May 17, 2023
We’ve been so busy lately, traveling, camping, etc… that I totally forgot to finish our trip out west on this blog. So picking up where we left off our next day was Mesa Falls, Warm River, Big Springs, and Johnny Sacks Cabin.
Before we start talking about those things, wanted to show you the cabin and some of the surrounding area where we spent a few days with our friends. They were a joy to be with, we were shown many attractions of the area, had some great food, good fellowship, played cards, and basically laughed til it hurt sometimes. Was such a great visit, one that we will always remember. Here are a few photos outside the cabin when we arrived. Keep in mind these were taken in the middle of May.
Today’s planned trip was to Mesa Falls and some other interesting places to see as our friends were the best guides ever for all things in the Idaho, Montana, Wyoming corner of the world. Upon arrival however the gate was closed to drive down to the Falls area so we decided to walk down the approximately one mile trek. Walking down was pretty easy but noticed on the way down there were some steep inclines on the paved road. Coming back up was the challenge, but still worth every step of it.
Upper Mesa Falls is a waterfall on the Henrys Fork in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. Upstream from Lower Mesa Falls, it is roughly 16 miles away from Ashton, Idaho. Upper Mesa Falls is roughly 114 feet high and 200 feet wide. Wikipedia
Next stop for the day was Big Springs and the Johnny Sacks Cabin. The cabin was not open for us to view inside but here’s a little history about it that you might find interesting.
The Cabin is located at Big Springs in Island Park, Idaho. The cabin’s location & construction are an interesting visit. Construction began in 1932 and took three years to complete.
What makes the craftmanship of Johnny Sack unique is the use of bark in the details of the house and his furniture. Through careful preparation of the lumber, the bark remains on the wood, providing a creative texture and color to the trim of windows, wall panels, ceiling lamps, chairs, desks, beds, and other wooden items.
John Sack was only 4 feet 11 inches tall. While most of the house has typical ceilings, his work area in the basement reflects his small statue. In the winter he would move his work area in front of the fire place on the main floor.
Feeding the trout at Big Springs, all we needed was a couple of loaves of bread. Not allowed to fish from the bridge we were on, too bad because the fish were plentiful and hungry. See video below.
Today was certainly a busy one, so for the next few days we kept it close to the cabin. We did visit Henry’s Fork and some other places our hosts thought we might like and they were right. The scenery in that area is nothing short of fantastic especially for a flat lander southern boy. 🙂
Next stop on our journey will be South Dakota, several things on my bucket list to visit there. Plan to drive from the cabin in Island Park to Deadwood, South Dakota in one day, hotel reservations are already made, staying at The Lodge in Deadwood. Til next time…..
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