We've been blessed with gorgeous fall weather recently, and my main outdoor tip this week is to get out and ENJOY IT NOW!
The weather is making a sharp turn next week toward colder and potentially winter-like conditions in the mountains. So this weekend is the time to capitalize on an outdoor outing, whatever works for you!
I rode the Payette Rim Trail loop this afternoon in McCall to soak in the colors and enjoy a ride that always gets my heart, lungs and legs pumping! The aspen trees and the tammies are turning golden simultaneously right now, so that's a pretty sight to see in the fall low-angle sunlight.
Tammies glowing everywhere!
After climbing for the first half of the ride, you drop into a singletrack trail that winds along through a series of flattish tree-lined benches above Payette Lake. Today, the sun had warmed from 38 degrees F in the morning to 70 or 75 at that moment. Pure blue sky above the Payette Crest Mountains and a mirror of that cobalt blue sparkled below on Payette Lake and Little Payette Lake.
As I descended on the rocky, snaky singletrack, the tammies and aspens were most brilliant approaching Bear Basin. Those colors should hold through the weekend.
There's the moose.
I jumped a bull moose on my ride today! That was a charge! A big black moose, but only a 2-year-old or so, didn't have a big rack. I flushed it out of the woods as I came down the trail. It ran across the trail and doubled-back to look at me like critters often do. We stared at each other for a few minutes and then he wandered off. Glad I didn't run into momma and her calf!
Fetching views of Payette Lake from the trail.
All of the hiking and mountain bike trails in the greater McCall area would be a great call this weekend, as would be the Ridge to Rivers Trails in the Boise Foothills, Wilson Creek in the Owyhees, the Sawtooths in Stanley or the Wood River Trails in Ketchum.
You will encounter rocky features on the Rim Trail.
A few Outdoor notes:
Chemical treatment to eradicate quagga mussels on the Snake River in Twin Falls has run its course, and now the Idaho State Department of Agriculture and partner agencies will be closely monitoring and testing the water to see if they eradicated the mussels. Some portions of the Snake River below Auger Falls have re-opened. See the ISDA quagga page for the latest information.
The McCall ski swap is this weekend Oct. 20-21 at the Payette Lakes Middle School.
Boise Ski Swap is on Nov. 3-4 at the Expo Center at the Western Idaho Fairgrounds.
Drew Stuebner on a hike with Dad to Bridal Veil Falls in the Sawtooths.
Hi all,
Labor Day weekend is upon us! It's the typical last hurrah of the camping season, so I'm dishing up some last-minute tips for the three-day weekend, as always.
Now, on to the camping tips and other Labor Day ideas ... mountain weather BTW looks a bit topsy-turvy Saturday-Monday with a good chance of thundershowers and high temps in the 60s. So make sure you've got a good rain tarp and dress warm!
Recommended camping options:
Trinity Mountains - Go camping, day-hiking or backpacking in the Trinities. I recommend driving there via Featherville. Head for Big Trinity Lake, the trailhead and general dispersed camping area. It's definitely worth backpacking into the high mountain lakes to get away from the car-campers and enjoy some good fishing!
Cascade area - Stolle Meadows and Landmark are my favorite camping areas in this neck of the woods. There are tons of primitive car-camping spots in both locations, east of Cascade, off the Warm Lake Highway. I've heard there may be some construction on the South Fork Salmon River Road? Plus, there are hot springs in the vicinity.
Lick Creek area in the Payette National Forest
McCall area - Camping, hiking and backpacking in the Lick Creek area NE of McCall should be fabulous. Some of the nice mountain lakes up there include Box, Snowslide, Duck, Hum, Enos and Thirty-three lakes. Pick up a Payette National Forest map or a McCall Adventure Map to get the details for access. Also, check my blog from earlier this summer on five easy-to-access kid-friendly mountain lakes in the McCall area.
Stanley Lake beach
Stanley area - I'm sure the Stanley area will be hopping with lots of campers at Stanley Lake, Redfish Lake, Pettit Lake and points along the Salmon River.
North and Middle Forks of the Boise River ... car-camping mecca
Idaho City area - The North and Middle Forks of the Boise River work great for car camping. See my post from last week.
Salmon River beaches - Upstream from Riggins along the Salmon River Road are many sweet spots for camping, hanging out and swimming.
Salmon River beaches are the best in bare feet! Courtesy Winding Rivers Rafting
If you've got a suitable 4x4, truck camping in hard-to-reach places can be gratifying!
Hi all,
The 4th of July long weekend is coming up! Many people have already made plans, but in case you haven't and need some inspiration, I am recommending 10 must-see, must-do activities not only for this weekend, but for the whole summer season:
1. Float a river (day trip) - we're blessed with so many options here, but the summer season is now open on the Boise River! See details about floating the Boise River, renting a raft, etc. Warm summer weather also gets people jazzed about floating the Payette River, either the Main Payette, South Fork Payette or Cabarton run on the North Fork. Check with Cascade Raft & Kayak, Bear Valley Rafting, Idaho Whitewater Unlimited and the Payette River Company about guided trips. The Payette's calmer sections are great for stand-up paddle boarding (SUP), sit-on-top kayaking and canoeing. See my post about 10 premium locations to go kayaking or SUP'ing in SW Idaho.
Float a river! This is on the Cabarton stretch of the Payette River.
2. Climb a mountain - The pinnacle is to climb Mount Borah, but there are so many other options in Idaho, with dozens of peaks over 10,000 feet and 8 peaks over 12,000 feet. See Idaho mountain expert Tom Lopez's list of recommended mountain peaks. McCall mountain expert John Platt also has an extensive list of peaks and mountains that he's climbed.
4. Take your kids fishing - See the list of Idaho Fish and Game's Family Fishing Waters to find some great recommendations close to home.
5. Go backpacking in the Sawtooths, White Clouds, Pioneers or Big Lost Mountain Range. Snow levels are at roughly 7,500-8,000 feet in the Sawtooths, creek crossings are high and hazardous, See Michael Lanza's recommended hikes in the Sawtooths in his blog, the Big Outside. See a recommended major loop in the White Clouds in Backpacker mag. For a great hike in the Pioneers, see my blog post about hiking Broad Canyon. For the Big Lost range, see this overview in Summit Post.com.
6. Sleep under the stars in a dark sky venue like Bear Valley in the Boise National Forest, the Owyhee Canyonlands or outside of Stanley.
Catch a trout on the Middle Fork Salmon River.
7. Fly into the Middle Fork of the Salmon River and go fly-fishing for native cutthroat trout. Air taxi services in Boise, Cascade or McCall can take you into the Middle Fork in less than an hour. All fishing is catch and release.
Climbing up a short hill to finish the Fisher-Williams Loop (courtesy Salsa cycles)
9. Go SUP'ing, boating or swimming in a refreshing, natural Idaho mountain lake like Payette Lake, Redfish Lake, or Priest Lake. See my post on 10 perfect paddling destinations for kayaking and SUPs in SW Idaho for ideas.
10. Go car camping in the Middle Fork Boise River area, North Fork Boise River area, the Middle Fork of the Payette River area or Bear Valley. There are some reservable fee campgrounds and some dispersed camping areas. See the Boise National Forest, Payette National Forest or Sawtooth National Forest web sites for more information.
For further enrichment on Idaho bucket list trips, see an Idaho bucket list post from Boise State radio, and a post that I did listing another 30 bucket list trips that they didn't cover.
Remember: Be smart about Fire Safety this weekend ... we put out a post yesterday from Recreate Responsibly Idaho reminding folks that no fireworks are allowed on public lands, no exploding shooting targets, and be sure to put out your campfire before you leave the site ... make sure it is completed out, cold to the touch. - SS
Hi all - We all know it's getting hot ... really HOT for June in SW Idaho, and it's going to get even hotter next week ... up to 107 by next week.
What the heck is going on? It's already been a dry spring ... the last thing we need is a major heat wave before July, when you know it's going to be hot in the low-elevation valleys of Idaho!
I checked with the National Weather Service experts in Boise. A High Pressure system camped off the Pacific Coast, plus a Low Pressure system off the tip of the Alleutian Islands, are creating a dynamic where the jet stream is moving way north into Canada, and hot air from the Desert Southwest to moving north into the Pacific Northwest, where it may break all temperature records next week!
In short, we're getting the weather that Vegas and Phoenix typically get.
The model run pictured above shows the extreme heat in orange and reddish-orange, and you can see how the heat blob is centered right over Idaho ... Damn! This system may persist beyond next week ... so make plans accordingly!
Please be careful during the heat wave, stay hydrated and find places to keep cool however you can! If you go outside, be sure to wear a hat, sun screen, etc., bring plenty of water, and set up a sun shade to stay out of the direct sun.
Here are a couple of my recent beat-the-heat posts that might be helpful:
Topic #2 this week: Remember the old Smokey the Bear saying, "Only you can prevent forest fires" ?
Well, this year, that saying is especially true.
It's already a given that we're in for a long, hot summer. We're in it now!
But perhaps you didn't know that 80% of all the wildfires we have in Idaho each year are caused by humans. Some of them turn into mega fires ... like the guy who was shooting at exploding targets and started the Sharps Fire over by Bellevue a couple of years ago, which burned more than 65,000 acres ... or the guy who was setting off fireworks by Table Rock and started a fire over there. And on and on.
So just a wee bit of advice, if you need to have a campfire, be sure to put it DEAD OUT before you go to bed. And definitely before you leave the campsite. Last year, Boise National Forest fire prevention control employees found nearly 400 campfires that had been left burning after they left.
Here are some pics that the Boise National Forest shared with a social media post about campfires left burning. Be sure to fully extinguish your campfires when you're out camping ... and if it's hot, maybe skip building the fire altogether!
And remember, no fireworks are allowed on Forest Service or BLM lands.
Let's be smart and do what we can to prevent wildfires in Idaho. We've all been through smoke-filled summers, and it's no fun at all! Plus, the damage to property and natural resources is something that we must avoid!
Grand Targhee will be celebrating Global Fat Bike Day on Saturday with free 1-hour rentals. (Courtesy Grand Targhee)
Free demo day at Galena Lodge on Saturday. (Courtesy Galena Lodge)
Hi all,
My, it has been a DREARY week for those of us stuck in the valley! Wake up to freezing ground fog, and hope things burn off for a little sunshine in the afternoon. Pretty grim.
Hopefully, all of you have been doing your snow dancing, sending good vibes to the Snow God Ullr.
A solid storm system is headed our way Friday night-Sunday, which is expected to dump 4-6 inches in the mountains, hopefully even more! Here's my OpenSnow post with the details on weekend weather and ski area openings and re-openings this weekend.
It's note-worthy to mention that Sun Valley will be opening the Warm Springs side of Bald Mountain on Saturday with the Challenger lift, providing more than 3,000 thigh-burning verts top to bottom. Ditto with the River Run side of the mountain, Upper College and Lower College. Sun Valley is offering reduced lift ticket and lodging prices prior to the Christmas season. Be sure to take advantage of that!
Photo for #BarrelyanEvent snowboard event this year. (courtesy Bogus Basin) _
It's also pretty cool that Bogus Basin is providing top-to-bottom skiing with man-made snow on Chair #1 Deer Point, plus you have the Terrain Park, some Nordic ski trails are open and the tubing hill is open. There's a snowboard event happening on Saturday. Be sure to make advance reservations to go tubing. More terrain will open as we get more snow.
Tamarack and Brundage will be operating their beginner lifts this weekend, but that's all until we get more snow. Did I say we need more snow~!!!! Skiing/riding is free at Brundage BTW.
Cross-country skiers might want to travel to the Wood River Valley this weekend to ski some groomed trails around Galena Lodge and in the Wood River Trail System. Galena Lodge is hosting a demo day on Saturday to give you a chance to try out new skis, boots and pools for Free!
The Blaine County Winter Trailink provides a quick glimpse of what xc and snowshoeing trails are open so far. The Harriman Trail is apparently skiing really well, north of the Sawtooth NRA trailhead, and there are a number of trails open around Galena Lodge.
There isn't enough snow in McCall for xc ski grooming yet, so stay tuned on that.
Closer to Boise, watch the Ridge to Rivers Facebook page for the latest conditions. It's touch-and-go on most trails right now except on the all-weather trails, and if it rains this weekend in the valley (snow up high), the lower foothills trails will be muddy and gummy. Please stay off muddy trails.
Boot hiking? Family crew hiking Freddy's Stack Rock Trail over to Sweet Connie.
Book hiking is another possibility this weekend on the service road to Deer Point or perhaps the Eastside Trail or the new Freddy's Stack Rock trail above the snowline. We boot-hiked Freddy's on Thanksgiving Day. It had several inches of snow on a frozen surface ... perfect!
Road trip? In case you haven't heard, the skiing/riding in Utah is pretty darn good already! Wasatch Resorts are reporting summit bases in the 50-60 inch range. More snow is expected this weekend! The skiing/riding is decent at Grand Targhee, too, right now ... they're celebrating Global Snow Bike Day on Saturday, with 1-hour free rentals.
Winter Storm Warning predicts lots of snow at Brundage Mountain and Bogus Basin Friday and Saturday
My son Drew loves snowshoeing. Here he's enjoying a trail in Ponderosa State Park. See link to story below about where to go xc sking, snowshoeing and fat biking in the greater McCall area during the Winter Carnival.
XC ski trails at Bear Basin are well-groomed and extensive! Dogs are allowed!
Fat biking at Jug Mountain Ranch on a bluebird day
Hi all,
For those of you who still like snow, it appears that we're going to get slammed pretty hard tomorrow and this weekend in the mountains of SW Idaho and Central Idaho. The weather forecasts are predicting a Winter Storm Warning, with 3-7 inches at Bogus Basin tomorrow (Friday), 1-3 inches Friday night, and 2-4 inches on Saturday, for a total potential of 14+ inches, considering more is expected Saturday night and Sunday. Woo hoo for the powder hounds!
A similar scenario is supposed to play out in the West Central Mountains, benefiting Tamarack and Brundage Mountain, during the second weekend of the Winter Carnival. Brundage is actually predicted to get 3-7 inches Friday, 4-8 inches Friday night, 2-4 inches Saturday and 2-4 Saturday night, with more coming on Sunday. That adds up to more than 20 inches of snow Friday and Saturday! Oh baby!
Brundage is trying to entice women to head their way on Saturday with Diva Day, $30 lift tickets for women 18 and over (discounted from $64). They'll have a "snowga" session at 1:30 p.m., and Rebecca Scott will be playing in the afternoon after 2 p.m. in the bar. In downtown McCall, you can tour the world-class ice sculptures, enjoy live music, see fireworks Saturday night, and try to win a Polaris Ranger UTV via a raffle. Tickets cost only $10. Drawing is Saturday night. Someone has to win it! Why not you? See event schedule for more details.
There's still some lodging available in McCall and surrounding areas. Check ASAP with the McCall Chamber or InIdaho.com to inquire further.
Thanksgiving ski vacation in the Tetons? How can you go wrong?
Snow biking to Skyline Yurt last Saturday ... 0-4 inches of snow at that time.
Fat biking on the Boise Ridge Road (courtesy Aileen Frey)
Hi all,
If you're like me, and you get excited about the prospect of playing in the snow, this weekend looks like a perfect time to do it. The weather gods have been generous lately in providing a new coating of snow in the mountains of SW Idaho. This means you can head out to your favorite sledding spot, or go boot-hiking, xc skiing, fat biking or snowshoeing in the mountains.
None of Idaho's ski areas are opening quite yet, but Grand Targhee, located just over our eastern border in Alta, Wyoming, is opening on Friday (tomorrow)! Isn't that way cool! I wish I were heading over there right now. Targhee is reporting a 25-inch base with 50 inches of snowfall so far this year.
Check out Grand Targhee's lodging deals as we look ahead to Thanksgiving week. I saw a 4-day, $85 per night ski-and-stay package ... that's hard to beat! Sun Valley should be opening on Thanksgiving Day with natural and man-made snow. Watch their web site for pre-season deals.
Remember, it's early season so expect to get your equipment scratched up. Hint: Take the rock skis.
Closer to home, here are my top recommendations for playing in the snow:
Deer Point Service Road - Bogus Basin likes to keep its slopes clear of pre-season skiers/riders but a few miles before Bogus, you can park in a pull-out on the right, and boot-hike, snowshoe or xc ski on the Deer Point Service Road. This is the road that utility trucks take to the top of Deer Point to service cell and radio towers, etc. It climbs at a steady pace for 2 miles to the Bogus boundary, and then a right-hand turn takes you over to the Boise Ridge Road. Bogus is reporting a base of 15 inches, so there should be plenty of snow up there.
Mores Creek Summit - East of Idaho City, you can go snowshoeing or xc skiing on the road tracks to Sunset Mountain or Pilot Peak or points along the way. The Mores Creek Snowtel site shows a depth of 11 inches of snow as of Thursday evening. Might be a good weekend for a nice backcountry tour!
Idaho City Park n' Ski Areas - A little farther east of Idaho City, the snow depths in the Gold Fork area are ranging from 3-6 inches of snow as of Thursday night. Leo Hennessy reported 3 inches of new snow on Thursday. Should be good for boot-hiking, xc skiing, fat biking or snowshoeing with potential scratchy conditions! The trail to Stargaze Yurt should be great, too.
Big Creek Summit - East of Cascade on the way to Warm Lake. You can hit a hot springs on the way home!
Brundage Mountain - Brundage doesn't seem to mind backcountry skiers carving it up before the area opens. I've been seeing great Facebook pics of people skiing at Brundage in the last week with skis and skins. Brundage reported a foot of new snow at the base this week. Awesome! Snow depths are 16 inches at the base and 22 inches on top as of Thursday evening. Watch their web site for information on if/when they may open next week.
Wood River Valley xc trails - A few of the trails are open in the North Valley, particularly the Harriman Trail from Sawtooth SNRA to Galena Lodge and the Prairie Creek Loop. Those are some of my favorite skate skiing areas. See the Blaine County Recreation District grooming report.
Dress warm for camping this weekend ... and you'll be fine.
Middle Fork Boise River
The Morel picking has been hit and miss so far ...
Wind River pack bridge, trailhead for the Wind River Trail on the Salmon River
Rapid River Trail in Riggins is a dandy hiking and backpacking destination
Hi all,
It's expected to be fairly chilly this weekend, particularly in the mountains. But at least there isn't much rain in the forecast. Last year, Memorial Day was pretty soggy in the mountains, and that definitely puts a damper on things. But this year, it should be dry, with temperatures in the low 60s by the afternoon in the mountains, which is nice weather for hiking and biking. Just bring a few extra layers.
[Here is the audio from Steve's outdoor tips re: Memorial Day weekend on the the River Mornings show]
Roger Phillips from the Idaho Statesman Outdoors pulled together a nice summary of the camping, road and trail conditions in the Boise, Payette and Sawtooth national forests in today's paper. The upshot seems to be that trails, roads and campgrounds below 6,000-foot elevation are open for Memorial Day weekend activities, and sites above that elevation are more iffy or closed by snow. Bull Trout Lake is closed by snow, for example, and so are Deadwood Reservoir and the Trinity Mountains.
Here are some ideas for Memorial Day camping and outings:
Camping near Idaho Cityshould be great. Take the Rabbit Creek Road into the North Fork of the Boise River or the Middle Fork of the Boise River. There are tons of places to camp along both river corridors.
Camping near Stanley should be fine, too, just a little colder. Highs are forecast in the 60s in the afternoons but in the 20s at night. Campgrounds are open at the ever-popular Redfish Lake and vicinity. Can't beat the view!
The Edna Creek road is clear of snow and freshly graded, according to the Forest Service, if you'd like to head up to Atlanta and do some camping or hiking.
Morel mushrooms appear to be sprouting (I'm seeing pics of morels on my Facebook friends' pages ... people who live in Valley County), so it might be a good time to check areas that got burned last summer for morels. The Trinity Ridge fire area near Pine and Featherville comes to mind, so would the forest north of Stanley. Some forest roads are closed because of fire rehabilitation, but hopefully you can get into some of the burn areas on foot or bike to pick morels. David Olson from the Boise National Forest reports that as of June 1, no permits will be needed for commercial or private morel picking in the Trinity Ridge fire zone. Apparently so far, the morel crop is a dud. Hopefully, that'll change? Be aware that certain forest roads are closed in the vicinity to work on post-fire rehab.
The trails and roads in the Idaho City Park n' Ski Areas are snow-free and open to the public. The yurts are all rented for the weekend, according to the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, but you can find other spots for car-camping in the vicinity and go hiking and biking on Park n Ski trails.
Another cool spring camping location is along the Salmon River, upstream of Riggins. There are numerous HUGE white sandy beaches up there where you can set up a great camp, hang out by the river, do some floating on the Salmon and/or go hiking. The hike on the Wind River Trail via the Wind River Pack Bridge about 25 miles upstream of Riggins has a number of switchbacks as you climb higher and higher up the Salmon River canyon. The trail eventually leads into the Gospel Hump Wilderness, but you probably won't get that far. That'd be a great hike right now.
If you're in the Riggins area, the hike up Rapid River is a sweet one, too. The trailhead is about two miles south of Riggins. I just saw some beautiful photos from some folks who went backpacking in the Rapid River last weekend.
Camping in Lake Cascade State Park should be dandy as well. If you go to Cascade, the Crown Point Trail is a great family friendly hike or bike ride for all abilities and ages. It's about 3 miles one-way to a temporary dead-end, and 3 miles back. You also can go biking or hiking on the The Strand, a two-mile trail along the North Fork of the Payette River in Cascade. Very pretty spot, and it's next to Kelly's Whitewater Park.
There are a few ideas to chew on ... Have fun!
- SS
Eric Young and Eric Schneider take us and our gear to Lick Creek with their sleds
Typical powder field scene ... quite nice!
Hi all,
I felt like a lucky guy last weekend. It was one of those rare times when the combination of impeccable weather, luscious powder, great people, smooth logistics and fine backcountry accommodations all blended together into an awesome three-day trip near McCall, Idaho.
Après ski, sitting in the afternoon sunshine on the wooden deck of a fine yurt provided by Payette Powder Guides, and sipping on a beer, I felt my cheeks radiating the feeling of good times all around.
Three days previous, I was doing logistical backflips getting my kids situated at my moms for the weekend, finding a baby sitter for our new puppy, and getting all of my business affairs squared away so I could leave town. Now I can say it was all well-worth the hassle.
We had a nice party of 7 for the trip. My friend Marianne Nelson, with whom I backcountry ski and mountain bike with a fair bit, was our trip leader. Her son, Tim, a 20-something hard-bodied ski-flier, came along with us. A recent hire at Hewlett Packard, Tim had met Eric Schneider, an HP engineer who happens to be an avid backcountry skier and an experienced hand with the whole snowmobile-supported backcountry skiing routine. Eric has a partner in crime, another HP engineer named Eric Young, who has two snowmobiles and not only rips it up on skis, but also climbs with a splitboard and snowboards for variety.
So we had a great crew, and with the participation of the two Erics, we avoided paying $160/person for a snowcat or snowmobile ride 11 miles from McCall to Lick Creek summit. Instead, we loaded our packs and food into snowmobile sleds, and rode on the snowmobiles (well, three of us got towed) up the hill. And paid the Erics gas money. Lucky!
It took us less than an hour to reach Lick Creek Summit. Once on top, the scene is truly magnificent. Big mountain peaks surround the summit area, and you can see beautiful ski slopes for miles in every direction. So then it's a question of hummm, where to go first?
The Erics took us over to Hum Lake the first afternoon. We skinned up to the Hum Lake saddle, and then to the peak above. From the bottom, the climb involved 1,800 vertical feet of zig-zagging up the mountain in full sun. We all had to strip down to minimum layers to avoid sweating buckets. Just a gorgeous afternoon. The southwest slope skied beautifully, being near 8,000 feet, the snow was plenty cold and nice and fluffy. Wendy and I did two runs there.
Part of the group skied into Hum Lake on a northeast slope, and they said it was like skiing super-light sugar.
The snow was fantastic everywhere in all three days of our trip. Marianne Nelson was whooping it up while carving perfect signatures in the snow, and her cheeks were positively glowing in the yurt in the evenings. "I thought it was the best backcountry ski trip ever," she says. "It was my Canada."
Marianne hasn't been backcountry skiing in Canada yet, but I have, and I would say that the skiing terrain around the Lick Creek area is positively world-class. If you skied with Payette Powder Guides or other people who know the area well, they could take you out for a week and never cross your tracks twice.
PPG has two yurts at the summit -- a primary yurt with all of the kitchen and cooking stuff in it, plus enough bunks to sleep 6 or more. The second yurt is a sleeping yurt, also capable of sleeping at least 6. PPG says groups of 10-12 are probably as large as you want to get. So we had plenty of extra elbow room with a smaller group of 7. The cost to stay in the yurts is $40/person/night, 6-person minimum on weekends. Very reasonable! Here are PPG's prices for guide service and snowmobile support, etc.
The yurt set up at Lick Creek is pretty similar to all the yurts in SW Idaho (meaning deluxe), but PPG also has a first-class sauna. And that's a bonus! It really makes it nice to do a sauna after dinner or after the ski day and clean out the pores. You don't need a suit, but remember to bring a towel! I had to use a long-sleeved T-shirt. Guys will be guys.
Plus ... PPG has an outside propane BBQ grill. We brought salmon fillets for one night, and flank steak (marinated for 4 days ... thanks Marianne!), which were cooked to perfection by Eric Young.
To set expectations appropriately, skiing in the Payette National Forest around Lick Creek seems like you're in the wilderness, similar to being in the Sawtooths. But the area is managed as a multiple use area -- that's why we're able to snowmobile into the yurt. The country to the north of Lick Creek Road is open to backcountry snowmobiling, so you may hear sleds out there high-marking in the high peaks while you're skiing. There are a bunch of very-skilled riders from McCall. Once you're away from the road, however, and skiing behind the yurt, you can't hear a thing.
If skiing/riding in the Lick Creek area sounds appealing, PPG has a couple openings on a guided trip coming right up over President's Day weekend in the Feb. 17-20 time frame, and they've got some spots available on a guided trip March 16-18, and there's a private yurt rental opportunity on March 24-25.
Check with PPG for details. You can reach co-owners Marty Rood at 208-634-3189 or Chuck Rea at 208-634-4263.
I took an Avalanche Level 1 class from Marty and Chuck a number of years ago, plus I worked with them at Tamarack Resort. They're both extremely competent backcountry skiers and avalanche safety experts, but most of all, they know how to find great snow and big fun!
Some SUPs are set up for paddle-boarding and sea kayaking
Jo Cassin and Jefe Bates give us the skinny on how to get started ...
Hi all,
I've been seeing quite a bit of information about a new recreational toy called a Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) in the last year, so I thought I would give one a test drive.
I took a class on Tuesday night, and the class was full -- that seems to indicate how popular this new sport is becoming. Idaho River Sports is offering lessons upon demand during the day Monday through Saturday, and evening sessions on Tuesdays and Fridays. Alpenglow Mountainsport also is offering lessons upon request with a SUP board rental.
Interest has just "exploded" in the sport of SUP in the last year, local paddling experts say.
"Number one, it's easy ... most people can do it," says Jefe Bates of Glide Paddleboards. "Eventually, the paddleboard is going to replace the canoe."
People also are drawn to the sport because of its potential sex appeal. Guys like being the surfer dude and showing off their beach bodies, and it's a sport where women can wear a hot bathing suit and show off as well. Bates said some people even teach yoga on SUPs.
Me? I just wanted to try it out and see what all of the fuss is about. Bates and IRS co-owner Jo Cassin walked us through the basics on dry land, and then we all got into the water at Quinn's Pond, kneeled on the boards, and nervously paddled out into the deep water, where we would all try to stand up and paddle.
I felt very stable on the board in the kneeling position, but quite unstable initially as I stood up, legs wobbling, trying to hold my balance and stand on both feet. I noticed that my other class-mates stood up and were paddling in a matter of 5 minutes or less. I managed to survive standing up, but my legs quivered for at least 10 minutes until I adjusted my feet to put one foot in back, and the other in front a bit, standing in the middle of the board. Finally, I felt a little more relaxed.
I have bad memories of trying to learn how to board-sail many years ago, when I spent hours upon hours trying to get started in a weak wind, only to fall over and try to climb on the board again. I was hoping that wouldn't happen to me doing the SUP thing, and fortunately, it didn't.
The paddle strokes came easy to me because I know how to canoe and kayak, so I know a J-stroke, sweep stroke and brace. The brace came in handy a couple of times when I almost lost my balance. That was nice.
A friend of mine told me he likes to paddle-board for balance and body core exercise. After trying it out, I can see how the balancing act works your core. After learning to balance a bit better, I felt the main appeal was relaxation while getting a low-key workout. I did get hot after a while, and had to drop into the water to cool off. One of my class-mates thought the flat-water was too boring ... she wanted to surf some waves! See what you think!
The board I used is a 12-foot soft top fiberglass board made by Surftech. It retails for $1,199. IRS also carries boards made by Doyle and NRS. Most of the boards were in the $1,000 price range. You can always rent and save money that way. I'm sure after a few years, the price may come down, or used SUP's will become available. The paddles are long -- they're supposed to be 6-10 inches taller than your head.
SUP's are very popular in the ocean for surfing. Check out this video on ocean surfing with SUPs. Bates has been focusing on running whitewater on the Payette River with a SUP, so that's a different twist! He says he has run the Main Payette, and is working his way up to running Staircase and Slalom on the South Fork Payette.
For most of us, still-water paddling venues will hold the most appeal. Besides Quinn's Pond off of Pleasanton in Northwest Boise, you also might try the Boise River next to Discovery Park, Redfish Lake, Lake Lowell, Lake Cascade, Payette Lake, the "Meanders" on the north end of Payette Lake, slow sections of the Payette River south of Cascade or by Smith's Ferry, C.J. Strike Reservoir, Swan Falls Reservoir (watch out for wind), or other bodies of water that you like to visit.
Check in with these local SUP dealers to learn more:
Read all about Steve's outdoor trips in Idaho, including hiking, mountain biking, backpacking, camping, trail-running, whitewater boating, canoeing, SUP’ing, skiing and snowshoeing.
I love being outdoors and hanging out in the mountains. It's my favorite place to be. I love to explore new places and experience different outposts in the Idaho backcountry.
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