KOA, Twin Falls, Idaho: Today we drove up to Sun Valley ski resort in the Sawtooth Mountains. Drove through this wide
lush green valley with the arid mountains in the background. This lush valley is only the result of
constant watering. Once we got into the
Sawtooth mountains however, there were more trees and everything was green and
beautiful. Drove through the tony little
towns of Hailey and Ketcham before we got to Sun Valley Village. This was one of the first ski areas frequented by the rich and famous, and Clint Eastwood filmed “Pale Rider” in the
area. After exploring around Sun Valley Village, we had lunch in Ketcham
and then headed back. Took a side trip
on a scenic byway to Craters of the Moon National Monument. What an incredible landscape
this was. Lava rock everywhere and lots
of cinder cones and signs of volcanic activity everywhere. The most recent eruption was 2000 years
ago. To put it in perspective, Jesus
would have been about 13. Drove back to our park and relaxed the rest of the
evening. 85 today, sunny and beautiful.
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| Sun Valley Village |
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| Sun Valley Inn |
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| Theater in Sun Valley Village |
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| One of the ski slopes. |
Craters of the Moon National Monument
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| This looks like rich, loamy soil. But it's sharp, jagged lava rock. |
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| These huge things floated down in the lava and were deposited here. |
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| We were going to hike up this cinder cone--until we saw what it's like. No way! And the wind! I couldn't even wear my "guaranteed to stay on in 40 mph winds" hat. |
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| Pioneers came through here following an old Indian trail. And here was this little oasis where they could have all the water they needed. |
Even in this harsh landscape, wild flowers and other plants manage to survive and even thrive. No rain, and in the summer this black rock can reach temperatures of 150 degrees!
