By Kelley Moulton
Waves are being made in this image from the Donald Snoody and Ralph Burrel Collection. Featuring unidentified recreationists, this image was originally used as a publicity image for Sun Valley Resort around 1955. It highlights both the beauty of our regional lakes as well as the available recreational opportunities outdoors.
The image focuses on a man and a woman resting on the dock, with the woman waving at a boat pulling a water-skier on Pettit Lake. About twenty years later, Pettit Lake would become part of the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, and today continues to offer many recreational opportunities to those who visit its water.
If water skiing is not your preference of activities this summer, Central Idaho has many other options to offer. Outdoor festivals, hiking, mountain biking, rafting, fishing, camping, and many other opportunities are just a few to choose from. You can drive to Craters of the Moon and explore the lava fields or visit the remote wilderness of The Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. Or you can pack a picnic and head to the banks of the Big Wood River for something a little closer. Wherever your adventures take you this summer, enjoy the opportunity like those in this image, or try something new.
If you need inspiration, the photo collections in the Jeanne Rodger Lane Center for Regional History have images from across Central Idaho. If a hiking guide is more your style, stop by the Betty Olsen Carr Reading Room to see what is currently available.
