Twin Falls in Mid March?

[guest]

Thinking of going to Twin Falls in early to mid march. Can anyone say how feasible this plan is(e.g What are the likely weather conditions, Is the boat available and running?)

[kenyon]

We went last year in mid march and here is the scoop. We rolled up around the 15th of March and the first day it was snowing that real wet snow. It was early morning so we got a hotel room. I think we stayed at the Shilo Inn. Hook this up as they let us pack in the conference room. Only stipulation is that you leave it as you found it and offer to vaccumm afterwards. Please do this and make them happy for the rest of us.

The weather finally cleared but the winds were too high. At sunset we got one in, but it had to be floaters because of the wind.

We did 5 jumps a day there after and had no boat.

The boat was hard to come by, but the best thing you can do is call and find out. We just hiked out and it only took 25-30 minutes. If you move fast you can do it in about 18 minutes, but that is just below a jog.

Don't forget to call the sheriff in the morning and at night.

The weather was good, but sometimes we had to wear beanies to stay warm. On the last day we hit the jumps in shorts and that was quite nice.

[imported_mknutson]

We are just 2.5 hours drive from the bridge, and will be spending plenty of time there, so email us.

Just bring protective gear and clothes for cold weather!

[bps]

Hello -

Kenyon summed it up best: decent weather, but it's possible to have everything from snow to jumping in shorts.

If there's a large enough group, Bert and Don will start to bring their small Bass boat out. They actually store the big boats in a storage building that's over 20 miles from the bridge and it is a major affair to bring them out, so they generally don't take them out of storage until the season is really under way. (usually around late April to early May. Best bet is to give them a call.

Bert: (208) 734-4228

There is one more thing to consider.

Many people like to jump the bridge slider-up if they are making a lot of jumps over a short period of time -- it minimizes the trauma on your body.

If you don't have any boat support, you may want to consider only slider-down jumps. On any given slider-up jump at that bridge, there is a chance that you may go into the water. In March, the water temperature is still within the 30s and the effect *can* be deadly if you land in middle of the river.

A crazy Kiwi friend of mine did an intentional water jump in early November and when we got to him in the boat he was already having trouble with his breathing, and he had only been in the water for 30 seconds. So it's just something to consider in your risk management.

With all that being said, March can be a wonderful time to jump. And that time of the year is the best time for the hike out because the vegetation is minimal. (it's a jungle in August)

Have fun!

Bryan Stokes

[Lucky]

The weather is pretty cool in March and there are some high winds. I can keep you updated on the weather, if you'd like. I know that I am not there, but my family is.

[guest]

I go there every time in March during a seminar in Salt Lake city. I'll be there on the 16th in the afternoon until the 17th. So far I have had good luck with the weather, but almost lost my life mis-judging the winds, landing in the water and jumping it alone in the morning when the temp was about 35 out. But now, i'm a little smarter now, but now much.
Have fun.

[truckerbase]

ditto. I did a jump in January in strong headwinds that partially due to a right 90 put me behind the bridge and into water over my head. full immersion for several minutes, couldnt cut away because of heavy winter clothes and gloves and swam to shore after tackling the chute which had reinflated and was trying to sail me out towards the middle of the river. Slow swimming in to shore. A solo jump with no witnesses I had to walk out thru the snow and up the road back to the top of the bridge to my truck, soaking wet with icicles forming off me, and I have never had so much fun in my life and could not erase the smile off my face the whole walk up. The water is not as cold as it looks if you stay calm and relaxed. My cell phone suffered worse than I did because the power was on when I went into the water, and it remained 3 feet under water for several minutes. Didnt start working till 4 days later. Ah Winter jumping is great....enjoy!