Idaho 5 - The End of the Journey

With a sigh of relief, we packed up the tools from our building project, put them in our new storage, and prepared to return to my sister Cheryl’s place. But before calling it a day, we decided to go to a local hot spring for a swim and soak our tired muscles, or at least my tired muscles.

Idaho is blessed with many hot springs – some are more exploited for commercial purposes and some are just large holes full of hot water. Though I love the latter, this one sort of fits into the former category. It’s pretty basic but I sort of like it that way. It has a large and small pool pools sourced from natural mineral water fed by an artesian well and is cooled by the waters of the Little Salmon River. The small pool apparently averages around 104-105 degrees F. (around 40 degrees C.). It’s open year-round and we’ve been there mid-winter when you have to walk across snow to get in. Very cool.

One interesting fact is that they, and our property, are located within the Nez Perce Tribe’s (Nimiipuu) native territory once referred to as Chinook Meadows. The area holds historical and cultural significance for the tribe. The Nez Perce people used the hot springs for survival in the harsh winters but also for ceremonial and spiritual purposes. They were also used to fashion bows from the horns of bighorn sheep where the hot water softened the horn and made it easier to work and shape. Even today, the Nez Perce consider the waters to have significant spiritual, cultural and medicinal values.

View from the hot springs.

While we were speaking with the neighbors we have adjacent to our property, they told us that many arrowheads have been found on our land and that the place had fire rings that possibly dated back to the days when the Nez Perce were the occupants of the area. Cool thought (and yet a very sad thought).

* * *

The next day, our last in the mountains, we spent the day/night in McCall at my sister’s other house. We took an early evening pontoon boat ride on the Payette Lake and then went to a nearby restaurant for dinner.

We were able to get an early start the next day, Friday, to make our way back to Boise where we would stay at my other sister CJ’s house again. We would have several errands to run before catching our flight Tuesday morning. In between the errands, we were able to catch some of the air show on Saturday and then again on Sunday.

Our last hurrah was dinner at my other sister, Lisa’s. It’s where we/I normally stay when we’re in Boise so we feel quite at home there. 

* * *

In the end, I think we were all happy to get on the plane and return to our routines. The girls were subjected to too many weeks away from kids their own age. It’s important at this period in their lives. They do well with smaller children and grown-ups, but it’s obviously not the same.

Summer in Boise.

 

Idaho 4 - The Shed

The idea of building a shed came up a few years ago. I have some things that I've kept aside for when/if we set up residence in the US. I also have several boxes of books, photo albums, some clothes, etc. I also have more recent items like bikes, camping gear, winter gear, etc. For various reasons, my belongings are scattered among several locations. One reason is the lack of capacity to store them in one location. It hasn’t been ideal and I have a tendency to lose track of what is where and even what I own. For example, it’s happened that in preparation for backpacking that we have repurchased things that we already had.

So there has been a need to remove the burden of storage from my family members, organize and consolidate my stuff. Our property in Adams County seemed like the logical place for it. The family has been shifting in that direction for several years and over time, that’s likely where we will be the majority of the time when we’re in Idaho. It will be particularly useful as the house will be rented out for a few years. 

I realize that there are few things more boring to read than someone recounting the building of a shed (sounds boring even to type it), but it was kind of a big deal to me and the project carries some significance beyond the structure itself. 

* * *

Prep Work

The build would be relatively straightforward. There was already a shell of a garage (supposedly built in 2017) and my idea was to create a storage space in the interior. The building is large enough to accommodate a decent-sized storage (24ft. x 10ft.) all the while leaving plenty of room to accommodate a couple of vehicles if need be. It's pretty well built and doesn't appear to have any leaks. The task was to build a 10-foot partition wall with a door and a ceiling above to assist in keeping out animals, bugs and so forth.

First, however, the garage needed a concrete floor. As mentioned before, it’s not easy getting this sort of thing done given the number of construction projects underway in the area. But it was a prerequisite to us being able to build the storage. No floor. No build.

On the first of August, I received word that the floor was done, I was elated. We would have our project and we could do this as a family, all of us learning as we go.

The next step was to order the materials and have them delivered to the garage. In the end, that was relatively easy given that there is a building supply place just up the road.

The last piece, which I discussed with my brother, was to make sure we had all the basic tools we needed. The tools I was able to get a hold of were basic and old. Most had not been used in years. But they were functional and that’s all that mattered. My brother had some newer tools that ended up being crucial to the success of the project. Someday, if/when I do more projects like this, I'll do some upgrading.

* * *

The Build

The morning after returning from our backpack trip, we were at the shed and ready to go. The massive storm that was predicted finally arrived and would pummel the valley off and on for a couple of days. Thankfully, we were sheltered and it would have no bearing on our work. 

The wall.

Coffee break.

To be honest, I thought we could do it in two days. For various reasons this was not to be. It ended up using most of three. Given all the challenges we faced along the way, I’m not complaining. It was a lot of work and all the family contributed. For a bunch of rookies who had never really done something like this, there was some satisfaction that we pulled it off. 

The sheathing and the ceiling.

The electrical work on the property isn't done. There is no power to the garage so we had to run an extension cable about 120 feet for lighting and to power the electrical tools. 

That's my girl.

Sealing the cracks.

It was hard to know how this was going to work with the kids. We wanted them to be involved and learn some things. But we knew they would get bored after a while. In the end it was a bit of a balance between pulling them into things, teaching them how to use tools and understand a something about basic construction, but let them run around and do other things to make sure everyone maintained their sanity.

Lunch at the work site.

Done.

* * *

I suppose one question was whether something like this inspired me to want to do more DIY projects in the future or whether it was one and done. I can easily say it’s the former. Part of it is that I enjoy working with my hands. Part of it is that we did this project without some things that would have made it far easier and far faster (ex. nail guns, electricity in the garage, etc.). We probably should have had some music going as well.

I have all sorts of ideas for future projects. But most of them will likely need to wait until I retire, whenever that is. 

 

 

Idaho 3 - Deep Lake

For many years, my wife and I have been doing backpack trips in central Idaho. The first one we did as a couple was a place called Baker Lake back in 2008. Though we haven’t hiked ever year (took a break for a few years when we had infants, plus another break due to the pandemic), we have been fairly consistent otherwise. In all we’ve been to about a dozen different mountain lakes and there are plenty more to be explored.

This year we made the unprecedented decision to re-visit a lake that we went to last year. There were a number of reasons for this. One was that my sister, niece and husband (and two dogs) were going to join us. For my sister, having had a knee replacement not long ago, I really didn’t want any surprises. It was kind of a big deal for her to commit to this and I wanted it to be a good experience. Given that the hike last year was a success, we thought we’d remove the risk of venturing into the unknown and just return to a place called Deep Lake.

* * *

Deep Lake rests in a glaciated bowl at an elevation of 7,300 feet (2,225m). There are two unnamed granite peaks looming over the lake along Diamond Ridge, the highest one clocking in at 8,618 feet (2,627m). Although a 1994 fire burned most of the forest, the area is well on its way to recovery. It still offers unobstructed views of massive granite mountainsides which, I think, make the views rather striking.

We drove straight up from Boise and met at the trailhead. The hike up is relatively easy though it does have some steep pitches here and there. After less than a mile, you come over the lip of the bowl and you begin to see the clear blue water of the lake. There are only a few options where you can pitch tents on the edge of the lake. We went directly to the place where we camped the previous year.

We arrived at the lake in the late afternoon and proceeded to pitch our tents straight way. Interestingly, this year the girls took to pitching their own tent, something they’ve never done. And they were able to do so with very minimal support. Very cool.

Because they’ve done this several times, they’re getting quite good at it and it takes a burden off their parents. Quite literally, in fact. I divided up the camping gear such that each person carried their own bags, pillows, ground pads, etc. They even took a small share of the food as well, making my job much easier than in years’ past.

With the sweat of the hike still on my brow, I saw fit to make a quick dip in the lake prior to starting the campfire. The water, while quite frigid, was manageable and it felt good to rinse off. There were no other takers, though I was anticipating that there would be the next day.

One thing that would be different this year is that we would stay two nights instead of one. We had said last year that that was one thing about the trip that we would change. Staying one night really doesn’t give you the chance to relax much. You spend most of your time setting up camp, preparing meals and then breaking camp the next morning. My sister, niece and husband would need to head down after one night but it was so wonderful to have them for the first day.

The lake gets a few visitors during the day, particularly on weekends (as this was), but in the two years that we’ve done it, we’ve never seen anyone else spend the night. By late afternoon, you have the whole lake to yourself.

After dinner, we made s’mores and the gang began making their way to their tents. It still wasn’t fully dark and one of the challenges for me is to stay awake as long as possible to see the night sky. Most of the clouds had cleared and, by the time I was fully ready for bed, Priya and I opted to go lie on our backs on a large, flat rock and stare at the heavens. That alone is worth all the effort to do a backpack trip. So stunning to see the night sky with so little ambient light.

* * *

The next day, the threesome headed out. I worried a bit about my sister’s knee given that the downhill is often more difficult than the up, but she told us later that she had no problems.

We would spend the day relaxing. We did take a short hike partway around the lake but it was tough going with all the fallen trees from the ’94 fire. After getting a bit scratched up, we turned around and headed back to camp. It was a bit noisy for a few hours due to a few groups of day hikers that cycled through, but by late afternoon they were all gone.

We went for a swim and everyone managed to brave the cold water. Then I upped the ante and went over to a large rock. Diving off a hunk of granite extending out into the lake sounded like more fun. The family eventually followed suit, maybe not diving but at least jumping.

* * *

Before we left for Deep Lake, we had heard that a massive storm was approaching but would likely not reach the area until Sunday afternoon, the day we were planning on hiking out. So we had some degree of confidence that we would be able to avoid it. This was confirmed by a conversation we had with a couple of day hikers. But by early evening, we began to hear the rumble of thunder. I generally like that sound and I don’t mind if a small storm passes through. The concern in the mountains, particularly when forecasters use adjectives like “massive”, is that you are quite vulnerable to the elements when you are backpacking. While doing a backpack trip when I was in college, some friends and I were hit with a massive thunderstorm during the night. The wind and rain left no tent standing. We ended up being awake much of the night. Eventually we fell asleep and woke up a couple hours later outside our collapsed, soaked tents. We ended up having a pretty good laugh about it but it’s nothing I want to experience with my children. I’m not sure they would laugh about it.  

On this occasion, the thunder did indeed turn to rain. It never rained heavily, thankfully, and eventually stopped, but we knew that we were literally, and figuratively, not out of the woods. The sky remained dark and the thunder continued to rumble in the distance.

There would be no star gazing this night. In fact, we decided it would be best to begin packing our packs and preparing for the next morning. The reason was two-fold. If we needed to make a quick departure early morning due to the onset of a tempest, we would be able to do so more easily. The other reason was that we needed to keep everything as dry as possible and prevent things from blowing away given that there were some decent wind gusts. The unsettled weather in a remote location is part thrill and part concern.

In the early morning, I began to hear the wind picking up again. The sky was dark with clouds. Though there was moisture in the air, it wasn’t raining. Without access to cell reception, we didn’t really have any information as to what to expect. The only news we had was at least 24 hours old and a lot can change in that span of time. We decided to wake the girls up and start getting ready to descend. Fortunately we had mostly packed up the night before. We only had to deal with the tents, bags and sleeping mats. There would be no warming fire, no coffee/hot chocolate and no breakfast. We would snack on the way to the car and then stop in McCall for breakfast.

In the end, the weather didn’t worsen during the hike down. The sky remained dark but the wind died down and it didn’t rain. It was a bummer not to enjoy a slower start and breakfast at the lake. In retrospect we probably could have. But you never know. It could have gone the other way. The protective dad in me wasn’t willing to take any chances.

The upside was that we had much more of the day available to us than we had planned. We would have a nice breakfast in McCall as planned, carry on to my sister’s place near New Meadows, chill and do a few loads of laundry. Some rest was in order given that work on the shed would begin the next morning.

 

 

 

 

Idaho 2 - Magic Vally-Boise

Soon after greeting my parents and settling in, it was off to my chores. I pruned trees, extracted stumps, trimmed vines, swept, cleaned gutters, etc. The weather was rather hot so the plan was to get a relatively early start and then do activities with the family in the afternoon and evening.

One of my favorite things to do is go to a place called Dierkes Lake. A few miles away from my parents’ place is the Snake River canyon, an amazing place filled with loads of things to see and do. Located near the famous Shoshone Falls, the lake is an inexpensive and fun way to spend an afternoon. It’s a bit more organized than it was when I was a kid, but there’s still a roughness to it that makes it far more fun than a public swimming pool.

Kiran pondering the jump.

Never grow up.

We couldn’t resist the temptation to make our way to the rocky bluffs and plunge into the clear water below. One would think that I’ve aged out of this sort of thing but, alas, no. Besides, I needed coax my girls into doing it as well. Kiran doesn’t need much coaxing for this sort of thing. She’s had a penchant for risk since she was born.

After our time in the lake, we decided to have a look at the falls. An impressive year of precipitation has meant that more water than usual was coming over. In the spring, the place is quite spectacular. 

Another thing we did near, and in, the canyon was celebrate Priya's birthday. She has the misfortune of having a birthday at what is normally a very busy time of year. Thankfully, with some support from my family, we were able to pull together people to give her a rather nice evening. 

The twins, not impressed.

* * *

Girls hard at work.

Other than working in the yard, we also found some time for the girls to swim with their cousins and a lot of other things to keep them occupied.

Dinner with mom.

Pool time with the cousins.

 Having reached the end of our time in the Magic Valley, we headed back to Boise

* * *

The time in Boise allowed for a break in the manual labor. From working at our house in New Meadows, to working at my parents’ place, it had been almost non-stop since I arrived in Idaho. The focus now would be on spending time with family prior to heading north to go backpacking and build our shed – both of which would involve a fair amount of physical exertion. 

Short visit to the state capital.

As sort of a birthday gift for the girls from my sisters, we went to the outdoor Shakespeare theater to watch Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812. People that are in the know about theater are well acquainted with The Great Comet as it is more commonly known. I, unfortunately, do not fit in that category. I love theater whenever I have a chance to go, I just don’t get that many chances. Given that both of our girls have enjoyed participating in some theater, it was great for them to get this chance to go.

The description of the play was intriguing: “an electropop opera based on a scandalous slice of Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace”. It’s definitely not Macbeth, but the reviews were good and interesting to explore some newish theater (came out in 2012). As a more modern production, it proved to be easier for the girls to understand. When we watched the Two Gentlemen of Verona in Louisville, I could tell that the old English was a bit of a challenge.

The other big event of the days we were there was a family gathering at my niece’s nice house in the Boise foothills. It ended up being a mix of cousins, my aunt and uncle and a rare gathering of all my nieces and nephews from this side of the family. Really nice to catch up with family I hadn’t seen in years. Precious opportunities that seem to be more and more challenging to make happen.