The other night I took a mental get-away, courtesy of mingling the low-tech (a book) with the high-tech (the internet).
The book is Wild Rivers and Mountain Trails by Don Ian Smith. Don Ian Smith was a pastor, rancher, and teacher who lived most of his life in rural Idaho. He owned a ranch near the Salmon River, and also took hunting trips via horseback into the rugged canyons and mountains of the region.
The author’s love of the area is evident throughout Wild Rivers and Mountain Trails, and his faith in God connects the natural and the spiritual in a way which highlights and enriches this slender volume.
After re-reading portions of the book, I decided it would be fun to go on the internet and see the places the author was familiar with–the Salmon River and its tributaries, the Snake River, the Lemhi Range, and the surrounding country. The pictures online showed what his words already told me: the way the mountain sides and canyon walls slope down to the rushing rivers, the steep grade of the trails, the beauty of the meadows, the imposing rocks and mountains.
I got a chance to “travel” to a place much wilder than the area I call home. I came away from my “travels” feeling enriched and at peace.
For info. on the Salmon River and surrounding country: www.rivers.gov/rivers/salmon-id.php.
©P. Booher
Country Ripples 
I love virtual trips. One more way to enjoy God’s creation. I am not familiar with the book, but it sounds interesting.
I thoroughly enjoyed my virtual trip; the scenery is stunning.
I have two more of Don Ian Smith’s books: By the River of No Return, and Sagebrush Seed. Like Wild Rivers and Mountain Trails, they are reflections on the natural and the spiritual. He is one of the authors who influenced me in the writing I do. If you can get any of his books, they are worth the time to read, in my opinion.