Thursday, February 26, 2015

Mesa Falls, Idaho

We spent the night in Ashton, a small wheat and seed potato town in easternmost Idaho, a town we have visited several times before for the start of the long ride to Flagg Ranch and then on to the Continental Divide trails. Ashton to Pinedale, and back, a ride of a couple hundred miles each way we probably would not contemplate anymore. Anyhow, from Ashton, we drove out to the start of the Mesa Falls trail, just a few miles, which we extended to the Eccles trail, near to Island Park, and back. In this winter of little precipitation in the West, the falls were not as impressive as in previous years, and the trails were hard, rutted, nearly icy. We thought about trying West Yellowstone again, but decided that snow conditions there probably were no better. And so we drove over past Rexburg, hit I-15, back to Montana, and got as far as a rest area just short of Butte. Perhaps our snowmobile season is over, unless more snow arrives.
Ashton is a town of architectural and cultural wonders--e.g.,
this art deco auto service building
















And this drive-in...the mug actually revolves (in Driggs or
Tetonia we saw a drive-in theatre...)
















And the beautiful Rankin 1924 motor hotel...major Americana















And the Reinicke Grain complex...Frank Gehry eat your heart
out! (note geodesic dome offices) 
















On a more serious note, the Forest Service
warns that the bears are out, and hungry




















Snow pole at Upper Mesa Falls...2 feet



















Upper Falls















Lower Falls...far more impressive, but not viewable close-up















This is what a snowmobile tour bus looks like

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