Unexpected Beauty Comes Out of Idaho Wildfires

We made reservations to spend our 20th anniversary (yes, I was a child bride) at the Fall Creek Lodge and Marina on Anderson Ranch Reservoir north of Mountain Home.This is where we spent our wedding night.  We were just thinking of celebrating our milestone and memories, not about the forest fire that had burned nearly 250,000 acres of that beautiful forest last August.

When we got up there, we realized what area it was they were talking about on the news when they mentioned the Elk Complex, Pine Complex, and Beaver Creek Complex fires (near Sun Valley).  I felt terrible for the wonderful folks that run the Fall Creek Lodge, Kathy, Chris and Nick...they bought the resort last June, then 2 months later, had fire all around them.  Luckily, the lodge was saved, but a lot of people lost their homes.  You could see remnants of burned-out structures, and how devastating the fire was to everything in its path.

What was most surprising, though, was the beauty we saw in what was burned.  All of the thick underbrush had burned away, so you could really see the mountainous landscape, rock formations, creeks, and other spaces that normally would have been hidden.  There are lots of black-and-orange pine trees, with green ground cover and a few flowers starting to grow back, and other rehabilitation of the area is going on with roads and waterways.  Right around the lodge, the trees are still green, and the reservoir is filling up, so the Fall Creek Marina will be up and running for plenty of water recreation this summer.

We still saw lots of evidence of wildlife…deer, elk, rabbit, prairie dog, and even wolf prints on one of the hiking trails.  Just driving into the area, I saw two bald eagles catching fish in the reservoir, and some deer and chipmunks.  There was still much beauty to behold for nature lovers.  They said the fish were already biting, and with all the wildlife, the hunting should be good this fall.

We really want to thank the Kathy, Chris and Nick for making our stay so pleasant.  They knew all about the area, helping us figure out where to go to explore.  Their restaurant was wonderful, and they have karaoke and occasionally, live music (our band, A Tasty Jamm, may play there this August).  We had a fantastic anniversary, and we won’t wait another 20 years to go back!

We came back via the road through Prairie, Idaho.

Get the play-by-play on the fires, with maps and pictures: http://wildfiretoday.com/2013/08/10/idaho-multiple-fires-east-of-boise/

More basic information on the fire and closures:
http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/3616/

More amazing fire photos:
http://photos.oregonlive.com/photo-essay/2013/08/idahos_elk_complex_fire_claims.html

More about Fall Creek Lodge:
http://www.fallcreeklodge.com/