STORY BY KAREN BOSSICK

PHOTO BY KRISTINE BRETALL

Thursday, as always, is chock full of events. And this Thursday is no exception, with Wood River Valley residents and visitors able to partake in visual trips to Switzerland and Norway and a trip on the page down Idaho’s River of No Return via one of Hailey’s favorite mystery writers.

    …Hailey author Julie Weston will read from her latest book, “Salmon Moon: The River of No Return,” at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 6, at Hailey Town Center West. The novel is the sixth in her Nellie Burns and Moonshine mystery series, which follows Nellie and her dog as she tries to solve mysteries in a variety of familiar venues, including Craters of the Moon, the Stanley Basin and North Idaho.

This particular novel follows Nellie and her sheriff husband in pursuit of a gang of robbers carrying a bag of gold down the Salmon River in 1920s Idaho.

“Julie writes great page-turning mysteries,” said Kristin Fletcher, who until recently was the Hailey Public Library’s programs and engagement manager. “She’s also a keen history buff. What makes her in-person presentations so special are the historical images and fascinating insights woven artfully throughout her reading.”

…Los Angeles-based photographer Catherine Opie will discuss her most recent project--portraits of mountains shot in Norway--at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 6, at the Sun Valley Museum of Art, 191 5th St. E., in Ketchum.

Opie will discuss the project within the larger context of her career, which has included a look at Los Angeles’ freeway system, California surfers and portraits of members of the LGBTQ community.

Some of her portraits of Norway’s mountains are being shown in the SVMoA’s current exhibition, “Snow Show.”

…Kristine Bretall, the new engagement manager for the Wood River Museum of History + Culture, will offer a presentation looking at how the Alps and Alp culture have influenced skiing and Sun Valley at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 6, at Ketchum’s Community Library.

Bretall has taken a deep dive into the culture of the Alps, even visiting present-day family-run cheese operations through multiple trips to Switzerland. This presentation will offer a sneak preview of The Community Library’s field trip to Switzerland in Fall 2025.

Bretall will talk about what a Swiss Alp is, how the Alps have influenced skiing food and culture, why people ring cowbells at ski races and, yes, how it all is inextricably linked to the history of Sun Valley, the resort and ski area.

If that’s not enough to pique your interest, there will b samples of Alp cheese at the end of the talk.

You can see the talk in person by registering at https://thecommunitylibrary.libcal.com/event/14190264.