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The Destruction That Created Mesa Falls by Janai Smith

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The Destruction That Created Mesa Falls by Janai Smith The destruction that created Mesa Falls By Janai Smith Lava consumed the forest, carving its path with molten flows while heavy volcanic ash crept over the trees into the sky, throwing the world into darkness. After the ash drifted thousands of feet high, it began to fall, settling into rhyolite tuff, the rock that formed the canyons at Mesa Falls. It stood unchanged until a small stream of water began to wind its way over the rocks, growing into the river that designed the massive canyon we see today. The water continues to follow the path it created for itself a million years ago, before falling over 100 feet at Upper Mesa Falls. It moves its way over ancient rock, falling again at Lower Mesa Falls, and continues through the Targhee National Forest, unaware of the destruction that created it. According to the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, a volcano 2,500 times more powerful than the 1980 Mt. St. Helen’s eruption in Washington, buried places in eastern Idaho in nearly 1,000 feet of volcanic ash. The United States Geological Survey estimated that the Mesa Falls tuffs were formed about 1.3 million years ago, creating a canvas of history anyone can enjoy by walking to the stunning overlook of the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. The Snake River Electric Light and Power Company built the Big Falls Inn in 1915 which became a popular spot for family and friends to gather, as it sits just a few feet away from Upper Mesa Falls and the volcanic rock cliffs. About 70 years later, the Targhee National Forest received ownership of the land surrounding Mesa Falls and entered into a partnership with the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation to create a safe environment for the public to view the powerful waterfall. The Big Falls Inn became the Mesa Falls Visitor Center, which is now listed in the National Register of Historic Places. The visitor center showcases natural and cultural exhibits while sharing the history of the volcano that created the Falls. The center remains open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the summer and has limited hours in the winter on select weekends. To get to Mesa Falls, turn east onto Highway 47 in Ashton, Idaho. The road eventually turns north and winds along the Warm River through the Targhee National Forest. After 15.8 miles from Ashton, a sign will direct you to turn into the Upper Mesa Falls parking lot. The United States Forest Service requires a $5 parking fee to visit the site. From the center, visitors can follow the short trail to the boardwalk to view Upper Mesa Falls. The trail overlooks the Snake River, as it moves through the National Forest while the ground is littered with flowers in the early spring and summer months. From a few different lookouts, visitors can view the entire Upper Falls, where the roaring of the powerful water drowns conversation, and cool mist battles the summer heat. According to the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, 2.5 billion gallons of water pour over Upper Mesa Falls each day during its peak season. The water belongs to part of a larger watershed that includes 1.7 million acres and over 3000 miles of rivers and streams including the area of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the department reported. “Mesa Falls hasn’t really changed much in the last 100 years so I doubt in the next 100 years it will change very much at all,” said Liz Davy, a forest service district ranger. “It is volcanic rock. It’s not sedimentary so it takes geological time to break it down and erode it.” The rhyolite tuff forming the canyon walls surrounding Mesa Falls will stand still for hundreds of years to come, making it a beautiful place for generations of visitors to come and see. From Upper Mesa Falls, visitors can hike one mile to Lower Mesa Falls through the Caribou- Targhee National Forest. If one is lucky, they may have the chance of spotting a moose, fox, peregrine falcon, osprey hawk, or black bear from a distance. Even though the trail is well-used by hikers, it offers a peaceful and serene escape from the rest of the world. The river controls the forest, carving its path through the great rock canyons while swallows dart above the treeline, their colorful feathers catching the light as they fill the air with song. “It’s the most beautiful place on the planet,” Davy said. “I believe that truly.” $2.5 million of fire and ore By Janai Smith Note: Historic information is provided by the United States Forest Service and Idaho Historic Society, available to read at the charcoal kilns historic site. Nestled in Birch Creek Valley lies a group of historic charcoal kilns, old buildings the color of honey and the shape of an upside-down beehive. Over a hundred years ago, miners discovered ore in Spring Mountain. Men and women filtered through the valley building log homes and establishing small towns such as Camas, Nicholia (renamed Hahn) and Gilmore to make a living from the minerals in the mountain. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, men discovered the Viola Mine in 1881 and produced about $2.5 million worth of lead and silver by the time it ran dry in 1888. The miners carried ore down from the mountain in large wagons pulled by as many as 20 horses. Originally, the men carried the ore to Camas, 67 miles away from the mine in the large wagons, until Nicholia built its own smelters. The smelters extracted silver and lead from the ore, but required large amounts of fuel to operate, so the miners built 16 charcoal kilns in 1886. The charcoal kilns sat 10 miles from Nicholia and produced charcoal for the smelter until the ore ran out and the smelter shut down. Twelve of the kilns were torn down to reuse the bricks for other buildings, and four remain standing today. Each kiln stands nearly 20 feet tall and one foot thick. They have two doors, one on each side where the miners would throw the wood through. Once the kiln was filled with wood, they would seal the doors and set the wood on fire, controlling the air through vents at the bottom. After the wood had burned, they extracted the coal, loaded it on wagons, and took it to the smelters in Nicholia. In about a week and a half, they could turn 800 cords (2000-3000 pounds) of wood into coal. When the ore ran out, the smelter and town never recovered. All that’s left of the mine is rotted timber and old shafts of wood. Many of the miners had to abandon their towns, and the falling prices of lead and other development eventually caused the end of most towns in Birch Valley — except for Camas which still has a few scattered homes. All that’s left of Nicholia (Hahn) is the foundation of structures, pits and a map marking the historic location. While Gilmore remained one of the most successful towns, it eventually came to its end as well. An explosion destroyed their powerhouse in 1927 and brought their production to a stop. The mines closed, and Gilmore became nothing more than an old ghost town. Dust and sagebrush have consumed the old dirt roads that used to connect the old towns, the homes rotting and overtaken by the wild grass and shrubs of the land. Some of the only surviving structures are the four charcoal kilns. The Targhee National Forest maintains the historic site and has helped preserve the kilns by adding steel pipes to prevent collapse, and gates to keep out animals. While the red clay bricks crumble off the domed structures, scattering the ground with bricks and dust, the historic buildings serve as a reminder of the past of the once populated Birch Valley. Deer, elk, antelope, wolves and coyotes roam the valley, wandering through the mountains and national forest while the last remains of human life rot away. Visitors can now follow the short self-guided trails around the charcoal kilns and read the information plaques placed by the United States Department of Agriculture and Forest Service to learn the short history of the miners at Birch Valley. Visiting the historic site remains free for visitors to enjoy. “There is so much history when you get there,” said Heidi Billman, a member of the Dubois Ranger District. “You have to see it for yourself. You wouldn’t think there is much there but once you get to see it, it’s really cool to learn the history of the area.” To get to the charcoal kilns, travel west of Dubois, Idaho on ID-22W for about 30 miles, then turn right onto ID-28N for about 36 miles before turning right again onto Spring Mountain Road. The United States Department of Agriculture put up signs to mark the historic site. Ghosts roam the forest at night By Janai Smith Note: Stories, quotes and factual information were found in “The Mountain: CARIBOO and Other Gold Camps in Idaho,” by Elaine S. Johnson and Ellen Carney, a book with compiled accounts and records from the mining towns in Idaho. The light fell over the tall, evergreen pines, the summer heat leaving with the sun as cold night air swept through the forest, swallowing any lingering warmth. Massive elk roamed the woods at night. Their hooves snapped twigs; their wide legs rustled bushes.
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