertainty and decline until its final bust in 1911.
These are photos of some of the old cabins and businesses in various states of disrepair. This area was protected in 1990 and is now managed by State and Federal agencies.
Old mining equipment is strewn
here and there.
Check out some of the various
tools, appliances and equipment that were in use at the time.
Here you can see the Yankee
Fork Dredge which started operation in October of 1939 and continued until
November of 1942. Operation was discontinued during World War II and resumed
again in 1944. The dredge worked approximately 10 months each year until 1952.
The dredge bucket line had seventy-two 8-cubic foot buckets and could dig to a
depth of 35 feet. Eleven feet of water was required to float the dredge.
We continued our journey along
the Salmon River Scenic Byway. Ranches along the river were beautiful with
rugged rocky outcroppings bordering the lush green valleys. Ranchers in this
area are particularly patriotic as demonstrated in the following photo. Check
out the top of the rock outcropping on the right side of the following photo.
Here is a close up shot of the
rock outcropping. Bet he didn’t worry about anyone stealing his flag! It must
have been quite a feat getting it up there.
Our next little blurb will
take us into the “Big Sky Country” of Montana. Hope you can ride along with us.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns