New films explore Sunshine Mine Disaster, Bitterroot Mountains
New episodes of the Idaho Public Television original series "Outoor Idaho" and "Idaho Experience" journey into the Bitterroot Mountains and examine the legacy of the 1972 Sunshine Mine Disaster.
‘In the Shadow of the Bitterroots’ on Outdoor Idaho
Outdoor Idaho is stepping In the Shadow of the Bitterroots to shine a light on Idaho’s uniquely rugged mountain range. Running along the Idaho-Montana border, the Bitterroot Mountains are hard to get to, and because of their pristine beauty, even harder to leave.
This show will make you want to explore the unexplored. We’ll educate you on the range’s history, indigenous culture and geology. And we’ll entertain you with mountain climbing, adventure motorcycling and rafting.
“What I love about this show is that there’s something for everyone: the rockhound, the adrenaline junkie, the history buff, the river rat — even the foodie,” said Producer Lauren Melink. “It’s been a physical feat to shoot video in such isolated locations, so kudos to videographer Jay Krajic for an impressive job on his final show before retirement!”
In the Shadow of the Bitterroots is a well-deserved ode to a truly wild and remote mountain range. It airs at 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 1 and at 7 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4. Beginning Dec. 5, it will be available for streaming on the PBS Video app and online at video.idahoptv.org.
‘Remembering the Sunshine Mine Disaster’ on Idaho Experience
Every year, on May 2, the Silver Valley remembers. People gather at a stark memorial along Interstate 90, just down the road from the Sunshine Mine, where a fire 3,400 feet below ground in Big Creek turned deadly on May 2, 1972. Names are read, prayers are prayed and, one by one, 91 headlamps go dark.
“We have the 91 helmets up there and the lights are turned off every year, so people get the perspective of how many lives were really lost that day,” Memorial organizer Peggy White told Idaho Experience. “They were men with lives, and I don’t want them just to be a name on the wall.” White lost her father, uncle and brother-in-law to the fire.
Fifty years after the fire, Idaho Experience looks at the ways the community remembers the losses and lessons of the disaster. Remembering the Sunshine Mine Disaster looks at how the fire led to sweeping changes in mine safety, and how tourism and recreation are helping revive the economy, even as the Sunshine Mine prepares to restart operations again.
The program airs at 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 4. Beginning Dec. 5, it will be available for streaming on the PBS Video app and online at video.idahoptv.org.