US93: Twin Falls To Salmon ID

It was cold and overcast in Twin Falls this morning, but the weather forecast had mellowed quite a bit overnight. I made the final decision to continue north and am very glad I did.

For 60 miles north of Twin Falls, US93 is its typical two-lane affair across vast scrub land, with mountains visible on the horizon despite the overcast sky. As the sky cleared, so did the view.

We stopped in the tiny town of Carey for coffee, and met up with my old friend US20. We then drove northeast on familiar ground along the edge of Craters of the Moon to the famous little "Atomic City" town of Arco.

At Arco we turned northwest and headed up a long, modest but steady grade. We stopped in the town of Mackay for lunch, then again in the very small village of Chilly for more coffee. Happy and I both enjoy our road trip stops!

The high point of the day -- figuratively and literally -- was crossing 7,165 foot Willow Creek Summit, and beginning the long descent down the other side.




In Challis, ID, the road meets up with the Salmon River and follows it north down the valley. For 60 miles to Salmon, ID, the road and river play tag with each other, threading their way through the mountains. The river continually gains strength along the route, heading toward its eventual confluence with the Snake River and ultimately with the Columbia River.



Just before reaching Salmon, ID, we crossed the 45th parallel which -- you must know by now -- is the point where I start getting happy about latitudes! We will spend the night here and continue north to Missoula, MT, tomorrow... Stay tuned!