We are up early today to get to Silver Creek Preserve, an hour drive from Hailey Idaho, a world renowned trout stream made famous by Ernest Hemingway who fished there with Gary Cooper. A large section of river has been preserved by The Nature Conservancy, and areas surrounding it, through easements with farmers. I am not fishing today and spend several hours of early morning light photographing the curving striped rows of newly harvested hay fields, and misty water from agricultural sprayers.
My worries about being alone in this preserve were unfounded. At the TNC visitors’ center is a lovely elderly couple who are volunteer hosts for 2 weeks. They spend part of the year in Seattle and Arizona, and travel in their large Mercedes Pleasure Cruiser. Their daughter works as the cfo of the TNC in Hailey, and by volunteering as hosts/docents, they get to stay in a little cabin on the preserve. We sit in the outdoor covered patio of the log structure and chat for several hours, about the current administration, traveling in a trailer, cost of housing etc. Several groups stop by- families, tourists, fishermen, and some locals- I get a flavor of the area, that many work for the resorts in Ketchum Sun Valley, the great outdoor opportunities, and affordable quality of life. It made me wonder why more people don’t choose to move to places like this.
After a disappointingly bad lunch in Hailey (almost everything is closed on sundays), we head to Stanley at the foothills of the Sawtooth Mountains. Stanley has been one of my favorite towns, a lovely setting and totally charming. We get there as everyone is packing up after the weekend arts and crafts fair. The Redfish Riverside Inn has a cancellation in their upstairs cabin room right on the river which we take. We grill our steaks and enjoy a quiet dinner on the deck overlooking the Salmon River. Sunset falls quickly as we try to fish on the creek. I remember their incredibly comfortable beds but the beds are waist high on me- getting in and out of bed is quite a feat!
