You can watch "Land of the Lost River Range" at https://video.idahoptv.org/video/land-of-the-lost-river-range-8d1pff/

We’ve all heard of Mt. Borah, Idaho’s highest peak, at 12,662 feet. I climbed it more than 20 years ago with some friends, trying to get llamas to the top. Needless to say, a little thing called Chicken Out Ridge put a stop to that idea! Some of us got to the top, but the llamas stayed below.

The Lost River Range may be a thousand feet higher than everyone’s beloved Sawtooths; still, many people would be hard pressed to find Idaho’s tallest mountains on a map.

This is a mountain range that, for most Idahoans, has remained in the shadows, ominous and brooding, waiting for that precise moment when its fury can force us to pay attention… a mountain range still growing by fits and starts, as evidenced by the 1983 Borah earthquake.

But those who live in the valley created by this Basin and Range upheaval speak of these mountains in reverential terms. “There’s other mountains, but not like these, not in my mind,” says fourth generation rancher Kevin Donahue. “They’re so majestic. They draw you home.”

The 12,000 foot peaks have also become a place to test oneself. In fact, we profile endurance runner Kelly Lance, who climbed all nine of the state’s 12ers in record time. And he did it when he was 49. He’s even thinking of doing it again, at the ripe old age of 50. Pretty amazing!

The towns of Mackay and Challis epitomize to me the struggle to succeed in a fast-paced world, while hanging on to what so many residents appreciate. “As a local, I don’t want a stoplight,” Challis rancher Kathy Piva told us. “I don’t want it to change too much, because that’s what gives us our uniqueness.”

But it's the back side of the range, far from the towns and Highway 93, that was such an unexpected treat. The rugged beauty of the high mountain lakes, the lush meadows, springs and streams, was a contrast to the other, more populated side.

In our two days on the east side, we hiked to three lakes: Merriam lake, Pass lake, and an unnamed lake with no trail at the very base of ole Borah.

The only downside to the backside: the roads. Expect to spend several hours traveling the last 20 miles, even with a 4-wheel drive rig.

For our program we also visited some of the annual events that make the Lost River area so special, like the rodeo and the free barbecue in Mackay... and the Braun Brothers Reunion in Challis.

Our visits to this part of Idaho convinced us that we had ventured into one of the friendliest parts of the state, a region that in many ways still resembles the old West.

(Cover photo by Daniel King)