Craters of the Moon National Monument
This park is truly a lunar landscape.
Volcano's erupted over 2000 years ago, quite recent in the formation of modern earth, and the huge aftermath is just beginning to regenerate.
Here hot gasses under pressure have blown a bubble in the lava.
Not much grows on the cinder but at certain times it blossoms with buckwheat.
The buckwheat flower.
We were fortunate to arrive in the wildflower season.
In nooks and cracks plant life gets a foothold.
Larkspur.
Dwarf Monkey Flower
I followed a path across the lava bed which led to several lava tubes. The climb down to the tubes was challenging.
As I entered the lava tubes the temperature dropped from quite warm to freezing. There was permanent ice inside the caves which is just below the surface.
Splatter cone. Formed by a volcanic core spitting lava until it builds a high cone around the core. There is another one called snow cone. It has snow sitting on the bottom permanently.
A family we met from Denver.
This is the entrance to the Indian owned tourist office, museum and ice caves. And why wouldn't you have a giant green dinosaur with an Indian mounted on top at the front entrance.
The walk down to the ice caves. We are walking on the roof of a collapsed lava tube.
Inside the lava tube cave there is a lake of solid ice. Years ago, before refrigeration, locals would harvest the ice and sell it to the local tavern in Shoshone. This would attract visitors from afar as it was the only place they could buy a cold beer. They opened the entrance to gain better access to the cave eventually to find the internal climate changed and the ice began to melt. The entrance was resealed and the ice reformed where it stays in a permanent state today. The cave roof rises about 30' above the ice.
Water seeps through the rock and freezes in the cold temperature.
Sawtooth Wilderness Area
We stumbled on a free camp area in the pine forest. Someone had just departed and left a 1 metre high pile of neatly cut and stacked firewood.
Next day we found a lovely spot right on the river.
Nearby there was this pretty rushing stream.
We had frequent visits from the local squirrel population. One even took up residence under the Chevy's hood.
Over the range we dropped down to this beautiful valley.
A view along the road.
Hot spring that flow down the mountainside into pools next to a river.
Idaho City
A small interesting town in the Boise Mountains near Boise.
Colorised antique/junk store.
Marsing
Marsing on the 4th July.
McCall
Payette Lake
The lake enjoyed by locals and visitors.
Killarney Lake. A beautiful overnight stop we found and had to ourselves.
Coeur d' Alene
Old Mission State Park near Coeur d' Alene. The Christian Missionaries arrived in 1841 and established this mission.
The Cataldo Mission church was built in 1848.
The Parish house built in 1877.
The alter, simple but serves the purpose.
The ceilings were colour stained with huckleberry juice.
The floorboards hand cut and trimmed with a broad axe.
You can't help at marvelling at these missionaries who came to this are, met with the Salish Indian tribes and without knowledge of their language converted them to Christianity and persuaded them to build the church and parish house.
The children made good use of it.
