Hawks along the road 7/22/2018

Perrine Bridge over the Snake River

There are many trails in and around Twin Falls, most following the Snake River canyon rim. After a leisurely morning, we headed out to check some of them out. We went to the Perrine bridge, a bridge in Twin Falls that carries U.S. Highway 93 over the Snake River Canyon, connecting to Jerome County and I84. It's the 8th highest bridge in the US, and is named for I.B. Perrine, who pushed for 20th century irrigation projects in this area, and is credited with founding the city of Twin Falls. The Perrine Bridge is a popular basejumping site known all over the world and may be the only man-made structure in the United States where basejumping is allowed year-round without a permit. Jumpers often use the nearby visitor center as a home base before and after parachuting from the bridge.

From the visitor center there, the views of the canyon are impressive. You get wonderful views of the private Blue Lakes Country Club and the curving Snake River, as well as the bridge.

We walked along the canyon rim trail for a bit, then  decided to drive up to the Minidoka National Historic site near Jerome, ID outside Twin Falls. In 1942, President Roosevelt signed an Executive

Order requiring over 110,000 Japanese people to give up their homes, farms and businesses, and be brought to detention centers. For the rest of World War II, they remained there. Over 13,000 of those were imprisoned at Minidoka. This historic site presents the story of what happened here, and gives it a human face. Two thirds of the people who were brought here were Americans, and they lived American lives and swore allegiance to this country. While here, they formed boy scout and girl scout troops, a jazz band, art clubs, organized churches, planted gardens. The kids played marbles, jacks, jump rope--they lived American lives. In August 1943, Minidoka firefighters helped subdue a wildfire 60 miles from camp. The history of this place is so bizarre--Americans imprisoned for how they looked--it's hard to believe it actually happened. We can't ever forget this.

Minidoka is located on the outskirts of Twin Falls, in an area that is mostly agricultural. Once you are outside the hub of the city, there are farms everywhere. On our way to Minidoka, I had noted a hawk sitting on an irrigation rig by the side of the road. Then, on our departure, I noted several hawks sitting on that irrigation rig. We stopped the car, and looked back at the field we had just passed. There were at least 50 hawks perched on the irrigation rig in that field. We took some pictures and moved on. Later, I identified the hawks we saw as Swainson's hawks. The information I dug up on these hawks is that they favor wild prairie, hayfields, and pastures over wheat fields and alfalfa fields, which may offer its prey too much cover. They require elevated perches for hunting and a supply of small mammals such as young ground squirrels as prey for its nestlings. "Many still-hunt, watching for prey activity from a perch such as a tree, bush, pylon, telephone pole, hummock or other high object.These birds patrol open areas or scan for prey from a perch; they may also catch insects in flight. They take advantage of insects turned up by farm equipment or driven out by fire." Those hawks strung out on the irrigation rig were quite a sight to see. We caught a few pictures of them.

After our visit here, we decided to return to Shoshone Falls, where there is a trail that leads to the place where Evel Knievel tried to jump the Snake River Canyon (and failed). We hiked up the trail for a couple of miles, following switchback after switchback, up and up, til we were almost at the top of the canyon hills. But we saw no such place, although we were assured it was there. No signs, no markers. It was hot and it was getting late. Though the views of Shoshone Falls and the canyon were wonderful, we decided to pack it in and go home for a beer.

Pictures are here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/rgVWQ1iQEyqHEFQw9