Relatively warm, wet, "in-between" weekend creates a quandary of choices; Might try trail projects; ski sales or hot springs

My friend Michelle Cooper works on a trail in the Harrison Hollow area
as a board member and volunteer for the Land Trust of the Treasure Valley.
Become a "Boise Foothills Friend" to get more involved in trails.  

A peek at Ricochet Trail at Avimor. You can help build this trail on Saturday. 

Big groups of elk can be seen along the Banks to Lowman Highway.

It's been a long winter for the elk 

The Idaho Trails Association offers up many trail work opportunities for people
to tap into. See below for links to plug into ITA activities. 

Hi all,

The weather this weekend looks pretty warm, wet and mushy ... even in the high country. Maybe skiers can catch some powder early in the day in the mountains before things warm up and rain. But the high temperatures in the mountains in McCall and Stanley are going to be in the mid- to high-40s, so that likely means rain. That isn't good for skiing! Dang!

My outdoor tip this week will focus on a few tidbits of things to do close to home and special notes:

• Avimor Trail Day on Saturday - Ricochet Trail - Avimor, north of Eagle on Idaho 55, is breaking ground on a new trail this spring called "Ricochet." It's a beautiful one-mile addition laced with views, rocks, climbs, drops, challenge, exposure and flow, according to Marc Grubert, Avimor trail guru. Volunteers are needed for a work day on Saturday March 12th (weather permitting). Sign up at Volunteer Spot if you'd like to go. Volunteers should bring water, wear sturdy boots/shoes, long pants, a jacket and some form of eye protection. You'll be working remotely in steep rocky terrain (no dogs or small children). The work day will conclude with a BBQ back at the Avimor community center, food and beverages provided.
• Ski and board sales - All of your favorite local ski and ride shops are having sales right now, with deep discounts. If you're looking to make a major purchase, now is the perfect time to save a TON of money. Support your local businesses such as Idaho Mountain Touring (mid-winter sale), Greenwoods Ski Haus ("Haus Cleaning 10-50%), McU Sports (progressive sale; things get marked down more every day), and Boise REI (members garage sale) is Saturday. World Cycle may have some xc skis on sale, too. 
• Dog poop pickup party on Saturday - Well, I couldn't lead off with this one, but this is a necessary gesture to clean up dog poop in the footies. Thanks to Team Eastside Cycles, along with Boise’s Habitat Veterinary Hospital and Boise Parks and Recreation for co-sponsoring this event. It starts at 10 a.m. You can start at Camelsback, the Jim Hall Learning Center or the Old Pen trailhead. Learn more here: http://bit.ly/1TIoX0Y
• Last week of grooming at the Idaho City Park n' Ski Areas - Leo Hennessy reports that the groomer made its last pass over the cross-country ski trail system in the past week, and that'll be it for the season. There's still about 3-5 feet of snow in the area. Keep it in mind depending on weather in the next few weeks. 
• The Idaho Trails Association assembled a hearty list of trail projects that will occur statewide this summer. Go to the ITA web site for a full list of projects, how to sign up, and how to join this very worthwhile organization. 
• The Land Trust of the Treasure Valley launched a new program called "Boise Foothills Friends." To be a BFF, you can volunteer at least 4 hours a year on trail projects or donate to a trails fund. Go to the LTTV web site for more information. I'm a LTTV member, and I highly recommend it! Plus you'll meet new friends! 

Just in case you're interested, fellow Boise Hawks travel hockey parents and I are hosting a big multi-family yard sale at my house on Saturday, starting at 8 a.m. 3209 N. 39th St., Boise 83703. All items must go! Everything will be priced to sell! We have a ton of good-quality items for sale, including furniture, kids toys, clothing, a few whitewater boating items, mountain bikes, air hockey set, books, etc. All proceeds from the event will help send our boys to USA Hockey Nationals March 31-April 4 in Brooklyn, NY. These boys are the top high school hockey players in our valley!   

If you'd like to get out of town this weekend, I'd recommend taking a drive on the Banks to Lowman Road, look for deer and elk, and go soak at a hot springs of your choice ... Skinny-dipper, Pine Flats, Kirkham or Bonneville. See the Idaho Hot Springs site for details. Here's a blog I wrote about this tour. Pack a lunch and some beverages for a fun low-key day.   -SS

Make a special effort to engage your kids in outdoor activities for Unplug Be Outside

Avimor is hosting the Boise Bird Festival on Saturday with the who's who of the bird community

Just taking your kids to the Boise River would allow them to skip rocks and look for bugs  

Hi all, 

It's going to be a gorgeous weekend, so it's a perfect opportunity to capitalize on Unplug and Be Outside week and get your kids engaged in outdoor activities. There is quite an array of easy things to do close to town via going to the Unplug and Be Outside web site.

The whole point of  Unplug and Be Outside week is to get your kids outside (leave the headphones and cell phone at home, please), and discover the wonders of nature. When you're out doing whatever activities you choose this weekend, look for little "teachable moments" when you can teach your kids little tidbits about nature. Maybe you can identify a wild flower, a shrub, a plant or a tree. Show them how to remember that species.

Here are some recommendations for Friday-Sunday: 

• EarthFest at the MK Nature Center on Saturday - A celebration for the entire family from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Free activities and crafts will be offered throughout the day at our POLLEN-nation garden site, as well a guided greenbelt walk (10 am), movies shown in our auditorium (11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.), guided streamwalk tours (12pm and 1 p.m.), and the INPS Native Plant Sale will be going on as well. Local Muesli Bars & Granola will be available to benefit Boise’s refugee community. Get off the couch and come be outside with us! For more information, call the MK Nature Center, 334-2225. Location: 600 S. Walnut St., Boise, ID 83712.
  
• Plant a tree for Arbor Day on Friday - On Friday, free Colorado blue spruce seedlings will be available at Home Depot and FedEx Office stores in the Treasure Valley as well as the Boise Co-op courtesy of the Idaho Forest Products Commission. Go pick up a free seedling and plant a tree with your kids. More information at the Forest Products Commission. 

• Go to Avimor and participate in the Boise Bird Festival on Saturday, a new event that's designed to teach kids and families about birds in SW Idaho. There will be short bird walks, tips on bird identification, backyard feeding and wild bird photography. Here's a slide show of birds you might see. It runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with the who's who of the bird community participating, including the Peregrine Fund, the Idaho Bird Observatory, Ducks Unlimited, Idaho Camera, and more.
• Free golf at Ridgecrest Golf Course in Nampa, starting at noon Saturday. The Wee-9 is open for kids 17 and under, or kids can hit one free bucket of balls anytime on Saturday.
• Sierra Trading Post is sponsoring a fun run in Settlers Park in Meridian starting at 6 p.m. on Friday. Participants will win cool prizes from Sierra Trading Post. There's also a camping expo at Sierra Trading Post on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• YMCA Healthy Kids Day on Saturday at the Downtown YMCA. That means your kids can play at the Y for free and take part in such activities as basketball, dodgeball, climbing wall, scavenger hunt, or partake in a hacky sack clinic by former women's freestyle champion Sunny Freeman. See the Unplug and Be Outside Calendar of Events for details.
• Go for a kid friendly hike in the Boise Foothills with your family and friends. See my blog post from last year about 5 kid friendly hikes close to home.
• See the Unplug and Be Outside Calendar of Events for oodles of other options on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  

The most important thing is that you get your kids out of the house and engaged in some type of outdoor activity. Even just taking your kids for a walk or a bike ride along the Boise River Greenbelt would allow them to check out the Boise River, skip rocks, throw sticks for the dog, climb trees, look at weird bugs, whatever. 

---------------------- 

Meridian Cycles Ladies’ Night!

Friday April 26^th from 6:30 to 9:00 pm.

Hey, if you'd like to check out some cool and comfy bike clothing or look around at mountain bikes, cruisers and road bikes, Meridian Cycle is hosting reps from Pearl Izumi, Club Ride, Terry, and Felt Bicycles as well as Dani Lassiter from Goldilock’s Ride and Shauna Brookshier of EpicCycling. 

Former professional mountain bike racer and current USA Cycling National Events Director Kelli Lusk will be attending with Scott Montgomery of Club Ride!

Meridian Cycles will have fruit, chocolate and beverages on hand. And, they'll have drawings for bike swag throughout the evening for those in attendance!  

Have fun! 

- SS

Join SWIMBA Saturday to work on trails in Avimor; consider a donation for ST-240

On the way to Sheep Rock at Avimor with Kenn Hardin 

Mountain biking at Avimor ... lots of elbow room.

Scott Perryman of SWIMBA gives a thumbs up to the ST-240 trail-cutting machine. 

Hi all,

This week I'm giving a shout-out to the Southwest Idaho Mountain Biking Association (SWIMBA). They've got a trail work day planned on Saturday at Avimor, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and they're also working on a capital campaign to purchase a trail-cutting machine for building more singletrack trails in SW Idaho.

I'd encourage mountain bikers to throw your support behind SWIMBA as much as you can. That's because SWIMBA has been very effective in creating new mountain biking opportunities in SW Idaho for 20+ years, and the organization is only getting stronger over time! Now that's a really good sign for a nonprofit group.

As a disclaimer, I must tell you that I'm totally biased in my support of SWIMBA because I was the founding president in 1992, and I am a lifetime member. OK, nuf said on that.

Anyone who wants to volunteer for the trail work day on Saturday should wear closed-toed shoes (preferably boots), bring gloves, a hat and water. There's a 40% chance of rain on Saturday, so it'd be a good idea to bring your rain gear. SWIMBA will have a BBQ for volunteers after the work day, and if the weather cooperates, some people may go for a ride.

How to get there: Trail-volunteers should drive to the main entrance of Avimor off of Idaho 55, drive toward the main trailhead straight ahead, and then look for the SWIMBA banner. That'll be the meeting place. SWIMBA's Scott Perryman said they will be working on some improvements to the "Shooting Range" trail and also starting on "Upper Bovine," if enough volunteers show up.    

SWIMBA has adopted Avimor as a place where they're doing trail development because the community has been supportive of hiking, biking and trail-running since Day One, and they've always indicated that their trails are open to public use, no matter if you live in the community or not. In addition, Marc and Gina Grubert, who have been active with SWIMBA for a number of years, were some of the first residents to build a home at Avimor. Marc showed me around on their trails a number of years ago, and things just keep getting better.

I'll include a couple of maps of mountain bike rides that I really like at Avimor from the latest edition of my guide, Mountain Biking in Boise. Here's a link to a comprehensive trail map created by Avimor and SWIMBA.

Everyone loves the downhill singletrack along Spring Valley Creek 

The hills and mountains surrounding Avimor are key because someday, the trails there could be linked to trails at Stack Rock near Bogus Basin, and they also could link to the Dry Creek Valley and Hidden Springs. The area is very strategic from that perspective.

Now, about SWIMBA's capital campaign for a new trail-cutting machine. The group has been working on raising $105,000 for a ST-240 and trailer. It's a mini-bulldozer of sorts that is perfectly designed for rough-cutting singletrack trails. "ST" stands for singletrack, those sinewy dirt trails that we all love to ride. Here's a brief video about the machine.

As SWIMBA points out on their web site, they have 30 miles of new trail that needs to be built at Avimor, more trails on the drawing board with the Forest Service in the Lowman District, and potentially many other trails in the future. It would be a HUGE asset for SWIMBA to have a ST-240 to do all of the hardest, back-breaking work involved in cutting a trail tread, and then volunteers come in to do the final upslope and downslope dirt work to polish the tread.

SWIMBA is still working on raising about $30,000 of the project's cost. Go to this page on SWIMBA's web site to donate. Any amount you can afford would be helpful.

Looking back over the years, SWIMBA has been involved in building or funding trails such as Trail #1, the singletrack connector from the Motorcycle Parking Lot on 8th Street to Bob's Trail and Corrals Trail, Sidewinder, Redtail Ridge, Maholo, Watchman, Fat Tire Connector, Eastside, DB Connector, Mr. Big and several new trails at Avimor. SWIMBA is serious about adding new trails to improve our riding experience and increase the fun quotient.

At the most basic level, you can help by becoming a member of SWIMBA if you're not already. Go to the SWIMBA web site and sign up and join the fun! It's pretty neat when you go out on a ride and tell your friends that you had a part in building the trail you're enjoying. It gives you a measure of pride that you're put some sweat equity into making your community a better place. Thanks!
-SS