Sun Valley (Black Magic Canyon)

This morning I met Jim and Issa and we caravanned out to Black Magic Canyon. Getting there is not for the faint of heat. It requires traveling several miles over poorly maintained dirt roads. And that assumes you actually know the secret information that Google only gets you part of the way. The trick is to find the hike in All Trails and then use the navigation in the app to give driving directions all the way to the Canyon. Jim figured that out and it worked perfectly.

Black Magic Canyon is only accessible in the late Fall and Winter. During the rest of the year, it fills with water released by the Big Wood Canal Company and flash floods can occur. You must call ahead to verify a release is not planned. Also, in the summer, apparently rattlesnakes abound. We actually had perfect conditions, both the weather and time of year.

Once we arrived, we geared up and walked down into the Canyon. The beginning is a gentle slope, so the start was easy. Soon enough we were required to start scrambling over rocks or slithering through crevices. I had my camera pack as I did not want a repeat of yesterday at Indian Tunnel. Issa and Jim were very kind and helpful to take hand-offs when the passageway was too narrow, or I needed to haul myself up a steep boulder. We were all entranced with the mile and a half hike. The rock formations have been carved by water erosion and the canyon resembles the slot canyons of Arizona except that it is more shallow and the rocks are volcanic, so gray/black rather than red/orange. We also ran across many small pools of crystalline iced-over water. Some of these had trapped small rocks in depressions, others sheltered all manner of colored algae that were growing beneath the ice. It is truly a magical place.

As there was no formal end to the trail - it seems to continue as a shallow ditch for some time - we decided to climb out when we saw a side that had good hand and foot holds. Jim was a trooper as our designated scout. I also felt much safer hiking, not only with companions, but one who is an Army Vet. We saw not a single other person the entire time. I would have been a bit nervous to do this hike completely on my own, so I was very glad Issa and Jim were interested in joining me. As well, we very much enjoyed each other’s company and discovery the canyon’s delights together.

We said our good-byes, promised to keep in touch, and Jim and Issa left for Boise and I returned to Hailey.

Tomorrow I will drive down to Twin Falls. The main destination is the CVS pharmacy to get my Fall vaccinations, but I will also try to visit at least one of the Falls while I am in the area. The main attraction, Shoshone Falls, is actually dry at this time of year, so I will seek out one of the smaller falls that run all year.