"Intro. to the Snake River Canyon"

One of the places near my home that I frequent is the Snake River Canyon and the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area.  It's my pleasure to introduce this area to you.  The Snake River actually travels the length of the state of Idaho from East to West, and I've shot from several locations along it's route.  This post will focus on the SW section.

Here, my husband and daughter enjoy some time together as they sit on the wall at the edge of the canyon at Dedication Point, a lookout just off the road.  It's a nice little walk out to the cliffs.   Be sure to read the signs and watch for birds of prey that nest in these cliffs and townsend ground squirrels that are plentiful in the area, and serve as prey for the raptors.

On one occasion, while waiting for the sunset to be ready for me to shoot it and in the absence of birds at the time, I laid on my stomach and got this unusual shot of a stink bug on a desert plant.  It kept putting it's right hind leg out and in as if it were exercising.  I love the way patterns are repeated in nature with this bugs legs almost seeming as an extension of the plant.

The shadows and lighting on the canyon walls are spectacular as the sun gets low in the sky.  I shot this image from edge of the canyon about 20 minutes north of Swan Falls Dam after following a dirt road to the edge of the cliffs.  

In the summer, it gets as hot in this desert as it did cold in the winter months.  Evidence of survival of the fittest and the food chain is scattered around up on the plateau, and turkey vultures soar overhead to serve as a grim reminder of the existence of animals and their demise in the area.

There are some vast views from this lookout that's south of Dedication Point, just before the turn off to drop down to Swan Falls Dam.  The mountains in the distance are the Owyhee range. If you go before sunrise in February, be sure to take proper clothing as the freezing weather along with the wind is quite biting.

I hope you can see from these images, the vastness and beauty of this desert land.  To see more images, click on any one of the images in this post or CLICK HERE.