River Canyon Trail
Coming into the Thanksgiving holiday and, knowing our bellies would be full from excess eating, we planned to join a Hiking Idaho group to hike a trail the day after Thanksgiving. The chosen trail was the River Canyon Trail with a few changes, it would be done in reverse. We would start near the Swan Falls Dam and hike toward Celebration Park. The hike is usually started near Celebration Park and the turnaround point is near Swan Falls Dam. It is a mostly flat hike along the Snake River. It has beautiful canyon views from within the canyon as you walk along the river among the weather and water-formed rock shapes, transformed over millennia, to their current forms.
The day arrived and, as expected, our bellies were full and exercise was needed. Just as we were preparing to leave for the hike we received a phone call. The shuttle bus we were in the process of purchasing had cleared all final checks and we needed to complete payment ASAP. Knowing there were several other people waiting to buy this bus the moment anything went wrong with our purchase, we were forced to cancel our hiking plan in order to complete the final transactions on our bus. This took a couple hours to complete and we were not going to get to the hike in time since it had already started and we still would need to make the hour drive to the starting point to even begin. We were excited to have purchased our bus, but also a little saddened we were not going to make the hike. We had never hiked this area before and were excited to experience this area of Idaho.
We were about to call it a lazy day instead when we changed our minds. We would not be able to hike with the group but we could still hike the same trail. We got ready and jumped in the car. So anxious to get to the hike we failed to realize the car was low on gas. 10 miles from Swan Falls Dam and the gas light came on. we pulled over while we still had cell phone data reception and searched out the nearest gas station. It was 30 minutes away, but we could make it on the gas we had so off we went. We ended up in Walter's Ferry, one of the few crossings of the Snake River in this area. We were able to fill up the tank and get back on our way. Unfortunately, it was now another 30 minutes back to where we were before having to search for fuel, then the rest of the way to our destination. It was already past 2 PM and we knew time was going to be a factor with the sun setting so early this time of year.
We reached the dam in good time and began the drive down the dirt road to the final parking spot at the trailhead 4.5 miles away. The drive on this dirt road was slow and steady which made time for hiking all the more limited. Finally, the road ended, we parked, grabbed our packs of water, and headed down the trail. Hitting the trail just after 3 PM. From the canyon floor the sun was already low in the sky to the south and the high canyon walls would no doubt shorten the daylight we would have remaining. The other factor was the temperature. It was cold and once we lost direct sunlight the temperature would drop rapidly. All factors we needed to keep in mind as we hiked this new trail.
Thankfully the trail was easy to follow and there really wasn't any way to truly get lost. You had the river on one side and 100+ foot canyon walls on the other. The views were spectacular with the Snake River cutting a winding path through the canyon.
The diverse layers of earth cut into the canyon walls from thousands of years of erosion revealed the multitude of browns, blacks, reds, yellows, and oranges. While not as striking as the red rock of southern Utah, it carries a beauty all its own in this high desert canyon.
Many large boulders stood out from the soil at our feet. Many had been smoothed by the river and some had even been hollowed out from years of turbulent water rushing around them, wearing away at the weaker elements, leaving only the best guarded and strongest portions remaining.
Some rocks were hollowed down to the earth they rested in allowing small burrowing animals to dig below these stone structures giving them a stone shelter above their homes. What a great advantage such a covering must be for these creatures. I imagine it serves as protection from the elements and predators alike.
A little more than 30 minutes into our hike and we were already seeing the shadows stretching very deep through the canyon. We could see the sun was already nearing the top of the canyon walls. The impending shade we would soon find ourselves in was not very appealing. While we were prepared for colder temps, we did not want to spend too much time in them if it could be avoided. We made the decision to head back to the parking lot. The hike in seemed longer than the hike out, but I find this to be common with new hikes. Your senses are keener and time seems to pass slower and it feels as though you traveled much further than you really did. We made it back to the parking lot and the car about 10 minutes before the sun faded from view. We were able to drive back out on the dirt road with daylight still lighting up the sky above us.
Back at Swan Falls Dam, we stopped to look around and take in the view from above the dam. It was also spectacular as dusk began to settle across the sky.
The adventure was worth the efforts made to make it happen. Even though the drive, including the detour for gas, was nearly two hours. Even with an hour's drive ahead of us. Even though the hike was a little more than a single hour. All of it was worth the views and the rejuvenating nature of, well, nature. We drove home with smiles on our faces, glad that we made the decision to go despite the requirements of our time that prevented us from joining the hiking group earlier in the day. We always feel better when we manage to reconnect with nature, even in the simplest ways. There is power in nature, but you can only find it if you seek it.
