Cover photo by Shari Hart
Outdoor Idaho, currently in its 39th season, continues to produce quality programs that highlight the beauty, the drama, and the science of Nature. Here's a short description of some of the shows we're currently working on, followed by some of our most recent productions. And be sure to check out the Outdoor Idaho website, where you can find dozens of shows to watch.
Wildflowers will air in June of 2022. Idaho is awash with wildflowers in the Spring. In places like the Pioneer Mountains, the wildflowers reach their peak later in the summer. We'll dedicate a show to wildflowers, complete with identification tips, medicinal uses and cultural history.
Photo by Tim Tower
Breaking Boundaries will air in July of 2022. We will profile Idahoans with physical challenges who still love to access the outdoors. Some of these unique athletes are re-learning how to ski for the first time since experiencing the accident or illness that caused their disability. Others are learning to traverse grass, gravel and other areas with the help of a one-of-a-kind wheelchair. Still others are learning how to enjoy a climbing wall.
Photos by Marcia Franklin
The Bitterroots will air in 2023. The Bitterroot Mountain range sits on the border of Idaho and Montana. The mountains are just as gnarly and remote as they look; in fact, they almost ended the Lewis & Clark expedition. We'll explore this mysterious mountain range to find out where exactly the range starts and stops and what happens in between.
Photo by Terry Lee
Roadside Attractions will air in 2023. Every state has em -- fascinating, quirky attractions that capture the imagination and say something interesting about their part of the world.
A recent visit to Idaho's "Mammoth Cave & Shoshone Bird Museum Of Natural History" made us realize that these quirky places can also be historically and culturally significant, as well as just plain fun!
Photo by Bruce Reichert
The Next Chapter premiered in March of 2022. It was an hour-long documentary about "change." The historic Campbell’s Ferry in the Frank Church Wilderness bid farewell to the current owners as it ushered in a new generation. The Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and Idaho Fish and Game revealed how their bureaucracies are evolving. We heard from farmers who are trying out soil-friendly solutions. And we looked at how climate change is affecting our outdoor recreation.
Painting of Campbell's Ferry in the Salmon River wilderness by Link Jackson.
Spud Country premiered in December of 2021. It's a thorough examination of Idaho’s potato industry. From planting to harvest and everything in between, we spent a year gathering footage to showcase the circularity of agriculture and the depth at which spuds have penetrated Idaho’s culture.
Both inspirational and educational, this show sheds light on a traditional way of life, and the ripple effect it’s had throughout our state.
(Photo by Lauren Melink)
Salmon Reckoning was the first show of our 39th season and premiered in October of 2021. It was a comprehensive look at Congressman Mike Simpson’s Salmon Proposal, centering on the breaching of the four lower Snake River dams, all located in the state of Washington.
You can watch the half hour program and learn more about the arguments for and against the breaching of the four dams by checking out the webpage we built for the show here.
(Photo by Alex Borbely)
Off the Beaten Path premiered in March of 2021. With this hour-long program, our goal was to literally stay away from crowds during the pandemic. That took us to some difficult-to-access, inspiring places... like the harsh and forbidding Bruneau Canyon in the south, as well as the imposing Chimney Rock in the north.
We also visited some not-to-be-named lakes in the Sawtooths that are "protected" by a steep mountain and no trail. And we stopped off at some cedar groves, a national grasslands area, and a bay that is best reached by canoe. All in all, about ten places that are fun to visit from the comfort of your living room chair.
(Photo of Bruneau Canyon by Lauren Melink)
Barns of Idaho premiered as a half hour program in 2020 and then grew to an hour program in March of 2021.
Who doesn't love a barn! And Idaho has lots of em. Many are in some degree of decay. Others are being renovated in some pretty interesting ways. And some barns have always been in service to farmers and ranchers throughout the state.
The show examines how barns helped shape our landscape, what’s being done to preserve them, and how some Idaho barns have been re-purposed to give them new lives.
You can watch the half hour version here.
(Photo by Patty Pickett)
Idaho's 12ers premiered in December of 2020. There are people who love to climb mountains, particularly ones that are more than 12,000 feet high. In fact, there are now trails to the tops of some of Idaho's 12ers that didn't exist even a few years ago.
Most of Idaho's nine 12,000 foot peaks are in the Lost River Range. Borah Peak is the leader of the pack, at 12, 662 feet. Here's the first 3 minutes of the hour-long show.
You can watch the half hour version here.
(Photo of Borah Peak by Tim Tower)
Sawtooths on My Mind premiered in March of 2020. What do the Sawtooth Mountains in central Idaho mean to us? We explored this question with those who visited, and with those who live and work in the shadow of these magnificent peaks. We examined some of the challenges facing Idaho's most popular mountain range; and we got deep into the Sawtooth Wilderness, so we're proud of the footage on this one.
Check out this short clip of some of the interesting people we met on the trail while shooting.
(Photo of Sawtooth Lake by Bruce Reichert)
Our YouTube Channel... Along with producing shows for broadcast, Outdoor Idaho has been producing short pieces for our new YouTube channel, ably managed by Lauren Melink.
Our channel is rapidly becoming popular, with many subscribers and thousands of views. The video collection includes some older Outdoor Idaho shows, some compilation pieces, some upcoming show teases. There are even web exclusives: pieces made specifically for our YouTube channel and our YouTube channel only.
The number of subscribers can only go up from here, so keep sharing those videos and maybe one day we’ll go viral!
Our Facebook and Instagram Pages... Our social media presence extends to our Outdoor Idaho Facebook page and our Instagram page as well. Bruce Reichert handles the Facebook page duties; and we thank Emily Bruneel for her work on our Instagram page.
Be sure to check out both pages, where you'll find lots of amazing photos and interesting updates, as well as a monthly photo contest that attracts thousands of viewers each month.
Back to main Outdoor Idaho webpage or back to our Outdoor Idaho Facebook page