Into Idaho - Big Springs

BETH writes - Yippi-today was a big day! I crossed the border from Montana to Idaho and had 710 miles under my belt at that point! Within 5 miles this morning I was happy to see three Moose and 27 Pronghorns! As I climbed to the border of Idaho I saw more cows and began to see trees again. Mom and Ann waited for me at the border so that we could take the picture that is attached with the Continental Divide in the background. Bye Montana - I will be back some day! Idaho was a new adventure. Talk about 4-wheeler heaven!! The descent from the divide was great fun from gravel road to a curvey and muddy trail. I passed some beautiful houses and a lake that was ripe with new development. I could tell that the property value in Idaho was MUCH greater than Montana. Today was an easy 39 miles and I arrived at the infamous Big Springs early. Big Springs is the head water to the Snake river with many natural springs that release millions of gallons of water a day. The springs is also the home of very large trout! Mom, Ann and I took the advice of one of the rangers and went to Mesa Falls one of the lesser known beauties of Idaho. There are the upper and lower falls. The upper dropping 178ft and the lower 65ft, with tons of water flowing over the top of both. What I love about seeing big waterfalls is the rich, green micro-climate on one side of the falls that is created by the mist coming off the falls. Idaho so far is different than what I expected - more mountainous so far.
JAN writes -We crossed over Red Rock Pass and into Idaho today. After which Beth took a dirt route and we veered off and took a more civilized paved route. The Jeep was in shock. It hasn't had pavement under its tires in days and days! As we headed into an ancient caldera (valley that used to be the inside of a volcano), we found a Nature Conservancy nature center called Flat Ranch. They recommended we visit Mesa Falls about 30 miles South. We went to the Big Springs campground nearby in the Targhee National Forest and set up the tent. We were within a short walk of the actual springs that forms the North Fork of the Snake River. There were huge rainbow trout swimming in the crystal clear waters - but no fishing allowed. After Beth arrived we all drove to the very impressive roaring 140 foot falls. No rain again, the weather has turned nice, finally!