u/YakSelect7570

I've lived in Idaho for a while now and lately it feels like the trails, campgrounds, and river access points are way more crowded than they used to be. I get it, Idaho is genuinely beautiful and word has gotten out. But it raises real questions about how we manage all this growth without trashing what makes the state worth visiting in the first place.

I was out near the Boise foothills last weekend and the parking situation was a mess before 8am. Same thing happened when I tried to hit a spot near the Sawtooths a few months back. It used to feel like you could find solitude without much effort.

I'm not trying to sound like a gatekeeper, everyone deserves to enjoy public land. But I'm curious what others around the state are experiencing. Are certain areas holding up better than others? Have you found any underrated spots that still feel peaceful? And do you think local or state land management is doing enough to keep up with the demand?

Would love to hear from folks in different parts of the state, whether you're near Boise, up in the panhandle, or out east near the Tetons area.

We started homeschooling about a year ago and honestly the biggest challenge has been keeping things interesting without relying too heavily on worksheets and textbooks. My kids learn so much better when they can touch and build and experiment with things rather than just reading about concepts.

We recently tried an electronics starter kit and it completely changed how my oldest approaches problem solving. He spent three hours working through circuits without me prompting him once. That kind of selfdirected focus is rare in our house.

Now I'm looking for similar handson resources for other subjects. We've been piecing things together from different places and it gets overwhelming trying to figure out what's actually worth the money versus what looks great in the product photos but collects dust after day two.

Would love to know what kits or manipulatives or activitybased resources other families have found genuinely useful. Especially curious about anything that works well for middle school age kids who are starting to want a little more independence in their learning but still benefit from structured projects.

Do you tend to buy curriculum that already incorporates handson elements, or do you build that layer in yourself on top of a more traditional program? What has worked best for your family and why?

So I picked up the a6700 about three months ago coming from a Canon point and shoot, and last weekend I finally took it out to a local nature reserve with the 70350mm G lens. I had zero experience with wildlife photography before this and honestly was not expecting much.

I ended up tracking herons and a few kingfishers along the riverbank for about four hours. The realtime tracking on this camera genuinely blew my mind. I missed plenty of shots because I was still figuring out my settings, but some of what I got made me feel like the camera was carrying me, because the keeper rate was still surprisingly decent for a first outing.

I was shooting continuous high burst with eye and animal tracking enabled. Mostly around 1/1600 to freeze motion, auto ISO, aperture priority at f6.3.

A few things I am still unsure about: when do you switch from eye AF to zone or flexible spot for faster erratic movement? And does anyone have recommendations for back button focus setups specifically for bird shooting on the a6700?

Would love to hear how other people dialed in their settings when they were starting out with wildlife on Sony. This community always seems to have solid practical advice.

I've been looking to explore more of the state this year and want to get ahead of the tourist rush. Everyone always talks about the Sawtooths and Craters of the Moon, which are obviously great, but Idaho has so many corners that most people drive right past without stopping.

I'm particularly curious about central and northern areas. Smaller lakes, hiking trails that don't require a ton of gear, interesting small towns with good local restaurants or some history. Scenic drives or pullouts that locals know about but never make it onto the travel blogs would be awesome too.

I moved here a couple years ago and honestly feel like I've barely scratched the surface. People who've lived here longterm always seem to have a spot or two they love but never talk about online.

Would love to hear what you actually recommend versus what gets overhyped. Bonus points if it's accessible without a lifted truck or a full day of hiking. Happy to share some of the places I've found so far if this gets some traction. What are your goto hidden gems in Idaho?

I've been baking sourdough for a while now and I keep reading about big technique overhauls, new flour types, different hydration levels — it gets overwhelming trying to figure out what actually moves the needle.

So I wanted to ask a simple question. What's the one small habit or routine change that made the biggest difference in your bakes? Not a complete process reinvention, just a small tweak you almost didn't bother trying but turned out to genuinely matter.

For me it was finally getting a decent kitchen scale and weighing my starter instead of eyeballing it. Sounds obvious in hindsight, but my consistency improved almost immediately.

I've heard people mention things like switching to a clear container to monitor bulk fermentation, doing a proper windowpane test before shaping, or tracking room temperature more carefully. But I'm curious what worked specifically for you.

My current basic process for context: 100g active starter, 375g water, 500g bread flour, 10g salt. Mix, rest 45 minutes, four sets of stretch and folds 30 minutes apart, bulk at room temp around 72F for about 5 hours total, shape, cold proof overnight, bake at 500F in a Dutch oven covered for 20 minutes then uncovered for 20 more.