Today’s adventure took us through a town that had more pigeons than residents, the blip of a town called Rockford. The only significant thing about Rockford…other than the fact that it is amazing towns like that haven’t been swallowed into another town or city by now, is that Rockford is the gateway town to the Balanced Rock Monument and Park.
Balanced Rock is just South of Buhl in the Salmon Falls Creek Canyon. Over 48 feet high, 40 feet wide and weighing 40 tons, the rock balances precariously on a pedestal only 3 feet by 17 1/2 inches. It towers about 200 feet above the canyon floor.
According to archives from Twin Falls Times-News in February 1929 a story was written about how a local man tried to vandalize the rock with a pickax because he was “tired of waiting for the last 40 years for damn thing to fall”.
Though it is not the largest balanced structure in the world, it is one of the largest in the United States.
Driving down the winding road to get to the monument was short but sweet. The road quickly drops in elevation down into a deep, rigid canyon with high rock walls suddenly seeming as if they will engulf you at any moment. 
Winding and weaving, banking the corners from side to side at a *cough cough* slightly faster than the posted speed limit I found my way down to the bottom of the canyon where the side pull off is for the Balanced Rock was to be found. 
When I parked I had to seriously decide whether or not I wanted to make the hike up the side of the hill knowing that I would have baby girl strapped to my chest. Thankfully, after watching the other families climb the side of the hill I saw how reasonably easy the hillside was and would be for me and the little one along with my camera gear. Though by the time I reached the top I was a little more winded than I would want to admit but fairly easy. 
Standing up next to the rock formation I had to admit that the natural erosion that has occurred…along with a little pickaxing…as been able to stand the test of time for so long is extremely impressive to me. Nature is a phenomenal thing. How natural formations are able to form from wind, rain,sun snow and all other forms of weather that constantly beat against it year after year and still stand? We should all strive to emulate that kind of strength. 
I have stood on natural formations like this many times but I have never thought about the biblical verse – “Exodus 33:22 As my glorious presence passes by, I will hide you in the crevice of the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by.” Have you ever though about being in the “crevice of the rock”? The tiny hiding place between slates of rock weighing 100s of tons. It is such a tiny place to hide and yet it was used time and time again about being a safe place. A little perspective…
As I began my drive out of the canyon I saw this ravine full of old abandoned and rusted away…I couldn’t help myself I have a weird fascination with old abandoned items, buildings, cars, books and antiques. Things put off to the side and set to be forgotten have a way of resurfacing again somehow. It is hard to think about these things being once functional and yet there was a time when these were used everyday and now they are forgotten about and abandoned at the bottom of a ravine. 
Driving back through Castleford I had to chuckle to myself in pure wonder how these tiny towns across America have survived all this time? Towns are constantly merging together for form larger cities, it is a continuing testament to how America is constantly growing in population size and yet here is a town that has a population of 53 and still stands. I mean who has ever seen a city hall in the corner office of the community center? 
Yes this is the original post office…
I could think that this was an auto shop at one point that was slowly put out of business from the larger tire shop built more suited for semis, merging for the future times. 
The one shop in town next to the third bar in town…priorities right?
Traveling Photographer Out!
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