(Originally published on August 4, 2014 / Author: Tim Bondy) On June 22, 2014, I headed up into the Boise National Forest to go thunderegg hunting near Trinity Mountain. The scenery was spectacular, weather awesome and the thunderegg hunt was fruitful, sort of. I also fished and saw some spectacular scenery. Read on to discover what I found on this trip into the mountains of southern Idaho, USA.
Me, Myself and I Head to the Mountains
With my usual companion, Addie the Plott Hound still hurting mightily from the SUV smackdown we received by that USAA Insured driver on 15 April 2014, I headed out alone. ATV loaded in the back of the truck, fishing pole strung properly, rock hammer at the ready and hiking sandals cinched up. Off I went.
I drove along the scenic north shore of Anderson Ranch Reservoir and parked at the Castle Rock Campground on the lake shore. This little campground, that I think was still day-use only at this time is a good jumping off spot for a Fall Creek and Trinity Mountain exploration.
With the ATV off the truck and weighed down with food and drink for a long day, I decided to take 15 minutes and fish the Castle Creek Cove area of the lake. My usual luck on this body of water held in that I caught nothing. But it did give me an opportunity to get my feet wet and smell the fine scent of summer in Idaho.
Fall Creek Road to Trinity Ridge Road and a Little More
I set off and rode through the Fall Creek Lodge area. The gas station is still closed and the lodge is under new management I understand. Evidence of the 2013 Elk – Pony Wildfire that burned through this area was everywhere. Following Fall Creek on NFS Road 123 and then onto NFSR 128 at some point was interesting as the burned browns/blacks juxtaposed against the early summer greenery of this area. Even though I haven’t spent a lot of time in this area I can guess Fall Creek isn’t running as fast, deep or cold as it should be at this time of the year.
The new bridge near the intersection of NFS Roads 128 and 129 was good to see. Rather, seeing the road open when it was just closed for repairs a few days before was nice. Once I turned north on Trinity Ridge Road (NFS Road 129) I could tell this was going to be a great day for an adventure. And once I turned on NFS Road 159 or Burnt Creek Road I knew fishing would be a fun part of the day. But with every adventure, there are untold stories as the picture below shows.
“Nichole
We have not lost you for
You’ll remain in our soul forever”
NFS Road 159 to NFS Road 154B
This was the area. I was getting close to my rockhounding destination off road 154. But before heading up into the higher elevations, I decided to have a snack and check out a cool campground located on Burnt Creek or possibly the West Fork of Fall Creek. Whatever creek it was, the area is awesome and a place I’d love to pitch a tent for a month or so. The water was a little small and fast moving for fishing but it allowed for some beautiful deep vegetation to grow.
NFS Road 154 was across the road from this beautiful campground (primitive type) so I headed up the trail. Elevation is gained quickly on this steep and rocky road but the scenery of the high, long ridge just to the west added to the adventure.
Taking a left on NFS Road 154B was my first scheduled rocking spot. I stayed high on this ridge even though the road headed down into the West Fork of Fall Creek canyon below. The information I had was the ATV legal portion of 154B ended pretty much where I parked. I stayed legal…I hope.
This area is also where I found my first thunderegg. Once I figured out what I was looking at and looking for, finding the low hanging fruit was simple. Not that there are millions just sitting on the surface but enough to whet my appetite. With rock hammer in hand, I broke a few of those things in half. They are tough little buggers, let me tell you. But time to move on…
NFS Road 154 High Point and Thunderegg Search
A ridge where NFS Road 154 tops out in the Boise National Forest was my primary rockhounding destination today. I parked my Arctic Cat ATV just off the road and checked the GPS unit and lay of the land. But before any rockhounding can begin, one should always take time to enjoy the views and take inventory of where you are and where you want to go. I did.
I headed south up a small ridge to start this search. And I found a few thundereggs but not many. The view from the top of this ridge was spectacular. Trinity Mountain is to the north and swinging slowly around clockwise, the views just continue. But it’s thundereggs I was after so I crossed the road and search the ridgeline to the north.
The ridge is actually a pretty easy climb except while trying to keep one eye on the ground and one eye on the about to topple-over burnt trees. Seriously, if there were high winds I wouldn’t go anywhere near this ridge.
There were a couple of places on this ridge where I found many thundereggs, again just laying out in the open for the taking. I left them there for the return trip down the ridge. I continued up to the 6,400-foot mark but didn’t see much worth taking up there. Again, the view was great and maybe even better as the horizon opened up a little more. On the way down the ridge, I picked up a few thundereggs and also broke a few open.
Lunch With a View
Serious rockhounding activities were now over and a few sandwiches, a big juicy orange and a bottle of cold water restored my energy levels. All this while looking out over the big views this portion of the Boise National Forest offers. Lunch with a view in the Boise National Forest…unbeatable.
Fishing Time in the Fall Creek Area
I started looking for places to fish starting at the intersection of NFS Road 154 and 129 (N 43.55324 W 115.43610). Tried my luck on Cougar Creek but a little too fast and not enough water in this stream right next to Trinity Mountain Road.
Next, I fished the East Fork of Fall Creek. Another low water, high-speed stream but where there’s a will, there is a small trout. I caught a mini-trout and as I lifted it out of the water, it jumped and landed squarely back in the water. Maybe 8 pounder oz.
I headed back onto NFS Road 159 and fished near Burnt Creek Road. In this meadowy location, it was kind of difficult to determine exactly what stream/creek I was fishing in. Of the three places I fished in this area I only caught one small trout…Ah heck, all the fish I catch are small 🙂 But it certainly was a pretty place to fish.
Heading back towards the truck, I fished mainly in Fall Creek and caught a few more not-lunkers, while mainly wading upstream. This may be another low water year but make no mistake about the power of rushing water. It knocked off my feet and into Fall Creek at one point. Cold…very cold and bracing. At least I had my camera in a dry bag and my daypack is relatively waterproof. With the dust washed off my body by the appropriately named Fall Creek, it was time to head back home.
Truth or Fiction of the Trinity Mountain Thunderegg
Rockhounding is a hobby that sometimes excites and but mostly disappoints if you let it. This rock-hounding trip combined with some stream fishing and sightseeing turned out to be quite an adventure and a great day.
All the thundereggs/geodes I found on this trip were disappointing. I broke open about 15 of the things while up in the mountains. I brought back 6 of them and broke 3 of them open at home. The insides of all of them were the same…solid and grayish rock.
I’m not saying there aren’t any nice thunderegg specimens located in the area, but I certainly didn’t find any. Your mileage could vary as I’m not a dedicated rockhound. Get out there and search the ridges off of NFS Road 154 in the Boise National Forest. And when you do, let me know what you found.
Other Information
- Link to map of the general area: http://www.acme.com/mapper/?ll=43.54531,-115.43979&z=14&t=M&marker0=43.54531%2C-115.43979%2C3.8%20mi%20S%20of%20Trinity%20Mountain%20ID
- Fishing Pole/Rod: ~ 5 foot UglyStick fishing rod strung with 4 pound test cheapo line.
- Bait: Mostly Panther Martin Spinners with barbs removed.
- ATV: 2008 Arctic Cat 500 TRV
- Fall Creek Resort and Marina: https://www.facebook.com/fallcreekresortandmarina
Originally published on http://www.bondyblogs.com on 14 June 2014 and updated on this website on March 3, 2019.
Sincerely,
~ signed ~
Tim Bondy – Freelance Writer
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” ~ Neale Donald Walsch