The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1921-04-14
NEW NATIONAL PARK PROPOSED BY
EXPLORERS OF DAHO'S MOON VALLEY
Wonderful Lava Beds Located Between Black
foot and Picabo-Combed With Under
ground Caves and Passages
BY R. w. LIMBERT

1
Jdaho's greatest stretch OF lava
fields; its nearest unexplored region
and its region Of greatest mystery
lies due west OF Blackfoot, south OF
Martin and north of Miami. 1t Is
that great central area that is merely
marked plain on the maps Of Idaho,
because nobody knows much about
it, and anyone who has gone in to try
to learn about It has generally come
out sorry or left his bones there.
many people have ventured in for
some distance and come back nearly
barefooted because the rough lava
cuts the shoes to shreds and they tell
wondrous tales Of the freaks of ma
ture in upheavals of lava. The fol-
lowing article from the pen OF a
Boise man adds considerable to- the
record of this region that has been so
little exploded.
For years l had heard stories Of
the lava beds of central Idaho, To-
Gated in the triangle between Mini
doka, Arco and Carey, and compris-
ing portions of Lincoln, Minidoka,
Blaine, Power, Bingham and Butte
counties. Once talked to trapper
who had penetrated them about eight
miles, so he said. Another time J
met party that had been in five or
six miles. The story of one con-
firmed the story OF the other Both
were unanimous in saying that never
again would they go back alone
Asked why" the answer was, go
and see." went and my reply to
the question is the same.
The valley of the Moon hes in
region literally combed with un-
dergdound caves and passages, be-
wildering in their immensely, mysti-
flying in their variety of strange for
nations, where there are natural
bridges as yet unknown to phograph-
ers, where bear tracks hundreds of
years old may be traced for miles
across cinder fats. Here are craters
of dormant VOLCANOES half mile wide
and seemingly bottomless, huge cups
in which the five-story Owyhee hotel
might be placed to resemble a lone
sugar loaf in huge bowl. Here are
strange ice caves with stalactites and
ice-incrested walls, caves that con-.
tain as much ice in the middle of
August as they do in the winter
When l first heard of this remark
able region about nine years ago, !
naturally paid little attention to the
things told me. l put them down to
imagination. 1t was only when
heard there were grizzly bears there
that l became interested and made
my first trip.
Up to date have made three trips
into the valley of the Moon" the
last one being completely across IT,
a distance of eighty miles aisline.
We CIV. L. Cole of Boise and myself)
were seventeen days on the trip and
yet we saw very little of what the
region has to offer.
Mr.. Cole and | started from Mini
doka, Idaho, and went by compass
bearing to the town of Martin, some
eighty miles airline, to the north.
We crossed about twenty-eight miles
Of the rough angular block forma-
tion known as A. A. formation,
term used by the Hawaiians to denote
a similar lava formation found in
their islands. Travel across this was
very difficult, about eight to ten
miles day being the best we could
do. Sleeping at night was almost
impossible, for we could not find a
level place to lie down upon. But
after the fourth day we began to pass
struggling cinder cones and blowout
holes evidently caused by under
ground explosions of steam and gas,
and then the travel was easier.