MM #126: Going to the Moon (Road trip Part 8)

With Idaho Falls in the rearview mirror, and the dash thermometer reading 22 degrees Fahrenheit, we headed west.  Destination: Craters of the Moon.  Along the way, 90 miles of relatively flat terrain, populated only by pronghorn, hawks, sagebrush and, apparently, the Idaho National Laboratory.

The Craters of the Moon National Monument spans over 750,000 acres.  Volcanic eruptions ranging from gentle to explosive created the landscape.  Deep cracks in the earth allowed lava to blast, plop and flow to create cinder cones, spatter cones and lava tube caves.  We couldn't wait to drive the seven-mile loop and see it for ourselves!

While seemingly barren, the park's lava fields and arid sagebrush areas sustain a surprising diversity of plant and animal life.  We weren't there at the right time of year (we visited in October), but the annual wildflower blooms peak in mid-June, with something in bloom from May through mid-September.  Pikas, grouse, and pygmy rabbits, not to mention many birds, also thrive in the environment.  During our drive, we saw Clark's Nutcrackers.

One of the aspects of this Monument that I enjoyed was its reflection on the impact of man on the landscape.  Example: the Limber Pine.  

Click on the photo below to enlarge the plaque which explains why park managers once poisoned or cut more than 6,000 of these trees.

"The major problems in the world are the result of the difference
between the way nature works and the way man thinks."
Gregory Bateson, anthropologist

The landscape of the Monument was not created by one massive volcano, but from a series of deep fissures - known collectively as the Great Rift - that cross the Snake River Plain.  Some of the "hills" are spatter cones, miniature volcanoes formed as ejected globs of lava welded together.

Other "hills" are cinder cones, created when foamy cinders accumulate near the vent of a small volcano that generated lava with high gas content.

And then, as if to compensate, there are massive craters, as you can see in the video below.

How innocuous to see a random pine cone nearby.

I was fascinated by the lava cascades.  When the lava leaked through cracks in a natural rock "dam", fiery rivers of lava flowed across the landscape.  And then they "froze" in position!!!  

And all of this happened a mere 2,000 years ago.  Geologists believe that future events are likely!!!

We had plenty of daylight left before we needed to check in at our hotel in Ketchum, Idaho.  So when I spotted a tiny dot of green on the Idaho map, just 37 miles to the west and (mostly) on our route, we winged it.  Silver Creek Preserve turned out to be a little slice of paradise.

The story of the Preserve began in 1976 when the local community urged The Nature Conservancy (TNC) to purchase 470 acres then called the Sun Valley Ranch and create its flagship preserve, Silver Creek.  This launched a landowner conservation effort along the stream to protect an additional 12,000 acres through conservation easements, making this one of the most successful stream conservation efforts ever undertaken for public benefit and a model for community-based conservation.
 

To arrive at the parking lot for the trail system, we drove over Kilpatrick Bridge, and even from the truck we could see the rainbow trout swimming gently against the current.  Spousal Unit began twitching immediately - fishing!!!  As we quickly learned from a nearby sign, Silver Creek and nearby Stalker Creek are reputed to have 6,000 fish per stream mile.  Just think about that for a minute!!!  It explained the abundance of fishermen, most of them decked out in waders.  I left Spousal Unit to it, and went walking.  I had enough time (2 hours) to make the full circuit, beginning at the YOU ARE HERE on the map below and progressing in a clock-wise direction.

Over the last forty years, TNC has expanded the Preserve to 881 acres and restored this high-desert spring creek to a thriving ecosystem for an abundance of wildlife including eagles, coyotes, bobcats and moose.  Yes, moose!!!  

As I traversed the far end of the trail system, I spied something large and dark, nestled in the alders along the stream's edge.  My binoculars trained on the spot, I was fairly certain it was a moose.  Then, my peripheral vision caught motion to the left.  I lowered the binoculars, and what to my wondering eyes should be there, but a moose calf.  Check out the video!!!!  It trotted over to Mama, and you can see how close they were to the trail.

You do not mess with a Mama moose!  As much as I would have liked to get closer and get shots of Mama, it would not have been a good life choice!  So I had to skirt far to the left of them and then re-connect with the trail.  I was exhilarated in equal parts from seeing two moose and from the proximity of a 500+  pound mammal that has a reputation for being a little nuts!  I looked back several times just to make sure she was not pursuing me!

As many as 150 species of birds have been identified along the nature trail, and its globally unique aquatic ecosystem features one of the highest densities of stream insects in North America.  Hence the birds!

I crossed a couple of bridges along the way, and each time I was mesmerized by the clarity of the water.

Near this point, I saw two more moose.  They were on the opposite side of the creek; one was nestled on the ground.  I took a couple of pictures, but they are not the best.  I marveled at the glory of seeing 4 moose in the space of 2 hours.  Proper habitat and ecosystem protection makes all the difference!  To add to the joy of the afternoon, I saw a muskrat eating near the middle of the stream.  Here is a video of this enchanting creature.

If you can't tell, my heart was truly captured by this magical place in Idaho's high desert.  It offers something for everyone.

If you are a photographer or an artist, you'll make the trip for the legendary, glorious light: a light with its rich pastel of purples, reds, yellows and blues.  As for me, I could barely drag myself away from the spectacular collision of water, sky and hills. 

Mosaic Monday

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