Camping at Fish Creek Idaho

Went on the first of many camping trips and the weather was beautiful. I think this is the first Memorial Day weekend that it didn't rain on in 10 years. We went with our good friends the Browns and had a good time, at a real nice camping spot.



Frank and Steve took the four little ones up on Friday night since Amber had to work. Her and Christie drove up on Saturday morning. We picked a spot just across from the spot we camped at last year. We had an excellent location. Just 30 feet from the Fish Creek, nobody in sight, and nice scenery everywhere. Even on Memorial weekend it was nice... we didn't have anyone within site, but a few within hearing range.



Saturday morning we woke up to a bunch of hillbillies blasting their guns and rifles into the creek. Woke us all up at 8:30 or so... Steve and Frank both unzipped the tents and had a few not so kind words with them. That was the last we heard of them shooting :)


We saw 3 Moose while camping this time. The first one in the morning of the first day, a large cow and her just born little one. It was maybe a month old if that, the size of our dogs. They were about 100 feet from us across the creek.


The other moose snuck up on us Saturday night. Amber was in the tent and the moose chased Pinot right to our tent. I'd guess maybe 15 feet at the most from the tent. Then...it just cruised back into the trees and went about it's business.


Poor Buddy, Steve's dog. Friday night we were putting the kids down in the tent and heard a giant dog yelp. Buddy got hit by a porcupine again. I think this is the third time I've been with him and he's been hit. This was by far the worst. He had about 25 quills (each 2 inches long) in the soft part of his nose. About 50 across is body, and about another 50-70 in his hind leg. We had to sit in the dark with our head lamps pulling each one out with pliers and our fingers...while the kids just sat their and watched. He took it well, incredible pain suppression.



The kids got to play in the creek, play with a frog, fish... see tons of fish swimming in the crystal clear Fish Creek. We got in a little hiking, and everything just went pretty smoothly. We brought them over to Big Springs (about 5 minutes from the camp site) to let them see the start of the Henry's Fork of the Snake River. It's spring fed and is strange looking as the start is from the side of a mountain.

3 Panoramic Shots

VIDEO: Around the campsite


VIDEO: Short one of Graycie on their tree horse


VIDEO: Fishing on Fish Creek (at the beginning you can see the fish in the water)


VIDEO: Kids taking the Dads on a hike


VIDEO: Hiking and checking out the fish


VIDEO: More campsite stuff

Fish Creek Camping Weekend

Steve and I were able to get away and go camping on Friday and Saturday. Amber and the girls were away in New Mexico visiting her Mom and Joe. So, I took off work a few hours early and Steve was already at my house, packing the car and almost ready to go. We had food, wood, dogs, and our poles. No kids, no wives, a full weekend and our tent. Ahhhh, time to ease into life. We were camping near Harriman State Park.

We packed the car as full as possible, through the dogs (Pinot and Buddy) in the back seat and took off towards the Island Park area. We stopped at a few "campgrounds" right on the Snake River and near Island Park Reservoir but didn't like the crowds... and the rules. They wanted the dogs tied up, hell no.

Heres a video of the bend on Fish Creek, feet from our campsite



We went towards Big Springs and found a great spot in the woods, about 20 feet from Fish Creek. What a great spot. It was a covered area of trees and forest. There was plenty of room for 20 other campsites within this area, but we had it all to ourselves.



We set up camp, fed the dogs and couldn't help but to wet a line. I won't bother to count the number of the fish we caught, I'm guessing 20 fish each, Brook Trout, Rainbow Trout, and Cutthroat. Not sure if either of us caught a German Brown or not.



Anyways, we started out just to test the waters and didn't really take much with us... so a couple of hours and miles later, we remembered we didn't bring food nor water. So we headed back... fished the entire way back of course. Had a great time. There was a nice 5 foot watering hole on the corner of a cut bank, right where we were camping... and oh was it refreshing. It was hot as hell out there, probably 85 or so.

Another short video of the camping area...






Set up camp, cooked up some great tin foil dinners. Tons of veggies and then we dumped a can of stew in the foil. It was goooood. Dogs had a blast all day and ran their asses off. We did about 4 or 5 miles total that day, they did probably 10 miles.




We were able to hit Moose Creek where it merged into Fish Creek. Very nice looking water and we were able to walk the middle of the creek most of the day. Tons of fish, beautiful country and nothing but the breeze and fresh air. Saw tons of wildlife... mostly eagles and ospreys. Saw a few deer, dog tracks, and of course deer and elk.

The next day we headed out and fished a bit here and there. We cruised up to Big Springs to see where the Snake River comes out of the mountain into a nice spring. You can walk over the bridge at Big Springs and see otters, tons of 2lb+ trout, ducks, and other wild life. We hiked and fished more when we got back... found some good garlic wild onions.

This is a video of the creek just a few feet away

Again, at sun down, we were back at camp. Fire going, dogs passed out, and we ate and had some rum and coke... eased into the rest of the night. Both nights were great sleeping. Not chilly, not too hot. The damn dogs slept in the tent with us though, and they snore and are pretty clumsy. We didn't want them outside in case of wolves or coyotes.

On the way back to Idaho Falls on Sunday we stopped everywhere. We went to the Buffalo River and the Madison River... stopped at a few campgrounds and found some killer spots to fish. We cruised over the Island park reservoir, saw the falls, and a few other rivers.



We took the Mesa Falls area loop where we were able to pull off and blast off a few clips of Steve's 22 magnum handgun. Pinot ran like the coward she is... hid behind the tree's until we were done. We went to Bear Gulch turnoff, just pass Mesa Falls, and hiked back about 2 miles through the abandoned train tunnel.



Found some AWESOME looking holes down below. It was on the Fall River, just an incredibly beautiful spot. Popular place for bikers in the Summer. We had to descend about 80 feet or so down some pretty large narly rocks... but made and enjoyed the beauty of the spot. Canyon setting, aqua blue holes with falls everywhere. Surrounded by the pine tree covered mountains. Very nice spot.



Fun time. It was exactly what the doctor ordered... peace and quiet, good friends, and a great time in the outdoors. Can't wait for the trip next summer.