The Idaho Stalker Strikes in Idaho Falls!

Ask away. mbix59@gmail.com

Maybe you could share the titles of your previous 2 books so we can check them out sometime? I believe all of us that live in this area can agree that we live in some of the most beautiful country in the world. Idaho, Montana & Wyoming all have some breathtaking scenery and wildlife. And while all three states have some pretty barren desert and/or scrub-brush areas, the surrounding mountains, lakes, rivers, streams, valley’s, waterfalls etc. make driving through the desert to get to these beautiful areas worthwhile. We hope you get to visit our little slice of heaven sometime in the near future. But in the meantime, thank you for your kind words and best of luck on your new book.

Of all the places in Idaho this person could have fell in love with they chose the desolate wasteland that encompasses all of southern Idaho?????????????? I think Twin Falls is about the only place even uglier than Idaho Falls. Its not so bad here once you drive a ways away but there is no arguing that the immediatete Idaho Falls area is ugly, ugly, ugly.

Idaho has some pretty places but they don’t exist in about 95% of the bottom 1/3 of the state which gives Nevada a run for its money in barren ugliness. This person did at least mention Kootenai county which is beautiful up there in the northern part.

Jeeeeeez, folks. I work out in that “ugly wasteland,” have hiked there, explored caves there, sheltered during thunderstorms there, and it’s beautiful. I’ve pulled off the road to let caribou and white-tail deer cross the road. I’ve seen coyotes, porcupines, snakes and lizards. It’s a wonderful place if you go out and explore it a bit. Get out of your cars, folks.

This is a beautiful area and I am excited that you have decided to write a book that involves this area. As you can tell Jo, some who live here aren’t that happy with it, but it offers so many different types of terrain, seasons and opportunities it is difficult to get board. I hope that you will be able to look up some photos on the net and get a better idea of the mountains, high plains desert, river bottoms, farm land and rolling hills that are here. Good luck on the book and keep us posted on how things are going.

Hi, Jo…
40 miles west of I.F. would indeed put your characters into the Arco desert, but 15-20 miles would put them in farmland. This land was originally high steppe, covered with sagebrush, but has been plowed and converted to farm use for many years. Most of the farms grow potatoes, irrigated by deep wells.

The Arco desert is full of lava flows intersperced with areas of sagebrush, rabbit brush, and native grasses. It’s very similar to the high steppes of Mongolia, except for the lava flow areas, which are very rough and wild. While the area isn’t farmable, you will get lots of disagreement about whether it’s wasteland or not… Personally, I really enjoy the desert scenery. During the era of open range, many stockmen grazed sheep and cattle all over the desert; my grandfather was one of them.

There are several extinct volcanoes that can be seen as well, especially two that are called the Twin Buttes.

For sure, mountains can be seen on the horizon- the Lost River Range is plainly seen looking westward from almost all of the Snake River plain.

Arco, a small town in the heart of the desert, lies at the foot of the Lost Rivers. It’s 60 miles west of Idaho Falls.

East of the Snake River, the terrain is mostly rolling foothills that lead up to the Blackfoot Mountains, which lie southeast of Idaho Falls and extend southward to Soda Springs. This area is commonly called ‘Bone’, named for a family of early settlers whose last name was Bone. They built a hotel next to the Bone road, which was the early stagecoach trail that connected Soda Springs to Idaho Falls. the hotel was located next to a good spring which provided a natural watering stop for the stage horses which is still used by ranchers who trail their stock up and down the road. This little place is called Ozone.

From the northern end of Bone, it’s possible to see the Teton Mountains to the east and the Lost Rivers to the west in places. Most of this area is dry farming country, where non-irrigated crops, mostly wheat, is grown.

As one goes south, the Bone area gets continually higher in elevation. South of the Bone Store, a small country store that lies about 30 miles south of Idaho Falls, there is a long and high hanging valley (called a ‘hole’ out here; Jackson Hole is a similar hanging valley) with mountains on both sides. This area is ranch country and few folks live there year round, as it gets a lot of snow- typically 4 feet or more- in the winters.

This area would make a good setting for your story, I think- if one of your characters lives in Pocatello, he/she could get to Bone from a number of roads that head east.

Americans use the word Autumnal

Wow…..great topic.

Do you think it would be possible to feature a “chapter” or a “paragraph” of one of your books here??

You don’t need an agent, publisher or anyone else to put out a book. Do it yourself, promote it yourself and if it’s any good it will sell itself. Also, there are dozens of websites online that can walk you through step by step in setting up a simple website to promote and sell your book. It’s not difficult at all and I know many “computer illterate” folks that have done it. It only takes a little bit of time and determination. Plus, without an agent and publisher, all the proceeds go directly to you. If you already have 2 books completed that’s half the battle. Good luck!