July 10-16, 2017 Fall Creek, Idaho

FINALLY!! It’s time to go camping! Each year we get together with friends for a camping trip in the mountains of Idaho.  This year we decided to go somewhere new. We have traveled much farther east than we usually do, heading for Fall Creek. Fall Creek is located on the Snake River in that area between I-15 and the Wyoming border.  Although we have heard about this area for many years, probably close to 20, we have never gone because we thought it would be too hot and dry in July.  But this year is a very wet year everywhere in the West so we thought we’d try.

We arrived on Sunday afternoon to find Lyon and Rick had already found us a great campsite. Although the weather is still hot, the grass is green and the flowers are in bloom.  Shortly after we pulled in Ralph and then JD and Raydonia arrived as well.

Day 1 was spent going on a dual sport ride to see the area.

We started on the Snake River Rd going by the Fall Creek Falls.       

 Fall Creek Falls

The Snake River

We stayed on the river road but when we got to the Palisades reservoir we turned right on the Bear Creek Rd to continue down the west side of the reservoir.  At the McCoy Road, we turned left so we could see more of the lake.  We took a quick break on the point past McCoy Creek.

 Swans on the reservoir

 Palisades Reservoir

 Rick and JD at the break

 After going the full length and getting to Highway 89 we then turned around and headed back down the McCoy Creek Road stopping for lunch at Iowa Creek.

 Lunch

Lunch at Iowa Creek

After lunch, we headed for Grays Lake where we turned right and caught the Brockman Road.  We missed a turn and ended up back on the McCoy road where we turned around and went back to Forest Road 75 which we had missed on the way out. This took us up to the top of the ridge. 

 The ridge road

A view from the top

At the intersection of the ridge road and Fall Creek road we met a group of 12 BMW adventure riders out having a great time. After a quick visit we headed down to our camp.

Day two and three saw the boys going out to ride some of the trails while Raydonia and I took the van for road trips.  The first was to Thayne Wyoming.

 We stopped at the Palisades Dam.  Palisades Dam is an earth-fill dam on the Snake River In Bonneville County, Idaho.  The dam was completed in 1957 and provides irrigation water, flood control and recreation; it features a four-turbine hydroelectric power plant.

      

We saw this large bird sitting on the out building at the park.  From the size we thought maybe a juvenile or female eagle.  The bird was huge!

We went to Thayne to see if my friends Bill and Kris were home.  No such luck, we’ll have to try another day.  The second day we went to Jackson Hole and drove over Teton Pass.

The next ride I took was a street ride with Wayne, Lyon and Rick. We did a modified version of what I had done with Raydonia the day before. We began on Highway 26 going down the far side of the river to the dam.  This time, no bird. Then we took a left on Highway 89 heading to Jackson. At the Table Creek float-boat put-in we took a quick break.

 Ready to float

Rick learning about catch and release fishing

Next stop was Jackson Wyoming. We spent about an hour looking in some of the galleries and t-shirt shops.

 Lyon had to call some friends to let them know that he was in Wyoming

 The town park has these arches at all four corners

 I'd have to win the lottery to afford something like this!!!

Lyon and his moose friend 

When we left town, we tried to avoid the highway by taking the Spring Gulch Rd.  Unfortunately at the 5 mile mark the bridge had collapsed and we had to turn around. We ended up taking the highway up to the Moose entrance to Tetons National Park. We had to go into the visitors center because Wayne now qualifies for his Senior Pass.  Ten bucks for a pass that is good for life? How can you pass that up!  I have to wait until August to get mine, but no more $80 per year for a park pass, and the senior pass also gives us half-price camping at a lot of the forest campgrounds.

Same guy, different moose!

We then went through the park on the Moose-Wilson Road. We stopped for lunch in Wilson before going over Tetons Pass with its 10% grades on each side and its 8100’ elevation.  The second pass was only 6500’ but still beautiful.  Then is was down to the river valley and a stop at the Ice Cream shop in Swan Valley, because Lyon needed his ice cream fix.

The boys rode a couple more days, then it was time to hit the road and head to Emigration Canyon and the Copenhagen Basin snow park.  That’s the next stop!!