Potato Bridge: tbd
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This location is where the world record multi-way occurred. [FOOTNOTE="Records"]Records[/FOOTNOTE]
New Calendar for BASE Trip Planning available:
http://www.blincmagazine.com/forum/c...p?calendarid=2
What to do when you get there
Call the Sheriff dispatch before the start of every jumping day
Call the Sheriff dispatch before the start of every jumping day (+1 208 735–1911)
The Sheriff has asked that we call the dispatch at the beginning of any day when there are jumpers on the bridge. This is so that the dispatch operator can calm anyone who calls in the emergency number to report a suicide jumper, and explain that BASE is normal and accepted here. If we do not call, the Sheriff has to send a patrol car to investigate whenever jumpers are reported at the bridge.
Please do not stand on top of the handrail
The transportation department, which owns the bridge, has asked that jumpers not stand on top of the handrail because it distracts motorists, and they are concerned that it may cause motor vehicle accidents on the bridge. The bridge is the main entry to town from the interstate, and accidents on the bridge back traffic up all the way through town.
When using planks/platforms, remove them when not jumping
If you place a plank or exit platform, please remove it when your party is not physically present at the bridge (either packing at the visitor center or in the park at the bottom, or jumping, hiking, or riding out). If you leave the bridge for any reason (even to get lunch or to pack at a hotel), please remove launch platforms until you return. Always remove platforms at the end of every jumping day.
Respect the local people.
Twin Falls is a small, rural, conservative, American community. Be aware that nudity, excessive profanity, drug use, or excessive drinking will give jumpers a bad reputation here. Beer in public is acceptable, so coolers in the park are no problem. Music, so long as it’s not overly explicit, has also never been a problem.
For boat service call Don Mayes (+1 208 731–6448)
Not really a jumping guideline, but so many people ask for Don’s number that I’ll include it here. Don also has brochures and business cards at the visitor center at the top of the bridge.
BASE jumper discounts
BASE jumper discounts are available at many area businesses. Be sure to check if you can get one for hotel rooms and meals. Outback (at the top of the bridge, behind the visitor center) offers 2 for 1 drink specials for BASE jumpers all day, and IHOP (at the top, on the other side of Blue Lakes) has a 15% discount for jumpers. Patronizing local businesses and letting them know that you are a jumper makes people aware of the business that jumpers bring to town.
Weather year around
MARCH
- still cold at times...water might be low...winds start to pick up...not much vegetation if you decide to hike out.
APRIL and May
- great temperatures...winds start to really pick up since it's spring time.
JUNE
- awesome temperatures...winds seem to taper towards the middle of the month...vegetation thickens making any hike out more of a pain.
JULY and AUGUST
- winds are at their best behavior... temperatures can be downright hot making an intentional (or unintentional) water landing a semi-pleasant experience. If you decide to hike instead of riding the boat, expect a jungle on the way out.
SEPTEMBER
- very pleasant month...similar to July and August minus the hot temperatures. The weather can turn cold at any time..but not too frequently.
OCTOBER
- still a good month, but the water temp starts to really cool off making a water landing a chilly experience. At this time of the year, you could see temps ranging from 20 to 90 degrees.
NOVEMBER
- still jumpable, but it starts to get pretty darn cold. Morning temps in the 20's and highs in the 40s. A water landing without a wetsuit will be frigid. Weather starts to turn towards winter.
DECEMBER thru FEBRUARY
- I've jumped at this time too. Very hit and miss for the weather. Expect very cold temps with even colder winds.
Synopsis:
The best time to avoid the winds is July thru September, although the winds in Twin Falls can, and will, come up at any time. Even on the windy days...it seems to die down at sunrise and sunset.
Call the Sheriff
Please make sure you call the Sheriff every day before and after your finished, and be very polite to everyone you see. Each and every one of us is a direct ambassador when we visit this site and our actions will determine our legal future in Twin Falls.
Sheriff Dispatch: (208) 735-7200
Sheriff Emergency: (208) 735-1911
I'd recommend getting the boat, even though the price has gone up to $7 this year. If something goes horribly wrong, you're going to be very glad you have a boat down there to help out. Also, the boat allows water landings, which can be great fun on a hot summer afternoon. Another plus of the boat is that they can often give you a ride to the top, so you don't have to shuffle cars, or make one of the jumpers drive on each load.
There are two trails out.
a) Hike along the river. You take the trail back along the riverbank, find the metal stairs up, and follow them out. This puts you at the yellow gate to the waterfront park (the traditional packing area). You'll still have to leave a car here, or at the park, to drive back to the top.
b) Hike straight up the hillside to the visitor's center overlook. This trail takes about the same time (20 minutes) as the other one, but is significantly more strenuous. It's also a bit sketchier, and if you fall, you could get hurt. I wouldn't recommend this trail unless you have someone with you who knows it, and are fairly fit and confident on steep ground. If all that is the case, then it's a great way to get your jumps in fast and cheap, as you don't have to hire the boat or shuttle cars (you can pack behind the visitor's center).
Canyon Tours & Fishing (208) 734-4228
Idaho Guide Service Inc.
Office: (208) 734-4998
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