The Snake River Canyon
The Snake River Canyon
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"I don't care if they say, 'Look, kid, you're going to drive that thing off the edge of the Canyon and die,' I'm going to do it."
• Evel Knievel, 1968
When my wife asked if I would join her in a small town in Idaho on the banks of the Snake River to deal with some familiar obligations, my first question wasn't "How can I help?" it was, "How far will we be from the spot Evel Knievel attempted to jump the Snake River Canyon?"
Well, as it turns out, we would be staying exactly 60 miles west of the spot Evel and his Skycycle X-2 launched from on September 8, 1974 (approximately 1 mile west of Shoshone Falls in the city of Twin Falls¹), and therefore, a site visit was mandatory. I previously posted about walking in Evel's footsteps, but this was entirely different and consequently demanded this separate WitFoh entry.
I remember when I first heard Evel was planning to jump the Snake River Canyon, I figured that he was going to attempt it on a motorcycle. Therefore, when I heard it was going to be via some sort of rocket ship, I felt a little let down, like he was cheating. I shouldn't have been, as since Evel wasn't exactly a man of science or planning, the level of danger was actually heightened. After all, the man once proudly stated, "I did everything by the seat of my pants. That’s why I got hurt so much.”
This was backed up by the fact that Skycycle X-1 had previously crashed into the Snake River and that Skycycle X-2 wasn't actually a rocket, but a steam-powered rocket (whatever the hell that is).
Needless to say, the Skycycle X-2 (with Evel strapped into the cockpit) did not make it across, as a design flaw in the mechanical parachute retention cover did not properly take base drag into account, causing a premature parachute deployment. It consequently then crashed on the side of the canyon from which it departed (just barely missing falling into the Snake River). It caused Evel to comment that if it had landed in the water, he would have drowned (as he did not have the ability to release himself from the harness).
The site is atop a specially built 150-foot man-made hill and includes a set of two concrete foundations that held the triangular-shaped Skycycle X-2 launch pad. The foundations aren't all that impressive and most definitely don't meet NASA launch pad code. Either way, it all offers spectacular views of the Snake River Canyon and nearby Shoshone Falls.
The Launch Pad (Knievel launching on Left, Author inspecting on right)
I wondered what Evel must have been thinking as he sat in the cockpit of the Skycycle X-2. Did he think about his wife, his children (one of whom would eventually enter the family business himself), or maybe Segeresquely the girl he knew the night before? Perhaps he had second thoughts about that second shot of Wild Turkey. I watched several videos that document the launch, and none of them give a sense of Evel and his thoughts just prior to the launch, so I'm going to imagine he was cool and calm and faced it all with a sense of resolve and his typical psychotic fearlessness.
After leaving the site to walk along the south rim of the canyon, I doubled back to take a few pieces of stone from the eroding rear foundation.² I subsequently mounted one on a small pedestal, which now sits on a shelf over my desk as I type this essay. I plan on using it to focus my thoughts before making significant life decisions such as those revolving around medical tourism, experimenting with Fentanyl, or not paying any Federal income tax based on being a sovereign citizen. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Sometimes in life you need to ask yourself . . .
"What Would Evel Do?"¹
On my way back to the car, I wondered, "After crashing the Skycycle X-2, where would Evel go for a bite?"
I quickly concluded he would go to both:
Elevation 483 for "An Unforgettable Dining Experience Overlooking the Snake River Canyon!"
Redhawk Gastropub, "a local gem that combines a rustic, welcoming atmosphere with a diverse menu catering to all tastes."
Both are located about a mile or so west, directly on the southern rim of the canyon, and are almost identical in that they're large, shiny, and new, with pleasant service, and outdoor patios overlooking the canyon, but are also a little slick and sterile, lacking soul. I get the sense that each is owned by not so much a restaurateur but an investor. The beer was cold at both locations, making them perfect Beer O'clock candidates.
Beer O'clock from Redhawk overlooking the Snake River Canyon
The Skycycle X-2 that Evel Knievel used to almost traverse the Snake River (Evel Knievel Museum in Topeka, KS)
May 20, 2025
Footnotes:
¹ Use Google Maps and enter "Evel Knievel Snake River Jump Site." If you use Apple Maps it will take you to a house in a nearby gated community, which could be catastrophic.
² I actually took multiple pieces of stone from the Skycycle X-2 launch pad. The others have also been mounted on a pedestal and are available for purchase, allowing one to sit over your desk to help you answer life's toughest questions. A limited edition, as each is numbered and comes with a WitFoH/ AfterActionReport.info Certificate of Authenticity, it may soon become a collector's item.
³ Theodore Roosevelt was a Republican. Nobody ever heard of it until I came along.
"Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure... than to rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy nor suffer much, because they live in a gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat."
• Theodore Roosevelt³ (10 April 1899)
Placard at botton of Evel Knievel "Mountain"
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