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| Lunar Landscape? |
After
changing our minds more times than I changed my jocks at Sasquatch
(not that that was hard) we eventually decided to head over to
Yellowstone via Craters of the Moon and a few stop overs along the
way.
Our
original plan was to head back to Seattle to drop the girls off and
then make our way back out towards the Gorge and head up to Glacier
N.P. But after checking the status of the Going To The Sun Road (one
of the highlights of the park) and seeing it still hadn't fully
opened we thought we might spend some time in Mount Rainier N.P.,
which is only a few hours out of Seattle, and then head to
Yellowstone.
Again
the weather had different ideas and 3 days of rain didn't really
appeal to us. So we scrapped that idea and headed for Craters of the
Moon National Monument and Preserve. We had only heard of it due to a
Facebook post we saw showing how to drive across the States hitting
all the major landmarks. Idaho's, a state I had only ever referred to
in the sentence 'Bumf_ck, Idaho', only entry was Craters of the Moon
so we thought why not?
So
after semi-randomly choosing two places to stay, Boise (Idaho's
capital) and Idaho Falls, we left Seattle and drove through what the
locals call Scenic Idaho. And I have to agree. It was some of the
most beautiful country side I have seen driving along a freeway, or
interstate as they are called over here.
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| Scenic view from Inferno Cone |
Craters
of the Moon turned out to be well worth the stop. You only need a few
hours here, but they are a few hours well spent. It is immediately
obvious how they came up with the name and one can only imagine how
cool the moon must be, because this place is almost surreal. Created
by a series of cataclysmic caldera-forming eruptions COTM is a place
that has stirred interest for years – from the Native Indians to
President Clinton who greatly expanded the monument area to help
preserve it as we know it today.
Boy Scout Cave
A
quick hike up Inferno Cone grants you an amazing view of the Snake
River Plain and the fascinating landscape it possesses. But the
highlight of the area would be the caves you can explore at your own
pace. Walking across an ancient lava field and below it is something
you will only get to experience at a handful of places.
Some
extend mere metres under the ground, whilst others take you more than
100 metres to the cave end. Boy Scout and Beauty Caves are probably
the best of the two, but all have their merits. Just make sure your
flash light is in good working order.
Beauty Cave
Lastly
was a walk through Indian Tunnel, which given the multitude of
previous collapses, can be done without the flashlight, and with a
little scrambling and rock climbing you can come out the other end.
Indian Tunnel
Craters
of the Moon – not on many peoples highlights list but definitely
worth the drive through if you have the time. And who wouldn't want
to visit Bumf_ck Idaho!
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| Craters of the Moon viewed from above |
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