There's a little town in the heart of Idaho where the spirit of the West is alive and well.

Grangeville...right in the middle of the state that's second only to Alaska in designated wilderness areas.

Idaho...the state that boasts the deepest gorge in North America, which is less than an hour from Grangeville. Five other rivers flow nearby, three of which are also designated wild and scenic.

Grangeville, surrounded by five wilderness areas and four national forests, totaling about 5 1/2 million acres, is a town which enjoys a fascinating history, complete with gold rushes, Indian wars, railroad feuds and all of the colorful lore of the Old West.

If you're lucky, you'll 'top up onto the prairie', as the locals say, just about sunset. A rosy glow blankets the little town whose elevation and poulation meet at around 3500. Grangeville sits on Idaho's major north/south highway, U.S. 95, the major route from southern idaho to Washington or Montana.

It's big country. Grangeville sits in one of the country's largest counties, Idaho County -- bigger than the state of New jersey - yet boasting one of the smallest populations, just 15,000 in the entire county.