Craters of the Moon, Idaho

The next bit of the trip took us across the state boundary into Idaho where we pitched up at The Craters of the Moon.  What a fabulous place.   It is a large area of land completely covered with 2000 year old Volcanic lava eruptions.  It’s a very desolate looking place but strangely very beautiful.  The rocks and patterns left by the massive lava flows solidifying are very varied and are different textures and colours.  

beautiful textures on lava flow

There are several large craters scattered around with trails to walk around and look at them.  We set up camp and sorted out the two spots we wanted, then we drove round the site to see what was on offer.  It was extremely hot so we agreed to do most of the sights in the morning when it was cooler and less busy so we only stopped and walked around two spatter cones rare examples not found often and In one of the spatter cones there was snow!! It didn’t even look that deep but you could see it had drifted right down, so it’s about 35 degrees outside there is still snow sat under the ground!!

 

inside of spatter cone with snow lying, and our shadows waving (not drowning)

We walked around the ‘Devils Orchard’ the formations were very varied and fascinating.  Huge tracts of folded solidified lava flows with lots of cinder soil all with tiny little plants growing in amongst.  It’s hard to believe anything could exist in such barren looking soil but there were some little white flowers and brush sage and even some quite big trees.   There were also quite a lot of dead trees which looked amazing bleached white against the black cinder oil

We went back to camp and when it had started to cool down Dr Fred and his intrepid pal went off to explore the lava tubes and caves. They had to get a permit to do this – there is some disease being spread to the bats that live in the caves - they were free but they had to verify that we hadn’t been in in other caves or tunnels in the last 12 years. The Lava tubes were great, surprisingly damp and humid once inside, given that there was snow in the spatter cones – and the above ground temperatures were 35 degrees or so, they became quite chilly even thought they were only just below the surface. Amazing structures!

We celebrated being in Idaho by having a celestial meal with constellation tomatoes and valley of the moon wine tucked away in out own private lava crater.

inside lava tunnel

The next day we got up really early to go do the trail around the site before it got too hot or too busy. 
It was about a 5 mile hike and the first part was quite hard going, walking on the cinder bed, and gaining quite a lot of elevation and then dropping back down as we cross the lava field as and then going back up the craters.  The views were amazing massive across the flat Idaho plains, and walking round the rims of 2000 year old extinct volcanos was fascinating.  

lava landscape

The last bit was all on the road and a bit tedious by that time, but we were still surrounded by beautiful patterned lava flows some really smooth and others all lumpy and pitted – fab textures again. 

more lovely patterns

The boys walked up the inferno but I didn’t bother is was all cinder and hard to walk on and we had already been as high if not higher, no shade so I wimped out. 

biew across valey

Back at camp we were dirty , dusty and hungry 5 miles before breakfast  in baking temperatures so we had something to eat and packed up and left the black dust heading for the next adventure at the City Rocks.