Monday May 15th 2017

Today was a cool sunny day. The high temperature was just over 60 degrees, about 10 degrees lower than the seasonal expectation. After three straight travel days, I was not ready for a lot of tourist activity today, but cooler temperatures and rain are forecast for the next three days. I needed to take advantage of the sunny day.

I. B. Perrine Bridge over the Snake River in Twin Falls Idaho

Late in the morning I drove back to the I. B. Perrine bridge across the Snake River. I crossed it coming north yesterday. From the road approaching the bridge it is very unremarkable. The ground is level on both sides of the canyon holding the river so on approach the need for a bridge is hidden. It is only once you are on the bridge that the canyon is revealed. The river is not visible from a vechile crossing the bridge. It is too far below.

View to the East from the Perrine Bridge area. The Evel Knievel launch ramp is in the south bank in the middle of this picture.

There are parking lots on both sides of the bridge to view the canyon and a visitors center on the southwest side. The bridge is a truss arch span 1500 feet long and 486 feet above the river. I walked under it on each side of the canyon and I walked out to the center of the bridge. It shakes and vibrates as each truck passes across. It wasn’t the most comfortable experience out on the shaky bridge 486 feet above the water, but the view was well worth it. To the west the canyon floor has a golf course on both sides of the river. To the east waterfalls and the dirt launching ramp for Evel Knievel’s unsuccessful attempt to jump across the Snake River Canyon on a steam powered Skycycle rocket can be seen in the distance.

Waterfall on the south rim of the canyon.

Statue “The Twins” on the rim southeast of the bridge.

The other thing the bridge is know for is BASE jumping. It is one of the only places in the United States that it is legal to parachute jump from the structure. While I was there several jumpers took the leap. How they can do it is beyond my understanding. I found it very difficult to watch as they stood on the bridge railing before jumping.

BASE Jumper preparing to jump

Over the edge with the parachute starting to deploy

Parachute open and sailing toward the river below. 

Is he going to land in the water?

Landing near a target painted on the floor of the canyon beside the river.

Another major storm front is moving in off the Pacific Ocean. It will bring rain to this area tomorrow through Thursday. Some areas at altitude North, South, East and West of here have winter storm warnings in effect. The Elko NV area that I was in over the weekend may get as much as two feet of snow. I’m glad I’m not still in that area. The Sun Valley area to the north of here is expecting about 10 inches of snow. I don’t think I will be traveling too far away from this area of the Magic Valley over the next couple of days.