Dry Creek hike in Boise Foothills reveals neat ice patterns, fall color

Huck had a blast sniffing for birds and perching on rocks 

Patches of ice formed interesting patterns in the creek. 

Hi all,

I went hiking with Huck on the Dry Creek trail this week to see if the fall colors were still happening -- and they were in places. But it was a surprising dividend to see some cool shapes and designs in the ice forming in the creek.

We've had low temperatures in the teens and 20s this week, so Dry Creek was definitely covered with ice in flatter portions of the streams and in the beaver ponds. It's supposed to get a little warmer in the days ahead, so I recommend getting out to hike Dry Creek or do the Shingle Creek-Dry Creek Loop before the snow comes and the trail gets mucky.

That's my outdoor tip this week ... get out and enjoy the Boise Foothills trails while you can!

Some sections of the creek were almost completely frozen. 

I also am looking forward to attending the Bogus Basin Ski Education Foundation Ski Swap Friday-Sunday at Expo Idaho this weekend. See the web site for details on selling and buying equipment.

BTW, if it's ski swap time, that means the Warren Miller annual ski movie is coming up! It's scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 21 through Sunday, Nov. 24 at the Egyptian Theater.

A hiker and a jogger cruising up the trail with their dogs 

Now back to the Dry Creek hike ... starting from the trailhead on Bogus Basin Road, you can hike up the creek as far as you want ... On Thursday (today), I hiked about two miles or so up the trail to the Shingle Creek junction, and came back. Going on a mid-week day, I saw only 2 other people on the trail during my hike.

The Dry Creek trail is kind of steep up and down threading through some cool granite goblin-like rocks in the first 1/2 mile, but after the trail drops down by the creek, it's a very pleasant walk up the draw. There are numerous places where you could stop and have a picnic.

Dry Creek-Shingle Creek Loop map (courtesy alltrails.com) 

Remains of a stone house next to a large locust tree that settlers planted.  

Tackling the Dry Creek-Shingle Creek Loop is a much more ambitious endeavor. The route covers 13.8 miles and features 2,221 feet of gain. Nothing too extreme, but it's still a substantial hike with multiple strenuous pitches. That one would take about 5 hours or more, depending on your speed of travel.

Take a walk up there and enjoy the sights! I wondered about the history of a stone house up there ... I would like to know more about the settlers who tried to live up there.

Beaver pond complex was just freezing over. 

Be sure to dress in layers for the hike. You'll warm up and shed most of your layers on the way up the trail, and then cool down for the walk back down. I needed a hat and gloves for my hike. The temperature was in the high 30s, so not all that warm. It is supposed to warm up a bit next week in the afternoons.

Have fun!
- SS

Five September hikes close to Boise - guaranteed to please!

Amy and Robin apparently thought this spot was photogenic! Between the Creeks in the Owyhees. 

Wendy getting ready to take flight on top of a mountain above Toy Pass in the Owyhees 

Hi all,

It's SO NICE to see the hot weather moderating and the skies clearing of smoke! The Boise forecast is calling for highs in the 60s on Friday and Saturday, and 70s on Sunday. That's almost unbelievable considering the string of HOT weather we've had nearly continuously through July and August ...

So my recommendation is to enjoy the cool temperatures and plan a hike this weekend in the Boise Foothills or the Owyhees. All of these hikes are detailed in my guidebooks, Boise Trail Guide: 90 Hiking & Running Routes Close to Home, and The Owyhee Canyonlands, an Outdoor Adventure Guide. 

Here are my recommendations for five hikes guaranteed to please:

1. Hulls Gulch National Recreation Trail - Distance: about 5 miles or less. Difficulty: Moderate. Time travel: You make the call. Take the kids and the dog and go for a hike on the Hulls Gulch National Recreation Trail, starting from the BLM motorcycle parking lot about 3 miles up Eighth Street from the North End of Boise. Take the singletrack trail up the gulch, pausing to learn tidbits about geology and nature from the interpretive signs. Eventually, you'll come to a fork on the trail, go right to see the headwaters. Maybe the creek will be running? Turn around and return the way you came.

Exploring granite outcroppings above Hulls Gulch 

2. Dry Creek Trail - Distance: You make the call. Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous. Time Travel: You make the call. It's a stout hike to hike on the Dry Creek Trail from the trailhead on Bogus Basin Road to the top of the Boise Ridge, but you really don't have to go that far. Just walk up the creek as far as you'd like, and enjoy the day in the cool, creekside, shady environment. Pack a lunch and enjoy the day! For the hard-cores, it's 6.8 miles to the top of the trail, if you want to do a 15-mile day and power walk it.

3. 5 Mile Creek-Watchman-Three Bears Loop - Distance: 6 miles. Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous. Time Travel: 2.5-3 hours. Drive up Rocky Canyon Road from the end of the pavement to the Five Mile Trailhead on the left. The hike starts here. The loop brings you right back to your rig. Pretty cool. Hike up Five Mile Creek several miles to the Orchard Junction, keep going straight along the creek, and the trail turns into Watchman at the top of the steep hill. Follow Watchman as it contours around the mountain, visits another creek, and then descends to the top of the Three Bears grade. Make sure you go left at the junction with Trail #6. Take a breather at the top of the grade, and then it's all downhill to Three Bears junction at the saddle, go left and drop down to Rocky Canyon Road. Go left on the road, and your car is around the corner.

Three Bears Trail heading back to Rocky Canyon Road rounds out the Five Mile-Watchman Loop 

4. Between the Creeks Loop, Owyhee Canyonlands - Distance: 8 miles. Difficulty: Moderate to strenuous. Travel time: 5 hours. See my blog post for photos and details of this hike ... it's one of my all-time favorite hikes in the Owyhees, especially because it's relatively close to Boise. Allow 1.5 hours to reach the trailhead, depending on how fast you drive. The scenic hike takes you on an upland tour of West Shoofly Creek and East Shoofly Creek on top of a plateau, hence the name, "Between the Creeks." The rhyolite canyons are craggy and beautiful.

Top of the mountain to the west of Toy Pass

5. Toy Pass, Owyhee Canyonlands - Should be beezy and cool up on Toy Pass this weekend, making for great hiking conditions. Two optional hikes take off from Toy Pass in the Owyhee Front, near Oreana, starting at 5,875 feet. One hike is 5.3 miles exploring the mountain to the east of the pass, and the other is 4.5 miles, exploring the small knob on the west side of the pass. Take I-84 to the Simco Road exit. Turn right on Simco Road and proceed to the state highway. Turn right at the highway and proceed to Grand View. Turn right on ID 78 in Grand View and then take the second left-hand turn to Oreana. Drive through the little town and go past the Basque church, then bear right on the signed Bachman Grade Road. Follow the well-maintained dirt road to the top of Toy Pass (about 13.5 miles). Park at the pass, and decide which mountain you'd like to climb from there. There are some nice car-camping spots on the south side of the pass, heading toward Triangle.
- SS