25th Twilight Criterium

Saturday was the 25th annual Twilight Criterium bike race, one of those events that makes one happy and proud to live in Boise. The final pro-mens race lasts 90 minutes, with the 100-plus riders averaging speeds of 25-30 miles per hour on the circuit through downtown Boise. That's about how fast I average riding DOWN from the Bogus Basin ski resort.

Missing the Boat

Sometimes missing the boat opens up new opportunities. Such was the case last Sunday when we missed the 5 pm shuttle boat on Redfish Lake that would deliver us from the end of the lake back to Redfish Lake Lodge and our car which we planned on driving to our friends' cabin where we planned on preparing an elk roast dinner. Finally arriving at the lodge at 7:30 pm we were too late for a long drive and dinner but just in time for a free outdoor concert on the lawn by bluegrass band Barefoot. It was a classic Rocky Mountain summer scene -- live music and dancing bodies on a perfect July evening below the Sawtooth Mountains.

Craters to Pioneers

On Monday I flew with EcoFlight, a nonprofit environmental flying service, to photograph the Craters-Pioneers landscape of central Idaho. This vast, largely undeveloped landscape ranges from the lava flows of Craters of the Moon National Monument to the snow-covered peaks of the Pioneer Mountains. The Pioneers Alliance, a coalition of ranchers, farmers, agencies and conservationists, is working to sustain the natural and cultural values of this region.