For the Love of Place

I have a sneaking suspicion that I’m going to love summer here in the Wood River Valley.

Today was another beautiful one, with the temperatures reaching into the mid-80′s. A bit too hot, even, considering how very cold it was last week. I entered the house after work to three very eager creatures – two dogs, one human. We all needed to be outside as fast as possible.

Mike and I grabbed Franconia and headed to Sun Valley’s Proctor Mountain Loop. This hiking trail is just east of the town of Sun Valley, and a popular place to be on a nice day. It took us about two hours to complete the loop, which gains a fair amount of elevation. The wildflowers are starting to bloom up there! There were rumors of a moose in the low-lying brush at the base of the trail, but it had moved on by the time we arrived.

After coming home and devouring a delicious dinner, we hopped on our cruiser bikes and, with Lemhi flopping along obediently beside us, headed a half mile down the bike path to River Run. Once there, the already-kind-of-tired Lemhi played fetch with his new Chuck-It until he gave us a subtle hint he was done (this includes diving into the grass and rolling around like a banshee). We let him check out the immobile chairlift then take a few laps in the Big Wood River before we headed home the same way we had come. The night was beautiful, t-shirt weather with a killer luminescent sunset.

Did I mention that I love it here?

The town of Sun Valley with Baldy in the background.

Wildflowers on the Proctor Mountain Loop.

Loving Spring hiking.

True Idaho-style.