Title:
Backcountry Travel and Hunting from Boise, Idaho
REEL ID:
L064R017
RUN TIME:
0:08:16
FORMAT:
16mm motion picture film
FILM TYPE:
Color reversal film (home movie stock)
SOUND:
Silent (no synchronized sound)
Description:
This home movie documents an outdoor expedition originating in and around Boise, blending neighborhood scenes, aviation travel, backcountry hunting, and river recreation. Shot on color 16mm film without synchronized sound, the reel offers a detailed look at midcentury wilderness travel in the American West.
The film opens in a residential neighborhood near Boise, with a dog running freely in a front yard and quiet street scenes establishing a domestic starting point. A sign reading “Boise Payette Lumber Company — General Offices, Entrance on 10th St” situates the footage geographically and hints at the region’s timber industry.
Travel transitions to aviation, with small airplanes parked near an airstrip as men prepare for takeoff. Once airborne, the camera captures sweeping aerial views of mountains and foothills, filmed from inside the plane, emphasizing the scale and remoteness of the destination.
On the ground, the expedition moves deeper into the mountains. People hike along narrow trails while horses are loaded with supplies. Packhorses haul gear through rugged terrain as riders guide them along forested paths. The hunting portion of the trip follows, showing men pursuing whitetail deer. One hunter holds up the head of a deer, followed by scenes at a mountain hunting camp where the animal is processed and butchered—documenting the practical realities of backcountry hunting.
Construction scenes appear next, with men building an A-frame house in the mountains. Framing, lifting materials, and working against a remote backdrop suggest early stages of a wilderness cabin or retreat.
The final section shifts to river travel. Boats move along a mountain river, and a small plane takes off directly from the water, indicating floatplane use in remote areas. The reel concludes with family recreation—fishing from a raft and rafting together down the river—closing on moments of shared leisure after the labor of travel and camp life.
Together, these scenes preserve an authentic midcentury record of Idaho-based wilderness travel, combining aviation, horseback packing, hunting, construction, and river recreation into a single, cohesive home-movie document.
Tags:
Boise Idaho, Idaho, Home movies, 16mm film, Color home movies, Silent film, Neighborhood life, Aviation, Small airplane, Airstrip, Aerial footage, Mountains, Foothills, Hiking, Horse packing, Packhorses, Trail riding, Hunting camp, Whitetail deer hunting, Butchering game, Mountain camp, A-frame cabin, Cabin construction, River boating, Floatplane, Plane on water, Rafting, Family fishing, Mountain river, Outdoor recreation, Wilderness travel, Americana, Analog film, Nostalgic footage, Archival travel footage
