A few ideas for Christmas-New Year's break in SW Idaho - skiing, snowshoeing, hiking and hot springs!

The scene at the top of Deer Point Chair on Thursday afternoon in the sunshine. 

Hi all, 

Mother Nature has been quite stingy when it comes to delivering the snow so far this year. Ullr the Norwegian snow god may very well still be in a deep sleep!

So that makes it a little more difficult to find things to do this Christmas-New Years holiday break. Here are a few outdoorsy ideas that I've been thinking about:

• Downhill skiing at Bogus Basin, Brundage, Sun Valley or Tamarack. All four resorts are open 7 days a week. Check on the latest conditions and see what runs and lifts are open to make your choices. 2-3" of new snow are forecast on Friday PM/Saturday. Sunny skies are forecast on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. 
• I skied the front side of Bogus on Thursday, and Ridge and Showcase seemed to have the most continuous snowpack thanks to snow-making and north-facing slopes. Bogus may reopen the backside this weekend. Warm temperatures above the inversion are making things challenging. It was 44 degrees up there today. Felt nice! 
  
  
• Sun Valley just opened the Warm Springs side of the mountain with top-to-bottom skiing. The River Run side of the mountain was open to start off the season. 

  

  People skiing on lower Warm Springs when the new lifts opened
   on Wednesday. (Courtesy Sun Valley)  

  
  
• Brundage is waiting for more snow before opening the new Centennial quad chairlift, but it's operating 7 days a week with the Bluebird Express, Bear Chair and bunny hill. 
• Tamarack is running the Summit chair for 1,000 verts on the upper story of the mountain and the Discovery beginner chair.     
• Go find your own hiking adventure on snowshoes, snow boots or hiking shoes and trax for gripping in the ice. Head for a mountain pass where you can find access to your own adventure. I saw that Mores Creek Summit has a snow depth of 17 inches as of today, 2 less than several days ago. It's been warm up there too ... 44 degrees today. I've seen people hiking Mt. Cervidae over by Lucky Peak (go early when the trail is frozen)  
• All-weather trails on Ridge to Rivers trails or my expanded list of all-weather trails in the region. My list includes Bruneau Dunes State Park and Eagle Island State Park trails. 

  

  Gold Fork Hot Springs on a quiet day. 

  
  
• Go soaking in a hot springs ... Gold Fork is accessible by vehicle (vax cards are required), you need a snowmobile to reach Burgdorf (rentals can be arranged in McCall), and there are others to consider such as Zims near New Meadows, Miracle Hot Springs near Hagerman, Mundo Hot Springs near Cambridge and the Springs in Idaho City. Reservations are required for many of these developed hot springs. And then there are other primitive springs such as Kirkham and Bonneville and others in the Boise National Forest. 

There you have it! Hope everyone has a marvelous Christmas holiday! Here comes 2024! 

- SS  

Take a scenic drive to see wildlife on Banks to Lowman Road

Be sure to watch the elk from a respectful distance. 

Hi all, 

It's early March, but this weekend is going to feel more like winter than spring. 

With weekend temps barely reaching 40 in Boise, and a chance of light snow, it might be a nice change of pace to take a leisurely scenic winter drive.  

March is a great time of year to visit the Wildlife Canyon Scenic Byway, a.k.a. the Banks to Lowman Highway, watch for deer and elk on the mountainsides (or on the road), maybe go for a short walk, take a nice soothing hot springs soak and then cap it off with a hearty meal in Crouch at the Dirty Shame Saloon.

All of these things are doable in a day trip Boise. The Banks to Lowman road covers 33 miles tip to tail. And most likely, you'll be going out and back.  

How to get there: Take Idaho 55 north from Boise to Banks. Turn right. Now you're on the Wildlife Canyon Scenic Byway. 

Courtesy Boise National Forest

Large groups of elk and deer are typically visible along the two-lane scenic road. Be sure to give the animals a wide berth. Don't spook them or cause them to burn extra energy. It's a vulnerable time of year for them. Deer and elk are drawn to the big, open south-facing slopes on the north side of the canyon because they are snow-free. In the coming weeks, tiny shoots of green grass will begin to sprout.

Be sure to bring your binoculars. You also may see bald eagles, golden eagles and red-tailed hawks flying around. Pack a lunch, snacks and water for the day trip. 

Courtesy Boise National Forest 

Several choices are available for hot springs to visit as part of your trip: 

• Hot Springs Campground - Just east of the town of Garden Valley, the hot pools are down by the river's edge. Not sure if the campground is plowed. Call the Boise National Forest for more information. 
• Pine Flats Hot Springs is a beautiful spot along the South Fork of the Payette River that serves as a Forest Service campground in the summertime. The hot springs pools are small, and there's a hot shower you can stand underneath too.  
• Kirkham Hot Springs is probably the most popular roadside hot springs in Idaho, given its proximity to Boise. There are some nice hot pools next to the river. Bring a swimsuit. Be sure to Pack out what you pack in and leave the area nicer than you found it. 
• Bonneville Hot Springs is about 20 miles toward Stanley on Idaho 21, east of Lowman. It has some nice larger hot pools and an old wooden shake with a bathtub inside. Because of snow, you'll need to hike in less than a mile to the springs from the highway.   

A couple of other places where you can see wildlife in a scenic drive would be on the Salmon River Road, going upstream from Riggins, or going downstream from North Fork near the town of Salmon. Both areas are promising for seeing bighorn sheep, elk, deer and maybe even mountain goats. 

Have fun! 
- SS

Wet & Soggy weather coming for Memorial Day weekend in Idaho - oh well!

Radar image from OpenSummit.com 7 a.m. Saturday, May 28. 

Hi all, 

This is one of those Memorial Day weekends when you might be better off finding a place to practice your axe-throwing technique, binge-watch movies on your favorite streaming channels or catch the opening of Top Gun: Maverick.

The weather forecast looks positively soggy no matter if you're heading south into the Owyhee/Bruneau desert, east to the Thousand Springs region, or north to Cascade, McCall or Stanley. 

Even the Boise forecast is calling for quite a few showers Friday afternoon-Monday, though it appears there will be a few gaps between storms when you can get out for a quick ride or dog walk. If it really pours, the R2R trails will need to dry out, so stick to the Greenbelt or all-weather trails if need be.

Because of the wet forecasts, I wouldn't recommend my usual destinations (post from 2021) for Memorial Day weekend. But if you do go, be sure to bring a bomb-proof tarp! 

Gold Fork Hot Springs 

Instead, you might head for an Idaho natural hot springs (post from Visit Idaho: 7 must-visit primitive hot springs) or commercial hot springs like The Springs in Idaho City (reservations required), Gold Fork Hot Springs near Donnelly (vax cards required), or Zims Hot Springs near New Meadows. Don't think you can get to Burgdorf yet without a snowmobile? Maybe Valley County will plow it? 

Or you might go morel-picking in rain-gear? See my post from last week. 

Or rent a cabin in the Boise National Forest or rent a cabin through vrbo or airbnb?

Just as a reminder, please Recreate Responsibly when you're outdoors this summer. Spread the word! 

 

Have a fun and relaxing Memorial Day weekend! 
- SS                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

 

New cold snow this week has freshened the mountains and ski areas - Go play in the snow!

Fresh tracks ... (Courtesy April Whitney, Brundage Mountain Resort) 

Hi all, 

You might have noticed with the dramatic shift to winter weather this week, even in Boise and the Treasure Valley, that winter is not over yet. 

Not by a long shot! 

I've been in McCall since last Sunday, and we've been getting a series of these sweet little storms with a few inches of cold snow falling very slowly ... it's been so long since we had fresh powder that I have really been enjoying the heck out of few inches of new snow each day. 

So my outdoor tip this week is to get out and play in the mountains, play in the snow! 

I feel kind of like Mr. Obvious on the Bob & Tom radio show by saying, hey, we just got a great dose of new snow this week -- so get out and enjoy it! 

Rent a cabin! High-season is over everywhere. It should be easy to book a place right now through whatever means you like to use.  

Hit a hot spring! 

On the downhill skiing front, Bogus Basin got 4" of new snow on Thursday to freshen the base. 

Brundage Mountain got 2" in the last 24 hours, 6" in the last week. Tamarack Resort is reporting 0" of new (hard to believe), but the skiing there has been great! Sun Valley has gotten 2" in the last 24 hours. 

I feel kind of like Mr. Obvious on the Bob & Tom radio show by saying, hey, we just got a great dose of new snow this week -- actual snow depths depend on location -- so get out and enjoy it!

Atmospheric river event coming next week ... blue hues indicate 180-200% of normal moisture.

See my latest snow forecast on the Idaho Daily Snow. There's a major atmospheric river system approaching Idaho next Sunday-Tuesday, then another storm system, Thursday-Saturday. So like I said, the show isn't over yet! 

Cross-country skiing/snowshoeing: See my comprehensive blog post on more than 15 locations for xc skiing and snowshoeing in Idaho. Check it out! 

Xc skiing at Bear Basin 

All of the Nordic trails are in great shape in McCall. I've been xc skiing Bear Basin on a regular basis, and the grooming there is immaculate! The xc skiing is great at Ponderosa State Park as well. You can go xc skiing or snow biking at Jug Mountain Ranch. That'd be a great call this weekend! Tamarack also has multiple K's of xc ski trails that are open to snow-biking as well.   

See Steve Dent's Backroads report with me about Nordic skiing at Bogus Basin and beyond. 

Go tubing at Bogus Basin or the Activity Barn in McCall. I think Garden Valley may have a tubing venue too. Advance reservations are required for tubing at Bogus. Plan ahead.

Please! Give the Ridge to Rivers trails a brake! And go play in the snow. 

- SS 

Gotta plan ahead to visit The Springs in Idaho City! Stay overnight at Inn the Pines

The Springs pool at night (Courtesy The Springs)

The Springs during the day ... please note that the pool is reserved for adults on Wed-Fri each week. (Courtesy The Springs)

Hi all, 

It's a little exasperating how challenging it can be to book pool time at The Springs in Idaho City. I would readily admit that I don't necessarily like to plan ahead that much, but I have learned that if you want to book some pool time at The Springs, you MUST plan ahead! Two weeks or more! That's just the deal! 

Two friends of ours, Greg and Jan, booked a private pool for all four of us at The Springs last week (booked a month in advance), and we also booked rooms at Inn the Pines. We really enjoyed our time up there. 

The private pools are $45/hour, and hotel rooms are about $115/night. They have package deals. 

The snow is deep in Idaho City, too! But it's melting! Consider doing a hike in Charcoal Gulch before soaking. 

We went up on a Wednesday, so I had some work-related things to clear in the first half of the day. Then we got up to Idaho City in time to do a little boot hike on Charcoal Gulch Trail just outside of town before our leisurely soak at The Springs. The snow was brick-hard, so we didn't even need to deploy our snowshoes ... just cruised around on top of the snow in our snow boots. The trail is located next to the Idaho City airport on the south side of town ... try it sometime. 

Our private pool was booked for 4:30 p.m. We showed up at 4 p.m. to hang in the main pool before going into our private quarters. We had a beer and relaxed while the sun began to shine through the clouds for the first time in days. The Springs has pool-side service, so that's a plus in my book. They seem to really emphasize customer service, and that must be why The Springs has become so popular! 

The private pool was a perfect size for 2 or 4 people. It's a little cozy with 4, but if they're good friends or family, it works fine! You have total privacy in that space, so suits are optional. You can bring drinks and food into the private pools. But they will only serve you one drink while you're in the private pool FYI. 

The private tubs are warmer than the main pool ... I would guess they keep them in the 102-103 degree range. It felt just about perfect to us. 

After you've had your private pool session, you can hang in the main pool as long as you want. We were pretty pruned after about 2 hours of soaking, so we back to the Inn the Pines to change for dinner. The locker rooms at The Springs are very nice, BTW, they have complimentary lockers that come with your swimming pass, and nice showers. 

We thought the rooms at Inn the Pines were really nice. The hotel was just built a year ago or so, so everything seems almost brand new. They have cable TV and wifi in the rooms, even though there is barely any cell service in Idaho City, so that's another plus. I had some work-related things I had to send out by email in the morning. That worked without a hitch.  

We had dinner and breakfast at Trudy's Kitchen. We should have had dinner at the Gold Mine or Diamond Lil's, most likely, because they specialize in serving dinner. But Trudy's makes good burgers and has good breakfast. Here's the Trip Advisor rundown for Idaho City restaurants. 

All in all, we heartily recommend soaking at The Springs and staying at Inn the Pines. All you have to do is plan ahead!!! Combining the soaking experience with a fun day of skiing by Mores Creek Summit or at the Idaho City Park and Ski Areas would be the ultimate home run day, in my book. 

In the weeks ahead, it also would be a fun home run day to do the Banks-Lowman drive to see elk down by the road and Payette River, and then hit the Springs in Idaho City late in the afternoon. Stay overnight and relax! 

If you want to soak at The Springs, go online and reserve a time for your group. The reservations system lets you see what's available on a given day online. Pick what works for you! 

-----------------------

On another subject matter, during Spring Break week the lower trails in the Boise Foothills dried out and people were out using the trails in droves! Huge numbers of cars at the trailheads! Just wanted to remind folks to be aware that the the trails could get muddy this weekend if we get substantial amounts of rain. Please pay attention to the Ridge to Rivers web site or Facebook page for the latest updates! 

- SS 

Stellar midwinter conditions in McCall! Five reasons to visit before Winter Carnival

Tubing at the Activity Barn (courtesy Activity Barn) 

Powder riding at Brundage on a bluebird day (courtesy Brundage Mountain) 

Hi all,

You'd never know it in Boise, but a whole series of snowstorms in McCall have created stellar midwinter conditions for alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and snow-biking. Add hot springs to the list and you've got 5 reasons to visit the McCall area before Winter Carnival starts in the last week of January.

Wendy and I were fortunate to stay at our Cozy Cabin in McCall for almost two weeks over the holiday break, and that put us pretty close to heaven. Being winter people coming from Michigan (her) and Minnesota (me), we love playing in the snow. After multiple days of skiing, xc skiing, snowshoeing and snow-biking, my legs were crying "Uncle!"

Wow that's some deep powder! (courtesy Tamarack Resort) 

That's got to be one of greatest feelings when you feel so sated from doing the things you love to do with friends and family.

Lodging should be easier to find now that New Year's Day is behind us, so see if you can book a room/condo/house and enjoy one or more of the following activities in McCall and surrounding areas:

• Tubing at the Activity Barn - No advance reservations are needed to go tubing in McCall. The Activity Barn is located a few miles south of town on a hill that provides an 800-foot exciting ride down the tubing lane. There's a lift that brings you back to the top. Dress warm. You can go it alone, or link up and slide down the hill together with your kids. Tickets cost $18/person, or $13 after 4 p.m. for 1 hour of fun. The Activity Barn is open on Fridays and weekends, and closed Monday-Thursday. See the web site for details.  

  

  North Valley Trail, south of the Activity Barn. Perfect conditions.  
• Go cross-country skiing, snowshoeing or snow-biking on the North Valley Trail and Activity Barn trails. A lot of people are just learning about this opportunity, but you can use the Nordic trails at the Activity Barn and on the North Valley Trail for free (donations for grooming gladly appreciated). Snow bikes are available for rent at the Activity Barn or bring your own. The North Valley Trail runs for about 2.5 miles from the Activity Barn out to the southern trailhead on Heinrich Lane, so you can do a 5-mile outing in that regard, or you can jump on the Activity Barn trails and add 3 miles to the whole outing. I recommend both trails if you have time.  
• Alpine skiing at Brundage Mountain north of McCall or Tamarack Resort west of Donnelly. The snow gods have been kind to Brundage and Tamarack, providing an excellent base for this time of year. Brundage has a 42-inch base at the bottom of the hill and 47 inches at the summit. One-hundred percent of the mountain is open. Tamarack has 31 inches at mid-mountain and 36 inches at the summit. Nearly all of the mountain is open. Tamarack is  operating 7 days a week this year. Both mountains are super fun to ski/ride. 

  

  Snow biking at JMR. 
• Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing at Bear Basin, Ponderosa State Park or Jug Mountain Ranch. Dogs are allowed on all of the trails at Bear Basin and JMR, which is a bonus for us dog-owners. JMR also has excellent snow-biking trails and rental bikes. All three of these venues are worth visiting. All are scenic with diverse terrain, groomed xc trails, and separate snowshoe trails.  

  

  Bear Basin xc ski trails on a snowy day. 

• Go to Gold Fork Hot Springs or take a snowmobile trip to Burgdorf Hot Springs. After all of the day's activities, it's time to soothe the muscles with a long soak in hot, natural geothermal water. Gold Fork is about 30 minutes south of McCall via the Davis Creek Road, south of Donnelly. Make sure you bring cash. It's closed on Tuesdays. Bring a suit and a towel, and you're golden. Non-glass beverages are allowed at pool-side. Burgdorf is open 7 days a week, starting at 10 a.m. each day. You can rent a snowmobile or go on a guided tour with Brundage Mountain to Burgdorf. It's a 25-mile trip on a groomed trail with optional off-trail sledding available along the way. I've taken my family on a guided trip, and they absolutely loved it. Make sure you pack a lunch or snacks for the trip.

  

  Main pool at Gold Fork Hot Springs. (courtesy Gold Fork) 

  There you have it! Hope everyone has a great year in 2019! 

- SS
 

  

Drip drip drip snow snow snow? Go to high elevations for best skiing; or go hot springing

Big series of wet storms coming our way ... area in green is expected to get 13-28 inches of snow by Monday.
Courtesy Idaho Daily Snow Report https://opensnow.com/dailysnow/idaho

The Springs at Idaho City 

Bonneville Hot Springs near Lowman 

Hi all,

We've got another big burst of storms coming our way this weekend, and continuing into next week, and it's a pretty warm system, so pay attention to the snow levels to find the best skiing.

This weekend also kicks off season pass sales at Bogus Basin, Brundage Mountain, Tamarack and Soldier Mountain. See their web sites for details. But this is the time to plunk down the bucks to buy a discounted season pass for next year, and you can use the pass for the remainder of this season as well. Good thing to do to support your favorite ski areas into the future.

As I drill down on snow levels, it may be a bit soggy at times at Bogus Basin, which will be on the cusp of rain and snow, according to the National Weather Service. At least it's going to freeze on Saturday night and Sunday night, so that should bode well for the following mornings on this long weekend. Watch the Bogus Basin web cams for the latest.

The situation at Brundage Mountain looks to be slightly better because it will freeze at night, every night, in the coming days, and snow during the day. According to the Idaho Daily Snow Report, put together by a skier who's also a professional meteorologist, she's predicting 13-28 inches of new snow by Monday in the West Central Mountains. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing might be good, too, especially in the mornings.

The upper chairlift at Tamarack will be good because it services the top 1,000 feet of the mountain, and that should be above the snow line. Same goes with skiing Sun Valley ... the top chairlifts will be in the snow zone and the bottom chairs may not be ... at least in the afternoons.

In Stanley, they're hosting the Sawtooth Winter Fest on Friday-Sunday, but the main event is on Saturday with a long calendar of activities, including a snow bike race, ice skating, street party, live music, three-legged races and all kinds of fun stuff. Unfortunately, highway Idaho 21 is closed due to avalanches, so you'll need to get there via Sun Valley if you decide to go.

Meanwhile, it's going to be rainy all weekend in Boise, so if you don't want to go play in the snow, maybe you could take an umbrella hike on the Greenbelt (foothills trails are very muddy; please stay off  of them), or go for a road trip and go visit your favorite hot springs. Maybe you'll decide to do a movie marathon at home. Go ice skating at Idaho Ice World. Catch up on the laundry ... who knows?

Some hot springs suggestions include:

• The Springs in Idaho City - Hang out in the pool and order drinks and food with the pool-side service. Fun place to go! Be sure to call ahead and make advance reservations. 
• Gold Fork Hot Springs south of Donnelly - Beautiful pools, reasonable price, but it can get crowded in the tiny changing rooms when it's busy. 
• Thousand Springs Resort, Miracle or Banbury Hot Springs near Hagerman. All great places to take the kids and family. Private pools available. 
• Primitive hot springs like Skinny Dipper, Kirkham or Bonneville Hot Springs near Garden Valley and Lowman. See the Idaho Hot Springs web site for details. 
• Givens Hot Springs near Marsing. I've heard mixed reviews about this commercial hot springs, but you be the judge. 

Have a nice long weekend!
- SS 

Drip drip drip ... outdoor tips for the weekend despite the soggy weather; sunny days ahead!

Elk in Garden Valley along the Banks to Lowman Road (courtesy Buzzfeed.com) 

Pine Flats Hot Springs next to the South Fork Payette River 

Hi all,

I suppose you could try to ski this weekend, but it seems the conditions might be pretty weird depending on how much it rains or snows after the rain goes away. We've been receiving a big deluge of rain mid-week with snow levels over 8,000 feet on Thursday, which really screws up the snow in the mountains! Plus, flooding is expected Friday in multiple locations -- cross your fingers that there aren't any major mud slides! Avalanche danger is very high as well. Be safe!

The good news is that it's supposed to be sunny and clear on Saturday and Sunday in Boise, with temperatures in the 40s during the day. So for this weekend, I'm recommending a low-key Greenbelt loop in East Boise or a scenic drive to see wildlife in Garden Valley and maybe hit a hot springs as part of the trip.

Marianne Williams Park-Barber Park Loop - Foothills trails are going to be duck soup, so I'm recommending that you take a 4-mile hike starting and finishing in Bown Crossing, with optional coffee, lunch or beer afterwards. Pick up the Greenbelt on the north side of the Boise River in Marianne Williams Park and follow that pathway east to the nature trail. Go right on the nature trail and continue to the Eckert Road bridge. Cross the river, and walk west through Barber Park on dirt pathways back to Bown Crossing. Be sure to wear your snow boots for the walk! The dirt trail will be muddy or slushy. Carry some water, take your time, bring the bino's and look for birds and wildlife along the way.

Garden Valley Wildlife Tour - Take Idaho 55 north to Banks and drive east on the Banks to Lowman Road through a deer and elk winter range to see wild turkeys, elk and deer. Bring your camera and bino's. You should see quite a few animals, particularly between the Garden Valley airstrip and Pine Flats Hot Springs.

Potential primitive hot springs to visit on the trip include Skinny Dipper, Pine Flats, Kirkham Hot Springs, or Bonneville Hot Springs, 25 miles east of Lowman. See the Idaho Hot Springs site for details. Circle back through Idaho City on the way home via Idaho 21, if you wish, to make a big driving loop. If you do that, the Springs in Idaho City would be another potential hot springs stop. Advance reservations are required.

Let me know if you see some wild game!

Just so you know ... river season is upon us! I posted a snowpack map on my Facebook page today, noting the big numbers, and then I checked on Idaho river flows, and the Owyhee River is flowing 8,000 cfs at Rome, Oregon, and the Bruneau is running at 2,000 cfs. Several people said they're hiking in to run Five Mile Rapids on the Bruneau ... hard core! I bet there will be some people running the Owyhee, too! The Payette was just barely rising, 2500 cfs ... that might be different tomorrow!

Have fun!
- SS

Steens Mountain, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge are a great spring camping destination

Kiger Gorge 

Steens Mountain from the Alvord Desert side by Mann Lake 

Here's Steve biking the Steens Mountain Loop road from our camp to Fish Lake C.G.
You can see that there's still some snow on the top of Steens Mountain. 

We camped in the meadow below the junipers off the loop road ... 

We had the place to ourselves ... very quiet all weekend

Hi all,

Wendy and I had a fun little spring camping trip over a three-day span to Steens Mountain and Malheur National Wildlife Refuge last week, and I wanted to share some highlights from our trip for those who might want to visit this unique area in Eastern Oregon.

It had been more than 10 years since I'd last visited the Steens Mountain area, but it's a place I've visited from time to time since the early 1980s. When I used to live in La Grande, Oregon, way back in the day, working for the local newspaper there, we used to head down to the Steens Mountain-Malheur NWF area every spring to go birding, hiking, hot-springing and camping.

Nowadays, you also can bike the graveled Steens Mountain Loop Road (59 miles total distance), which climbs the north slope of Steens Mountain from Frenchglen and takes you to the very top of the mountain at nearly 10,000 feet and provides access to super-cool hiking or backpacking trips in a variety of canyons.

You also could bring your road bike and cruise around the Malheur NWF on paved roads or ride from Frenchglen to Burns or vice-versa, if you're so inclined. Since I'm training for the Lyle Pearson 200 in late May, I decided to crank out the 60-mile route from Frenchglen to Burns, and really enjoyed it -- mainly because I didn't have a bad headwind. : - )

Camping - Page Springs Campground is a beautiful spot in the springtime near Frenchglen, Oregon. I was expecting to camp there for our trip, but then they opened the Steens Mountain Loop Road before we arrived, so we were able to find a cool meadow to camp in near the loop road about six miles from Frenchglen. We brought all the stuff we needed for self-support car camping. There's also cool digs at Fish Lake Campground and Jackman Park (higher-elevation sites).

Steens Mountain Loop Road 

The Frenchglen Hotel has a limited number of rooms, if you'd prefer to stay in a cozy bed. Make your reservations well in advance. The hotel is popular with birders and fills up quickly.

Birding - Wendy is an expert birder -- in case you didn't know. She identified 72 species in the three days we visited last week. Because of the drought that has gripped Southeast Oregon for several years in a row, Malheur Lake was VERY LOW, so the birding was not nearly as good as it could have been. Malheur NWR was established in 1908 as an important venue for nesting and migratory birds. You can thank Teddy Roosevelt for preserving the area. At this time of year, there were a number of shorebirds frequenting the area, a diversity of ducks, sandhill cranes, great blue herons, songbirds and much more. The refuge reportedly supports between 5 and 66 percent of the migratory waterfowl species in the Pacific Flyway. One of Wendy's favorite sightings last weekend was the American avocet. If you go, I'd recommend visiting the Malheur NWR headquarters, about 30 miles south of Burns, and see what refuge officials recommend as to the best locations to observe birds. It's hard to know when the lake has receded so far below its full level.

Hiking - There's a nice trail that follows the Blitzen River for about four miles (one-way) from Page Springs Campground. That's an easily accessible trail close to Frenchglen. It is a fairly rocky trail, and as of last weekend, people were seeing rattlesnakes along the way. I decided to skip the trail so my dog Huck didn't get zapped. Farther up on Steens Mountain, there are multiple hikes to consider. See the Less Traveled Northwest web site to see specific hiking recommendations ... many of them are short trails that start and finish on the Steens Mountain Loop road.

Biking the Steens Mountain Loop Road - The gravel road grinder-type rides are getting more and more popular these days, and the Steens Mountain Loop road is a well-compacted gravel road for almost 60 miles with lots of elevation gain from Page Springs (4,500 feet) to the Steens Mountain summit (nearly 10,000 feet). I rode a portion of the loop road to the Fish Lake Campground with a cross-biker from Portland, and really enjoyed it. To do the full loop road route, I'd recommend riding it over several days and camping along the way with vehicle support or carrying bike-packing equipment.

Hot springs - Back in my La Grande days, we used to hit Alvord Hot Springs all the time on the Alvord Desert side (southeast side) of Steens Mountain. It's an old tin shack with a nice, hot, deep pool. Since those days, Alvord Hot Springs has been commercialized by the property owners to maintain order. The day fee is only $5. You can camp there, too, if you want. There's also a hot springs on Hart Mountain, about an hour from Frenchglen.

Pete French Round Barn

Roof construction 

Inside the Round Barn ... they kept the horses inside in stables, and then
worked on breaking them in the outer loop of the barn. 

Round Barn - Harney County cattle king Pete French built several large round barns with his men in the early days to break and train horses for use in his big ranching operation. One of the barns is still standing near Diamond, Oregon, north of Frenchglen, and it's quite the masterpiece of construction. Worth the visit, I thought.

- SS

Go play in the snow! Over a foot of *pow* forecast for McCall, Bogus, Idaho City

Go find your fresh *pow* this weekend. Should be lots of it! 

This is how things should look on the xc ski trails on Saturday, if there's any tracks at all ... 

Gold Fork Trail in new snow 

Hi all,

The weather forecasts for Bogus Basin, Brundage Mountain and Tamarack Resort are looking great for a nice coating of new snow Friday and Saturday in the Boise and West-Central Mountains. The forecasts call for more than 6-8" of new snow on Friday and more on Saturday, so get out there and enjoy the new *pow*!

If you go to Brundage, they've got the "Beer and Gear" event going on Saturday and Sunday, starting at noon each day. Think beer garden hosted by McCall craft breweries and the latest demo gear from McCall ski shops.

The forecast for Idaho City and Mores Creek Summit areas calls for a big dump this weekend, with 5-9 inches expected on Friday and another 5-9 inches expected Saturday night. Oh baby! It's going to be lots of powder fun for backcountry skiers, but perhaps deep snow and tough-going for snowshoers. The groomers are going to have a hard time keeping up!

There's supposed to be a fair bit of wind accompanying the storms, so backcountry skiers and snowshoers should carry basic safety gear (avalanche beacon, probe and shovel), and check the Payette Avalanche Center for the day's forecast before you go.

But it sounds like a perfect weekend to go play in the snow in the Idaho City Park n' Ski Areas, too.
I'd highly recommend the Gold Fork Loop for a xc ski or snowshoe outing. It's an intermediate trail, 5.3 miles in length. It's a moderate uphill climb to a low summit, and then it's downhill back to the parking area. The trail is well-signed, and it's well-groomed most of the time. Great for a first date-type of situation where you'd just like to go for an easy-going walk in the woods.

Michael Lanza's kids and friends scale the Skyline Trail. (Courtesy The  Big Outside)

Directly across Idaho 21, the Skyline Loop features a slightly steeper uphill climb on a wide surface. It's a 4-mile loop, topping out near the Skyline Yurt. It's also possible to explore some other trails nearby when you reach the Skyline summit, such as Ralph's Trail, Twister or Ridge.

Farther up Idaho 21, you also could try the Elkhorn Loop from the Banner Ridge Trailhead, or climb up to Stargaze Yurt from Beaver Creek Summit. The Elkhorn Loop is 7.3 miles, so it's longer and more challenging than the Gold Fork and Skyline loops. The loop is typically groomed for xc classic and skate skiing. The trail to Skyline is an ungroomed snowshoe/ski trail. It's 1.5 miles up to the yurt, and 1.5 miles back. There are several slopes that make for good backcountry skiing in the vicinity.

Top off your adventure with a nice soothing soak at the The Springs in Idaho City (call ahead for reservations or do it online) or go home via Lowman and stop at Kirkham Hot Springs or Skinny Dipper Hot Springs.

Enjoy the snow!
- SS

Explore the Lochsa Country in North-Central Idaho; it's plum full of cool things to do

So happy to be here!

Wendy and Elena on the Warm Springs pack bridge

A few huge tamaracks grew among the giant western red cedars

Big trees and ferns

Warm Springs Creek

Life is good!

Hi all,

A quick drive to Missoula, Mont., last weekend reminded me how much I miss the Lochsa River Country in north-central Idaho. To be totally honest, I feel a huge tug in my heart when I go there -- a feeling that comes from many wonderful trips in which I felt absolutely awe-struck by the beauty, power and majesty of the Lochsa region.

As a University of Montana student many moons ago, I frequently went backpacking in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness, often via Elk Summit or other trailheads along the Lochsa River. I used to visit Jerry Johnson Hot Springs in all seasons -- at all hours of the day or night -- and even went winter camping and backcountry skiing in the vast mountains around Lolo Pass.

Later, I went whitewater rafting on the Lochsa and the Selway rivers, traced the Lewis & Clark Trail by mountain bike, went canoeing on the lower Selway, and survived an epic mountain bike loop featuring more than 5,000 feet of climbing in the high mountains above Lowell for my book Mountain Biking Idaho.

So for this week's tip, I'm going to share a few suggestions for recreation outings in the Lochsa Country. It's all in the spirit of the Idaho stay-cation, where you can enjoy an inexpensive trip relatively close to home over a long weekend and explore some hidden parts of Idaho that perhaps you've never seen before ...

How to get there: Take Idaho 55 north to U.S. 95 in New Meadows. Follow U.S. 95 to Kooskia on the Clearwater River. Turn right and take U.S. 12 east to Lowell, where all of the fun begins! It's about 4-5 hours of drive time to the Lochsa.

Here are some cool trips to try:

• Canoe the lower Selway River. The whitewater season is over on the Lochsa River, and all but the die-hards are done on the Selway. But low water means a smooth non-threatening trip on the lower Selway River. The cobalt blue water coming out of the wilderness is crystal clear and pure, so you see fish swimming below, and of course, if you're into fishing, you can fish along the way! Go upriver on the Selway River Road from Lowell. Launch the canoe at 23-mile Bar campground and float 12 miles to Lowell and take out at the bridge. The Class 1 to Class 2 rapids on this section make it ideal for inflatable kayaks and small rafts as well.
• Mountain Bike the Lewis & Clark Trail. Go east on U.S. 12 to Powell Junction, and take Forest Road 569 to Pappoose Saddle (elev. 5,680). Park there, and ride FR 500, the "Lolo Motorway," to the west and trace the route that the Lewis & Clark Corps of Discovery took over the mountains to reach the Pacific Ocean in the early 1800s. There are interpretive signs along the way that explain various tidbits of history regarding Lewis & Clark and also the Nez Perce Tribe. You should map out what part of the trail you want to experience before you go. I did a three-day, 75-mile trip on the Lolo Motorway with vehicle support, and it was a blast! Lots of up-and-down riding on a single-lane rocky dirt road. If you don't have multiple days, drive to a point where you can ride to landmarks like "Sherman Peak," "the Smoking Place" and "Indian Post Office." You'll need a hardy 4WD rig to drive the 500 Road. Guided hiking and biking adventures are available through Lewis & Clark Trail Adventures. This ride was listed by Outside mag as one of the Top 25 trips of a lifetime.
• Hike Warm Springs Trail to Jerry Johnson Hot Springs. Watch for a big cable-and-wood pack bridge on U.S. 12 that leads to the Warm Springs Creek Trail. Cross the bridge and hike up trail to the hot springs. It's a little over 1 mile to the springs. Easy hike. Huge western red cedar trees greet you alongside the trail. I used to walk into the springs barefoot at night during a full moon. Too cool! Clothing is optional at the springs. The Forest Service closes the springs at 10 p.m. at night. Not sure how they enforce that. Warm Springs Trail is also great for a longer hike and backpacking. The trail enters the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness and goes for many miles into the interior.
• Try conquering the Coolwater Ridge Epic Jungle Ride. Ride mileage is 25 miles, but it's a demanding full-day ride. Starting from Lowell, climb the Coolwater Ridge Road #317 more than 5,400 vertical feet to Coolwater Lookout, follow a high ridge overlooking the Selway River country, and then descend more than 5,000 feet through jungle brush on the East Boyd Trail (singletrack with rock water bars) to the Selway River Road. Then grind back on the road to Lowell. (I arranged a partial shuttle). It's a 6- to 8-hour ride. The ride is detailed in my book Mountain Biking Idaho.
• Stay at Wilderness Gateway Campground. Wilderness Gateway is a high-quality developed campground right next to the Lochsa River. Across the river is the Lochsa Historic Ranger Station. There's a hiking trail that goes to the west from the ranger station and travels above the river corridor. Thimbleberry plants will tower over your head. Side activities include fly fishing on the Lochsa or other streams that feed into the Lochsa near the campground.

More lodging ideas. If you'd like to get a room, the Western Motor Inn in Kooskia, River Dance Lodge, run by River Odysseys West, one of the best oufitters in Idaho, and the Lochsa Lodge in Powell are your best options. Because lodging is so scarce in the area, be sure to call ahead for reservations. ROW has guided trips available in the vicinity.

Have fun!

- SS

Steve shares his weekly outdoor tips with Ken and Tim on 94.9 FM The River each Friday morning at approximately 7:10 a.m. If you miss the program, you can hear the segments on River Interactive.com. Detailed descriptions and color maps of Steve's hikes, bike rides and paddling trips are available for 99 cents each atwww.stevestuebner.com, plus the full ebooks and hard-copy guidebooks.