Golden TroutFew places I have visited capture my imagination like central Idaho. My introduction to the area was in the late 90’s, never having traveled to the Rockies, I was absolutely floored by the wide open space, infinite sky and unadulterated landscape. Since the maiden voyage I’ve made it a point to get back there every few years or so. This trip my wife joined me for a nice summer getaway. We flew into Boise, hit the grocery store, filled a few coolers, rented a car and made the three hour push east on Route 21. Appropriately named “The Highway to Heaven”, the panoramic views of jagged, rock studded peaks along the switch-back road left us feeling very small and insignificant. We stopped for lunch halfway at a groovy restaurant in Lowman, on the Payette River. The views from the deck were stunning and this being my wife’s first time out west, she was absolutely mesmerized and blown away. We reached our destination in the late afternoon, a sweet little cabin on the Salmon River. The next eight days would prove to be nothing less than spectacular, the conditions were tough for fishing with high and unseasonably cold water due to a super wet spring. We fished a bunch anyway and made the best of it, rode horses, hiked, soaked in the hot springs, visited some old ghost towns and had an unforgettable time in the process. Things just seem to move a little slower up in the mountains out there, a very welcome pace compared to the hustle and bustle of the daily grind back east. I find myself there frequently when life’s situations and circumstances are wearing me thin. It is amazing how the sights, smells, sounds and various stimuli imprint on your psyche when you develop an intimate relationship with a wild place. I look forward to making many return trips to that little cabin and hope the area remains wild and untainted for generations to come.