The Call of McCall

Idaho isn’t frequently considered a touristy place. Sure, their potatoes are pretty good but I’m not convinced those tubers bring in the crowds. However, Jason and I recently traveled to a slice of Idaho that was perfect for venturesome vacationers such as us.

At Shoshone Falls, the Snake River drops 212 feet. That's more than 50 feet further than Niagara.
At Shoshone Falls, the Snake River drops 212 feet. That’s more than 50 feet further than Niagara.

McCall is a small town situated in the middle of Payette National Forest and on the shores of Payette Lake. It’s a couple hours north of Boise. Hiking, river rafting, mountain biking, boating and horseback riding are all offered near its borders. We became aware of McCall’s existence about six months ago and promptly planned to retreat there.

Just five minutes in the heat and sand of Bruneau Dunes and this happened.
Just five minutes in the heat and sand of Bruneau Dunes and this happened.

The drive to McCall took us over seven hours. That’s a little too long for my restless tastes but we split up the journey a little by stopping at Shoshone Falls on the way up and Bruneau Dunes on the way back. While we spent less than an hour at each of these detours, they offered us a welcomed chance to unfold our limbs and discover new territory.

And another five minutes later...
And another five minutes later…

Although we were expecting McCall to be an outdoorsy town, we were surprised by its variety of outdoorsiness. We spent two full days exploring its options but we could have easily spent a few more.

This wasn't fruit punch, just one of the best sunsets our captain had seen in his four years of sailing Payette Lake.
This wasn’t fruit punch, just one of the best sunsets our captain had seen in his four years of sailing Payette Lake.

Our first day in McCall, we hiked every single trail in Ponderosa State Park, five and a half miles total. Ponderosa is located on a peninsula that juts out into Payette Lake. Like its name suggests, it’s covered in a lovely pine forest interposed by vibrant meadows and sandy beaches.

Ponderosa State Park is a gorgeous mix of forest, meadow and shore.
Ponderosa State Park is a gorgeous mix of forest, meadow and shore.

We finished up that day with a sunset lake cruise aboard the Idaho. Jason and I toughed it out on the ship’s upper deck as the sun and temperatures plunged in order to have a better view of the beauty around us. If only I’d thought to wear every single layer of clothing I’d packed in my suitcase. Brrr! The sunset was glorious though, one of the best I’ve ever seen. It turned the lake waters a shade of Kool-Aid. (Check out the pictures I took and be prepared not to believe their unedited status.)

I didn't use anything more than a steady hand and a slow shutter speed when creating this picture. I promise it was not Photoshopped.
I didn’t use anything more than a steady hand and a slow shutter speed when creating this picture. I promise it was not Photoshopped.

The next day, we rented a Four Winns sport boat and spent the afternoon touring the lake. The sunshine was so pleasant in the middle of this voyage that we stopped our vessel and read books on its bow for a while. All hail glorious UV! The weather quickly turned from terribly pleasant to just plain terrible though. A storm circled in suddenly and we found ourselves being assailed by choppy waves and a deluge of rain. Yet, we felt compelled to persist since we still had over an hour left on our rental and wanted to get our money’s worth of suffering.

Look Mom, no hands!
Look Mom, no hands!

McCall is a cute lakeside village in a pretty forest. Its outdoor distractions are plentiful and I predict we will return there again for some more striking scenery and striking weather.