Rebecca Rusch has a crush on me
As we are about to land in Hailey, I looked out my window to see the stunning landscape. Just on the outskirts of town the mountains rocket up into the sky and we were so close in our descent it seemed like the planes wing tips were going to graze them on the way in. Thinking it best to suppress my urge to scream, “WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!”, I just kept my mouth shut and admired all the pretty trees. The airport itself was one of the smallest I had ever been to and once inside I see very few workers. I find this to be quite odd as I’m used to the hustle & bustle of SFO. Despite the difference, I found comfort in its simplicity.
Although this was a simple shoot our time was limited so we got right to it. We got a car and bike (borrowed not stolen, I swear.) and then headed to the mountains to block out the shots. After about six hours we were finished and headed to Rebecca’s house for the evening. It was nice to relax considering I had been up for the past 37 hours. Rebecca was welcoming and an awesome host! As the night went on we started talking movies and books. This went on for the better part of the night. I could not get a word out of my mouth without her jokingly mocking me. Suddenly I had a flash back to elementary school where that girl in class is always picking on you then you find out years later that she secretly liked you. Yeah, that was happening now: Reba has a crush on me. (Her close friends call her Reba and I took it upon myself to start calling her that as well. That’s cool, right Reba?)
By this time it is getting dark fast and I can’t resist being this close to these amazing mountains and not going for a run in the trails. With about 45 minutes of light left, Reba guides me to a trial head and lets me loose. The hills just suck you in with their tranquility and sereneness. Honestly, I could have spent the rest of my life there. And with the light quickly fading, I might just inadvertently do that. The landscape is simply stunning and after running for 10 minutes you look up and there is nothing. No buildings, no cars, no telephone poles. There’s just a quiet and almost hauntingly beautiful sense of isolation. At that moment, you get the feeling like you are the only one left on Earth. Just as I was about to reach my Buddhist meaning of life moment, Kit’s beautiful face pops into my head and I realize I have to get back to my bunk buddy and get ready for the exciting day that lays ahead.
6 AM the next morning we are loading up and heading to the mountains. The day went by without a hitch. We were able to get the shots that we needed very quickly and this left us with time to explore. Wow, it’s almost like planning pays off or something? Who would’ve thought? During this extra time, Reba brought us to some sweet new locations that we did not make it to the day before (let’s just say Carlos can’t haul it up those hills as easily as she can…) Boy was I glad she did because during our time further into the wilderness, we got even better and more captivating shots that directly mirrored the moodiness and feeling that I experienced on my “Idaho spirit walk” the previous night.
After finally parting ways with Rebecca and her beloved dog Diesel, we returned the jeep back to Colleen and Nick with a fresh new coat of dust and headed back to our “private” airport in Hailey. The trip back was a rush of both reflection and sheer exhaustion. I swear Carlos might’ve drugged me just so I wouldn’t talk his ear off about amazing Idaho was. I literally could not have asked for a better first trip to Idaho. The people are warm and welcoming and I felt at home. Or possibly even more so. In fact, I’m pretty sure Rebecca hugged me more than my own dad does. Hmm, that’s for another time. For now I say “ciao” to my newfound Idaho-ian friends. I look forward to seeing them all again soon! I sure hope their couches are ready for me.
Tim Terry ll