#3: [22-Mar-13]

#2: [15-Jun-02]

03-Mar-2001 -- I hadn't planned attempting a confluence today. I'm in Idaho visiting a friend and was trying to find an easy one to visit with my friend while I'm here. What I found out is nothing is easy for a Mississippi boy in Idaho in the winter. It rarely snows in Mississippi and when it does, it usually melts away pretty fast. You can always walk around in it and play in it if you want to. Not here. I went hiking yesterday and got off the trail of packed snow and waded through snow about a metre deep. That will wear you out in a hurry if you're a lard butt like me. Anyway, back to the confluence.

I drove towards the one at 44ºN 111ºW, which is in Wyoming, not Idaho, but it's the closest un-visited confluence to my friend's house. I had looked at the aerial photos the night before and I was fairly certain that I couldn't make it anywhere near the spot this time of year. One would need a snowmobile and snowshoes to do it and I have neither. But I didn't have anything to do with myself, so I figured it would be a nice drive at least. I was awe struck by the beauty of the landscapes I saw. I had to pull over several times and just soak it all in. The rolling high plains covered in snow with the mountains as a backdrop had me gawking like a country boy does at skyscrapers the first time he visits a city.

Along the way I saw a Historic Marker on the side of the road and stopped to read it. It said, "TETON FLOOD. When Teton Dam suddenly was washed away, June 5, 1976, a large reservoir (280 feet deep) was dumped on farms and towns below. Houses floated away and crop land was ruined as water surged into Snake River and American Falls Reservoir, which finally controlled that flood. Church, government, and disaster relief agencies responded effectively, but 14 lives were lost and hundreds of millions of dollars in damages resulted in that unforgettable calamity. All that remains of Teton Dam can be seen from a viewpoint 1.5 miles north of here." So I drove the 1.5 miles north to check out the infamous dam and take some photos.

I continued making my way toward the confluence at a leisurely pace, stopping along the way to take more photos. I made it as far as I could go and was still over 10 miles away from the spot. You can see how deep the snow is on the unplowed road that leads toward the confluence in the photo. The sky looked like it was going to snow, so I headed back. The road I was on was plowed, but not very well.

So this confluence is an open chapter. I know it was a halfhearted attempt, but I knew what I was up against when I decided to go. Someone with a snowmobile will have to try or wait until the spring. I thought confluences in Mississippi were tough because of the briars. Snow, ice, and freezing weather will kill you. Briars won't. I'm going to get some snowshoes and attempt another confluence before I leave Idaho.

Danny Strickland