Pic of the Day 5.3.06

Shoshone Falls, Idaho
"Niagara of the West"

Shoshone Falls has a 1000 ft wide span and a 212 ft plunge, about 42 feet taller than Niagara Falls (or 57 feet taller, depending upon which Niagara Falls measurement you use). This photo was taken in late April 2006 after a very wet winter. The Snake River is running at over 10,000 cfs, the highest since 1997. The water is usually diverted upstream from the falls, reducing it to a mere trickle later in the summer. This year, the overabundance of water allows Idaho Power to create a spectacle not often seen these days.

When the river ran wild, pioneers on the Oregon Trail would hike several miles to see the falls. These days, when the falls are roaring, folks come from all over Idaho and surrounding states to see the sight. It can be expected to wait 1 - 2 hours to get into the park on the weekend when the flow is high.

Other falls in the area are: Bridal Veil Falls, Twin Falls, Perrine Coulee Falls, and up the highway is the Thousand Springs complex which are a series of waterfalls coming straight out of exposed porous lave cliffs. These springs are from water that goes underground miles away at Craters of the Moon National Monument.

I'll post pictures of these areas soon.

Another attaction in the Twin Falls area is BASE jumping off the 486 ft high Perrine Memorial Bridge, the only place in the U.S. where this activity is legal. Pictures coming.