My Trip To Sheep Falls

Quite a while back, I took a beautiful little hike to a place in the lower Targhee National Forest called Sheep Falls. The trail is right off of Highway 20 going towards West Yellowstone National Park (from Idaho Falls, Idaho) and really is a diamond in the rough for hiking and viewing purposes. I don't believe a lot of people know about this wonderful place and I was blessed to stumble upon it. Take a look at some of the photographs I took while enjoying the scenery.

Click on the arrow on the right of the photographs to take my short slide show:

My Cave Falls Hike

At the south end of Yellowstone National Park in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest, just over the Idaho border into Wyoming, there lies a beautiful group of water falls on both the Bechler and Falls Rivers. The hikes to these falls range from an easy 3 mile round trip to 20 miles and this area has some of the most gorgeous scenery I have come across in Southern Idaho.

The drive to the trail head is on a fairly good dirt road off of Hwy 47 near Ashton, Idaho. There is plenty of good parking available and there is not the $25.00 fee to enter the park as there is at the main entrance. Of course, you have no options other than to either hike from here or go on horseback but I was glad to keep the $25.00 in my pocket.

For most of the hike, the trail follows the Bechler River with the Falls River being the first river you encounter. Surrounded by tall lodge pole pine trees and quaking aspens along with the river on your right side, I felt I was in Heaven for the entire duration of my adventure. Although I did not encounter any wildlife other than a very friendly grouse, I have been told of hikers often seeing deer, elk, moose and an occasional wolf on this trail.

After my hike, I realized how lucky I was to discover this beautiful area very close to my home in Idaho Falls. If you are at all familiar with the southern part of Idaho, then you know that it is not anything like the northern part. Idaho Falls lies in a high desert region (around 4800 feet above sea level) amongst 1000’s of acres of potato farming. But on the plus side, with a little bit of driving you can get into some spectacular areas that rival any part of Northern Idaho’s beauty.

If you live close by and have not taken the time to visit this wonderful area, then I would suggest you do so. If you are planning a trip to Yellowstone Park in the near future, then I would definitely make this part of your trip. Because of the trail’s location, you will find fewer hikers on the trail and much more seclusion than being in the main part of Yellowstone Park.

Smoking Salmon (Or Trout)…A Quick Guide

Have you ever tried to smoke a fish? (I know, it is hard to get them lit!) Anyway, I have here a great recipe for smoking salmon and trout that is simple but very tasty. In a minute, I will give you the recipe but first a little story about how this recipe came about.

Years ago, my uncle Bob along with his 2 sons and his father-in-law decided they would like to start fishing for the small Kokanee salmon, (commonly called blue backs), at a couple North Idaho lakes namely Lake Coeur d’Alene and Lake Pend Oreille. My uncle came up with this special bait he figured would catch those fish like crazy so they all decided to give it a try.

Back in those days, maybe 30 or more years ago, both these lakes had commercial fishing available on them with limits from 125 to 250 fish a day per person for the small Kokanee salmon. On a good day, a group of four could really bring in the fish. My uncle and his crew all purchased commercial licenses and began fishing with his new discovered bait.

It took only a few hours on their first trip out to discover that my uncle’s bait was indeed amazing and that all of a sudden they had caught a whole slew of fish.

When they returned to shore and counted their first bounty, they discovered that they had brought in a total of 650 fish! What were they going to do with all these slimy creatures? Well, they put their minds together and they decided that smoking them would be the best way to not only preserve them for a length of time but also maybe they could make some extra money selling them to the local stores.

So, to make this story readable and not bore you with all the details, they did start a little smoked fish business and began distributing their fish around the local town. Before I give you the recipe for this incredible smoked fish, there are some essentials you must have to get started.

A good quality smoker is needed to begin with. I don’t believe you have to pay $100’s of dollars for one either. I have a small little smoker I purchased from Home Depot for around $125.00 and it does very well. An electric smoker is preferred because you don’t have to tend the fire as often and it cooks much more evenly.

As far as the wood you need I would recommend apple, cherry or hickory wood chunks (not chips if possible). The wood chunks last much longer and burn slower. Slow, cool smoke is what you are after and the wood chips tend to burn too quickly. Before you start your smoking, soak the wood chunks overnight in water so they will burn slow and not catch fire so easily.

Now, here is what you have been waiting for, the recipe.

*1 Cup Non-Iodized Salt (it must be non-iodized).

*1 Cup Brown Sugar

*2 Gallons of Water

*1/8 Cup of Pepper if preferred.

(you can cut this recipe in half or a 1/4 if you wish)

*Soak your fish overnight (12 hours) in the above mixture and take out and leave at room temperature for an hour before putting the fish in the smoker.

That’s It!! I know it looks simple and it is. Many recipes ask for seasonings, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce and other things but this recipe is simple and the very best.

Your fish should be filleted if possible but not completely necessary as the meat will pull away from the bone easily after smoking. It is important to leave the skin on the filets as it keeps the fish from sticking to the grill. Use good quality salmon or trout when smoking. Fish with white meats do not do well and tend to dry out, as they do not have the oil in the meat like the salmon family does.

Place your wood chips in your smoker and put your fish on the grates. Depending on the temperature outside, it could take a couple of hours to several to smoke your fish. Test the fish after an hour or so to see how the texture looks. You can taste test the salmon as it is getting done to get the required texture you desire. I like my salmon fairly moist but others may like it drier. The choice is up to you.

It may take a time or two until you get this smoking thing down but after you have perfected this recipe, you will be smoking fish on a regular basis.