Explore the Middle Fork Payette River area for floating, hiking and camping

The Middle Fork Payette River, oil painting by Venture Coy www.venturecoyfineart.com

Trip map for Tie Creek float on the Middle Fork.

Map for One Spoon Trail #043 (click to enlarge).

Steve along the One Spoon Trail. We hiked it during deer season ... hence, the blaze orange vest.

Hi all,

The rivers are cranking with high water in most corners of Idaho, a lot of campgrounds are snowed in, and many mountain hiking destinations are covered with snow as well. But in the Middle Fork of the Payette River area, near Crouch and Garden Valley, about an hour north of Boise, you can find an easy-going paddling trip, and go hiking and camping in areas that are clear of snow. It'd be a good bet for this weekend.

Paddling the Middle Fork of the Payette River is a fun trip for those folks who are looking for a lower-key experience in canoes, inflatable kayaks or smaller rafts. It's an 8-mile reach that starts at Tie Creek Campground, about nine miles north of Crouch, and flows by a number of funky cabins on the river bank, with forested mountains in the distance. It takes about 2-3 hours to do the float. Take your time and enjoy the trip.

There are no dangerous rapids on the Tie Creek section of the Middle Fork ... but the current is swift, the river is narrow and the eddy lines are pretty strong. So be sure to dress warm and wear protective river gear, including life jackets, in case you tip over. If you know how to navigate your boat and have a good brace with your paddle, you should be fine.

"We've had a lot of people come into the store who floated that section, and nobody said they had any trouble," said Stan Colby, co-owner of Idaho River Sports. Be sure to visit IRS if you need to rent a canoe, IK or raft for the float trip.

Plant a shuttle vehicle in Crouch at the take-out before you go, or have friends pick you up. There is a detailed description and map about this day trip in my guidebook, Paddling the Payette, a guide to 24 day trips on the Payette River. See the trip map above.

A cool off-beat hike to explore very close by is the One Spoon Trail in the Boise National Forest. I discovered this trail as part of my research for the Boise Trail Guide: 75 Hiking and Running Routes Close to Home. I named it "One Spoon Steepness," because it's a steep climb on an open ridge cloaked with old-growth ponderosa pine trees.

It's 5.8 miles up and back, but don't let the mileage deceive you. It's a 2,600-foot vertical climb to reach the top of the ridge overlooking the Middle Fork of the Payette River, and that's the bonus of doing the hike. Great views in all directions, and a great workout in a short amount of time. I did the hike in less than three hours up and back with friend Mark Anderson. Pack a lunch for the summit.

The One Spoon Trail (#043) is about a mile north of Tie Creek Campground, on the left side of the canyon as you're traveling north. Watch for Forest Road 698L3. Go slow when you're driving on the Middle Fork Road because the turn is easy to miss.

If you've got the time, you might as well bring your camping gear and hang out in the Middle Fork area. There are numerous car-camping spots along the Middle Fork ... some are developed campgrounds with water and fire pits, etc., and some are less developed. You also could stay at a bed & breakfast or the Garden Valley Hotel. See the Garden Valley Chamber of Commerce web site for more information on lodging.

The other thing to consider when you're in Crouch is to visit the Longhorn Restaurant & Saloon. I love their burgers. The Longhorn has 16 different beers on tap. You also could play a round of scenic golf at the Terrace Lakes Resort, or eat dinner at Terrace Lakes. The food is good and prices are reasonable. Other activities in the area include numerous hot springs, both primitive and developed.

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 at www.stevestuebner.com, plus the full ebooks and hard-copy guidebooks.

Hulls Gulch National Recreation Trail is a sweet treasure close to Boise

Upper Hulls Gulch ... the trail is at the bottom of the draw

Watch for wildlife along the way

Main trailhead 3 miles up 8th Street

Hi all,

Lower Hulls Gulch is probably the most popular trail in the Boise Foothills, a place where people go hiking, biking, jogging, dog-walking, bird-watching, you name it.

But 3 miles up the hill is the best part of the Hulls Gulch, and you'll rarely see anyone up there. It's called the Hulls Gulch National Recreation Trail, and it's also known as the Hulls Gulch Interpretive Trail because of the educational signs about geology and nature that you'll see along the way. It's great for kids and families, and really, just about anyone.

The BLM developed the trail many years ago, and it was closed to mountain biking in the late 1980s to set a QUIET tone for the upper watershed, where hikers, runners and school kids can tour the area without fear of confronting speeding cyclists.

There are three ways to experience the trail, all with different mileage and experience:

1. Standard route - Drive 3 miles up North 8th Street after it turns to dirt and you'll come to a large parking area with rest rooms. This is the primary trailhead for the Hulls Gulch National Recreation Trail. It's a 6.5-mile hike to do the full tour of the trail to the upper watershed of Hulls Gulch, where the trail loops around the headwaters, passes by a waterfall (most impressive in the spring), and and returns to the trailhead. You should allow 2.5-3 hours for the trip (not including the drive). Mary Beth Anderson did a nice job detailing this route in her blog.

2. Upper Trailhead - Go past the main parking area and drive several more miles up 8th Street to the Upper Trailhead, which is well-marked. The road is rough with big holes and water dips. You'll need a high-clearance 4WD rig to make it up there. The upper loop is 2.5 miles to the tour the upper watershed. Here's a nice little description about that section from trailsandtread.com. This hike would take about an hour and a half.

3. Lower and Upper Hulls Gulch Trail - Strong runners and hikers will enjoy this approach, which I detailed in my guidebook, Boise Trail Guide: 75 Hiking and Running Routes Close to Home. It's 11.5 miles from the Hulls Gulch Trailhead by the Foothills Learning Center to the top of the Hulls Gulch National Recreation Trail and back. Hiking time would be about 5 hours; running time 2.5 hours.

While you're out on the trail, watch for wildlife, songbirds, hawks flying overhead and animal tracks. See if your kids can identify tracks and scat.

A fourth option would be to shuttle a vehicle if you have young children or seniors along who may not be able to climb very well. You could start at the Upper Trailhead and work your way downhill to the main trailhead. This trip would be about 3 miles downhill.

FYI - If you don't have Boise Trail Guide, you can download a detailed description and map of Hulls Gulch National Recreation Trail for 99 cents at www.stevestuebner.com.

Have fun!
- SS

Try bagging Hyndman Peak or Thompson Peak this fall for awesome summit views

Hyndman Peak (courtesy summitpost.org)

Looking back at Redfish from Thompson summit (courtesy summitpost.org)

Thompson Peak (courtesy summitpost.org)

Hi all,

September is upon us, and it's one of my favorite months of the year. The weather is cooler, and usually, high pressure prevails for clear blue skies -- creating ideal conditions for outdoor adventures.

Most people have made their Labor Day plans by now, so I'm suggesting that you try to carve out some time in September to climb 12,009-foot Hyndman Peak in the Pioneer Mountains or 10,751-foot Thompson Peak in the Sawtooth Wilderness.

Thompson is the highest peak in the Sawtooths, so it attracts a fair bit of attention, and Hyndman is the 9th highest peak in Idaho, and the highest point in the Pioneers. So you can count on fantastic views from either summit.

Details on climbing both mountains can be found in Tom Lopez's guide, Idaho: A Climber's Guide, available on amazon.com. There also are excellent detailed reports about climbing both mountains on Idahosummits.com and summitpost.com.

An adventuresome friend of mine, Steve Townsley, took his two boys to the top of Hyndman Peak when they were 10 and 12. Steve says the rapid elevation gain involved in climbing to Hyndman was hard on the boys, giving them headaches and making them nauseous. If you're planning on taking kids, even most 12-year-olds would have a hard time climbing Hyndman. The kids -- and you -- need to be in good shape, and highly motivated to make it to the top.

It's a good idea to camp at the base of Cobb and Hyndman Peaks the day before, and acclimate to the elevation before heading to the summit. Hyndman is located in the East Fork of the Big Wood River drainage. You head up the East Fork, past Triumph, then go left on the jeep trail heading up Hyndman Creek to the trailhead. Follow directions on the Idaho Summits web site on approaching Hyndman Peak. There is a yurt platform in the trees at the base of the mountain peaks where it's ideal to camp.

Thompson Peak is best accessed from the Redfish Lake Trailhead near Redfish Lake, Stanley and Idaho Highway 75. It's 6.5 miles to the summit and 4,200 feet of elevation gain. Again, it's best to hike into the base area of the peak the day before heading for the summit to acclimate to the elevation and to give yourself some time to enjoy the spectacular scenery.

The key when heading to the summit of Thompson is to corkscrew in a counter-clockwise direction toward the west and south portions of the rocky peak so you don't get cliffed out. This is the best way to approach the summit for the easiest but still difficult walk-up route.

Enjoy! - SS

Backcountry 4WD roads provide great access to Central Idaho spectacular high country

Loon Creek, clean and pure

View looking down Loon Creek from our campsite

Grouse Creek open-pit gold mine ... never got very far

Black bear feeding on berries in the creek bottom

Near Loon Creek Summit. The General is on the left.

Small rainbow amid black sky

Crater Lake, just 1,500 verts downhill from Railroad Ridge

Wendy loved all of the flowers, as did I

I love my truck!

The road to Railroad Ridge was definitely a 4WD low-range type of road

My partner Wendy had knee surgery recently, so we decided to take a different approach to accessing the high mountains of Central Idaho -- we took the truck to the top.

Normally, we'd be backpacking into the high country at this time of year, but Wendy's physical therapist would have given her hell if she tried to put in 15+ miles on a rugged backcountry trail with a full-on backpack.

So we packed up my 1990 Ford F-150 4WD, which has traveled many super-gnarly rock-strewn roads in Owyhee County, and headed out for Railroad Ridge in the White Cloud Mountains. We also planned to drive a twisty single-lane 4WD road from Yankee Fork into the headwaters of Loon Creek, if we had time, over a three-day weekend.

Why go? We yearned to see mountain wildflowers at their peak, fly fish for trout, and camp in the high country, where it's nice and cool, even in August. Most of all, we needed to get out of town and get a change of scenery!

Idaho has a great roster of backcountry byways. Those routes typically include excellent access to food, lodging and services. More primitive trips like the two I'm going to describe here are just that, primitive. You're traveling into the backcountry where there are zero services. It's a pack-in, pack-out situation. We brought 10 gallons of water, our camp cook stuff, food, fishing stuff, tent and sleeping bags, etc.

Railroad Ridge. We left on a Thursday night after work, camped in a meadow near Stanley, and headed up to Railroad Ridge on the east slope of the White Clouds the next morning. It's such a long drive to the trailhead (4 hours) that it's great to do part of it the night before.

Getting there: Take Idaho 21 to Stanley, and Idaho 75 past Yankee Fork and Clayton to the turnoff for the East Fork of the Salmon River Road. Head up the paved East Fork Road about 10 miles to Big Boulder Road #667. Go right on #667 and proceed to the Livingston Mill. A Forest Service sign indicates the turnoff for the more primitive single-lane 4WD road to Railroad Ridge. You, no, the truck, must climb from 7,200 feet to elevation 10,600 feet, 3,400 feet of gain over just a few miles of steep road.

The 4WD road to Railroad Ridge is very narrow with almost zero pullouts. I just put it in 4WD low-range and cruised up the road at a slow speed, careful to not pop the tires on sharp rocks and slowly navigate big water dips and large boulders. It took us, no, the truck, less than an hour of climbing and we were cruising up the backbone of Railroad Ridge, which was absolutely smothered with multiple layers and colors of wildflowers. We hit it at the peak! Sweet!

Perched at 10,600 feet, it was so cool to look at eye level with 10,000-foot peaks in the Sawtooths to the west, and the Frank Church Wilderness to the north, while the higher Lost River Range and Lemhi Mountains lorded over the eastern side of the state.

I hiked down to Crater Lake to fly fish, just in time for a thunderstorm to hit and lightning bolts to land around the edges of the lake. We had a great evening watching a storm hammer the Lemhi's and the Borah Peak area, and then we pitched the tent because the storm ended up hitting us pretty squarely by 10ish. Our REI river tent fared pretty well on that windy ridge ... should have brought the NorthFace VE-25, but it was August!

It was clear as a bell the next morning. Wendy saw 40 head of elk on Railroad Ridge to the east, and spotted a lone mountain goat on a peak nearby. Very few birds were visible in the area except for a few red-tailed hawks.

Yankee Fork to Loon Creek: On Saturday morning, we noted the storm clouds gathering quickly in the White Clouds again, so we headed for the Loon Creek Trailhead, 25 miles from Bonanza, up the Yankee Fork Road.

Getting there: We were already in the 'hood. We took ID 75 to the Yankee Fork road, drove north on Yankee Fork to the dredge, turned left on the Jordan Creek-Loon Creek Road #172, and cruised over a tall summit to the Loon Creek trailhead, just past the Diamond D Ranch.

We got there in the early afternoon. I didn't waste any time getting my fly rod set up to fish the turquoise stream. Last time I was there, photographer Mark Lisk and I hammered the cutthroat trout with Dave's Hoppers in 90-degree heat. This time around, the fish were more choosy, but I still had some action.

There is a nice hot springs about 4 miles up the Loon Creek Trail, but Wendy couldn't quite hike that far (8+ miles round-trip), so we pulled over after a while and hung out at a deep pool, taking a swim every so often to cool off (after I was done fishing, of course).

If one were nuts about backcountry roads and could take the bumpy ride for hours on end, we could have driven to the top of Pinyon Peak (9,942 feet), a remote Forest Service fire lookout on the edge of the Frank Church Wilderness. That lookout is accessible from the Loon Creek Road or from the Beaver Creek road system, north of Cape Horn.

On our way back, we stopped at the top of Loon Creek Summit, and hiked out the shoulder of a mountain to the west and had a great view of the General, a big 10,000-foot peak, and the old Grouse Creek open-pit gold mine, not to mention all of the other mountains in Central Idaho.

We were a bit dizzy from all the twisty road by the time we got back to the paved Idaho 21, but we had covered a lot of country and taken lots of great photos. We figured the trip was good practice for when our knees or hips are worn out in our late 70s or 80s. :)
- SS

Easy paddling adventures near Boise

Deadwood Reservoir

Cascade to Cabarton ... nice views of West Mountain

Hi all,

In several presentations that I've given about paddling adventures in Idaho this summer, I've found that lots of folks are looking for easy, flat-water paddling experiences. No scary rapids, thank you very much. Just easy-going gentle conditions in a river or lake setting.

Fortunately, we have many flat-water paddling options to choose from close to Boise and the Treasure Valley. Plus, there also are several paddling groups and clubs that go out on regular outings.

Let's start out with a couple of group outings coming up soon:

On Tuesday, July 27, Denny Mooney from Alpenglow Mountain Sport (Hill and Bogus Basin Road) will lead an outing on the Boise River, a fun section from Glenwood Bridge to Eagle Road. They are meeting at D& B Supply at 5:30 p.m. For more information, call 331-2628.

The Idaho Canoe Club, which is affiliated with Idaho River Sports, is leading an overnight camping and paddling trip to Deadwood Reservoir on Aug. 7-8. Click here for details. Deadwood Reservoir is a scenic location in the Boise National Forest. The trip is detailed in my guide, Paddling the Payette. The reservoir is six miles across. There are multiple places to camp around the lake and hiking trails nearby. You can get there either from the Banks to Lowman Road or via Cascade and the Warm Lake Road.

Here are several other sweet options for flat-water paddling adventures; all are featured in Paddling the Payette:

• Cascade to Cabarton - 9 miles, 3-5 hours. Beautiful flat-water section of the North Fork of the Payette River. Moving water, but zero rapids. Good fishing. Launch your craft from the south bridge in Cascade on Idaho 55 and take-out at Cabarton Road boat launch (accessible via Cabarton Road).
• Garden Valley Scenic Tour - 6 miles, 1.5 - 2 hours. Beautiful slow-moving turquoise water on the South Fork of the Payette River. No rapids. Launch at Hot Springs Campground or Alder Creek Bridge and take-out at the Deer Creek boat ramp.
• Horseshoe Bend to Montour - 10 miles, 3-4 hours. This run is a little more sporting. Longer trip with a couple of Class 2 rapids below Horseshoe Bend. Launch at the south bridge in Horseshoe Bend. Take-out on Montour Road via ID 52. The main Payette River flows more swiftly than the North Fork in Cascade to Cabarton because the main river has more flow, but as the summer goes on, the hydro project in Horseshoe Bend diverts a fair bit of the river's flow for a few miles.

Be sure to pack a lunch and beverages in a small cooler, take your time and enjoy the float. The rivers are flowing at friendly levels now in mid-summer, so it's very user-friendly. All of the above trips are suitable for canoes, touring kayaks and inflatable kayaks.

-SS

ProHelmet promotes helmet safety in high-risk sports

Hi all,

This week's tip focuses on helmet safety. I am working together with a group of five dynamic women to launch a new group called ProHelmet. Our mission is to promote helmet safety for people who engage in high-risk sports such as bicycling, roller blading, horseback riding, skate boarding and skiing/snowboarding.

Our message is that we've only got one brain. That's all we've got for our whole life. One brain. Take care of it.

ProHelmet will be at the Wells Fargo Twilight Criterium on Saturday, giving away our logo stickers to everyone who takes the pledge to wear a helmet. Watch for us at the Team Exergy tent and watch for our banner: "You only get one brain. Always wear a helmet."

No one ever plans on having an accident when enjoying a favorite sport. It just happens in the blink of an eye. And suddenly, if you're not wearing a helmet, you could be knocked unconscious, suffer severe head injuries, or worse. Look at what happened to Poor Jimmy.

I must admit that I was a bit of a problem child :) I rode my bike everywhere, and I rode fast. A bit reckless, too. Occasionally, I hit a pot hole or a mailbox or a station wagon (all true!), and I suffered concussions in two of those instances. One time I was totally knocked out after flying over my handlebars from hitting a pot hole, and the next thing I knew, I was lying in bed with my family gathered around, wondering if I would wake up.

But they didn't have any helmets for kids in those days, so I just tried to be more careful.

Everything went smooth until I started mountain biking in the mid-80's. I rode with a ball cap on because, again, there were only those really goofy and ugly Bell helmets available in those days, and I didn't think I needed it. Then I rode down Bob's Trail, flipped over my handlebars and landed directly on the top of my head. It really hurt, and it knocked some sense into me. Plus, helmet technology and manufacturing was rapidly improving because of the skyrocketing growth of mountain biking. So I've used a bike helmet ever since.

ProHelmet was started by Dr. Jill Beck, a pediatric ear, nose and throat surgeon in Boise, Olympic gold-medalist Kristin Armstrong, Debora Kristensen, an attorney with Givens Pursley, Lynn Johnston, a community activist, and Susie Pouliot, CEO of the Idaho Medical Association. All of them are active women who engage in multiple sports and understand the need for stronger education about helmet safety.

Dr. Beck can tell you stories about seeing patients who fell off their bicycle in a parking lot and lost their hearing because of a head injury. If they had a helmet on, it would have been a scratch. Wouldn't those people like to turn back the clock?

Kristin is so passionate about the issue that she is making time for the ProHelmet cause in between having a portion of Bogus Basin named after her today, being inducted in the Idaho Hall of Fame tonight and signing autographs and leading a kids lap at the Twilight Criterium on Saturday.

Dave Beck, founder of the Idaho Velodrome and Cycle Park and cycling coach for the Boise Byrds, has been a vital supporter from the beginning. I am the group's part-time executive director.

It's an important cause. Each year, bike-related crashes kill approximately 800 people and injure 567,000 others in the United States. Although more people than ever are using bike helmets, only half of the more than 80 million bike riders wear them all the time; approximately 43 percent never use helmets. Wearing a bike helmet reduces the risk of serious head and brain injury by 85 percent. Source: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

ProHelmet is working on public education to start with. We gave away more than 200 helmets to a group of foster kids in SW Idaho in May. We co-sponsored an event with St. Luke's Children's Hospital called "Wear Your Helmet to Work Day." There are many other educational opportunities ahead.

For now, if you support the cause, go to www.prohelmet.org and take the pledge to wear a helmet. Or take the pledge Saturday night, and we'll give you a sticker.

Idaho has one of the lowest rates of helmet use in the nation. Let's see if we can turn that situation around and save our collective brain power for a lifetime of productive activity.

-SS

New edition of Mountain Biking in McCall is packed with great rides for everyone

Hidden Valley Trail, Brundage Mountain

Bluebird Express, Brundage Mountain

View from Osprey Point, Ponderosa State Park

Payette Rim Trail

View from Bear Pete Trail looking west

Hi all,

The all-new 3rd edition of Mountain Biking in McCall is hot off the press.

The book is jam-packed with 40-plus rides for all abilities, including 8 beginner (easy) rides, 18 intermediate rides and 15 advanced/expert rides. It retails for $12.95, the same cost as the previous editions. The book is available at all of the outdoor/bike/book shops in Cascade, Donnelly and McCall. Ditto in Boise. Pick up your copy now to research what rides you'll check out on your next trip to Cascade, Donnelly, McCall or New Meadows.

Right now, while there is still a ton of snow in the mountains surrounding McCall, the best rides are the North Valley Rail-Trail in McCall, the Weiser River Trail, Rapid River near Riggins, Hard Creek near New Meadows and Ponderosa Park in McCall. These are all lower-elevation rides that should be free of snow or you may encounter a few patches of snow.

Quite frankly, McCall is my favorite place to ride in the world. I've ridden mountain bikes in Hawaii, Switzerland, France, Moab, California, Colorado, Montana, Oregon, Idaho and many other places, and I just love to ride in McCall. Part of it is being able to ride in the deep woods, being able to ride to high mountain lakes without quantum miles of hike-a-bike, sweet singletracks, the challenge of many rocks and roots in some areas, and cool, shady cool forest conditions. And did I mention hot springs? The list goes on.

If you're from Boise, riding foothill trails is great training for McCall, but you'll find that the 90% of the trails around Boise are much smoother than they are in the Payette National Forest. You'll need to build endurance to handle steep uphill sections where you'll need to thread around rocks or yank upward on your handlebars to ride over a huge tree root or a series of roots. On trails like Loon Lake, East Fork of Lake Fork, Goose Creek, Bear Pete and even the Huckleberry Trail in Ponderosa State Park, you'll encounter "true mountain conditions" that require strong biking skills. That's part of the fun.

Here's a link to an article I wrote in this week's Boise Weekly about the Loon Lake Loop.

But it's not all gnarly. The 8 easy rides include the Crown Point Trail, a beautiful wide dirt trail that parallels Lake Cascade for six miles out and back, and the North Valley Rail-Trail, which Valley County Pathways just opened last weekend. It's 10 miles out and back, but a very easy 10 miles on a mostly flat surface. Having been involved with VC Pathways since the beginning (2003), it was particularly gratifying for me to open that trail.

Check out the Mountain Biking in McCall page on my web site and see if it's your cup of tea.

I might add that while you're in McCall, there is a host of great places to eat and many places to stay. Check out the McCall Chamber of Commerce web site for more information.

Have fun!

-- SS

Try the Lower Owyhee River - it's special

View from the top of the rim

Whistling Bird Rapids

Wendy had to bundle up on the river

Wendy Eklund warms her feet in a natural hot springs

Wendy Eklund enjoys the blond cliffs

The put-in at Rome, Oregon

Hi all,

At the last minute, we whipped together a small group of six people and two rafts to float the Lower Owyhee River last weekend. I saw a three-day window of 60-degree sunny weather, and we decided to go for it.

One of the big advantages of floating the Lower Owyhee is that you follow a paved road (U.S. 95) to the boat-launch site in Rome, Ore. To float the upper forks of the Owyhee, you have to drive for many miles on unimproved 4WD dirt roads that turn into major quicksand-like gumbo after lots of rain. So we had no worries about being able to reach the river last week, even though it had been wet.

We heard a ton of people were going to be floating the river from our shuttle driver, so we left Boise at 6 a.m. and made it to Rome by 8 a.m. We were blowing up our rafts when some of the people camping at the BLM launch site were just waking up and getting their coffee cranking.

We took three days to float 48 miles to the Birch Creek takeout, upstream of Owyhee Reservoir. At a flow of 3,000 cubic feet per second (cfs), clocking 15 miles a day wasn't too hard. It's far better to take 4 or 5 days for the trip, if you have the time. The river is comparatively wide at 3,000 cfs and most of the rocks are covered. So from a whitewater perspective, it's a pretty easy and mellow level.

The Lower Owyhee has mostly Class 2 rapids, with a few Class 3's and one Class 4, called Montgomery. As Class 4 rapids go, Montgomery is not that hard. You have to pull away from a left-side wall as the current races around a left-hand bend. It's a pretty straight-forward maneuver, compared to Class 4 rapids that require multiple maneuvers around rocks or holes.

We had four major highlights on our trip:

1. Birds of Prey were everywhere! Golden eagles, kestrels, northern harriers, prairie falcons and other hawks were flying around the cliffs, diving toward the water and nesting in the cliffs. Plus, we saw pairs of geese on virtually every corner, some with goslings, a few pairs of mergansers and some mallards.

2. Volcanic rock formations on the Lower Owyhee are spectacular. The types of rock spans from black lava similar to the Jordan Craters, to rhyolite red cliffs, basalt cliffs and many spires, hoodoos and other formations. It's fun to just stare in awe at these features and feel small.

3. Recent rainfall and good snowpack made the desert landscape the deepest shade of green imaginable. We thought we were there almost at the peak. It was just gorgeous in that regard, but very few flowers were popping ... we saw a few groups of yellow arrowleaf balsamroot.

4. Delicious ribs on night #2. My friend Doug Lawrence, who guides part-time on the Grand Canyon and on Idaho rivers, made this incredible dinner with pork ribs on the grill, red potatoes in the Dutch oven, and cole slaw ... in addition to some fine cabernet sauvignon. Oh baby!

On the second night, before dinner, I hiked to the top of the rim, on the nose of a ridge that passed by multiple rock formations without any trouble. And in 30 minutes, I was on top of the world. From that viewpoint, it's amazing how small you can feel, being a tiny little speck amid the giant Owyhee River Plateau.

All I can say is that it's good medicine. And you know, right at that moment, that you're extremely fortunate to experience it.

If you don't have your own raft or kayak, and you'd like to try the Lower Owyhee, please see my earlier post about planning an Owyhee River trip and select an outfitter to take you on the river.

- SS

Time to plan a river trip in the Owyhees

Bruneau River canyon

Lower Owyhee. Great campsites!

East Fork of the Owyhee River

Hi all,

April is upon us, and that means it's time to run desert rivers in SW Idaho and eastern Oregon.

I'm talking about the Owyhee River and the Bruneau River -- world-class river canyons that are only several hours from Boise. These are natural freeflowing rivers, so you need to time your trip with the best water flows, which can be anytime from now until late May or early June. It's also nice to time your trip with nice weather.

Here's some video of running the lower Owyhee.

Every year can be tricky because snowpack levels change rapidly during the tumultuous spring weather and runoff. Right now, however, with the resurgence of winter weather in the last few weeks, the Owyhee and Bruneau basins are in the 90 percent range.

No permits are required for either river (except for self-issue BLM permits), so you can just plan your dates and go. Watch the river-flow reports to check on the best flows. In general, the Owyhee is best for rafting and kayaking above 1,500 cfs at Rome, Ore. The Bruneau is best above 1,200 cfs at Bruneau Hot Springs.

For those of you who don't have your own rafting or kayaking equipment, consider going with one of many outfitters who run the Owyhee River. I'd also check on the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association web site for suggestions.

The outfitters who run the Owyhee that I'm familiar with include:

• River Odysseys West (ROW)
• Idaho Adventures
• Wapiti River Guides
• Far & Away Adventures
• Payette River Co.
• Wilderness River Outfitters

Every outfitter has their particular style of trip. Ask questions about what's important to you -- food, drink, side-hiking, interpretation, putting up your own tent or having them do it for you -- all of these things may be different with each outfitter.

If you're going on your own, pick up a good river map from the BLM office in Boise so you know how to get to the boat-launch site, what kinds of rapids to expect in various river reaches, where to find campsites, etc. River shuttle services can be found here.

The main thing is to get out and experience these stunningly beautiful river canyons right in our backyard. All you have to do is seize the day and do it before the water goes away ....

- SS

Embrace change - I'm looking forward to my next work adventure

(Image courtesy successories.com)

When Wendy and I celebrated New Year's eve this year on a snowy night in McCall, I didn't expect that any major changes were coming my way. Everything was stable in our work lives and with our kids, and we were looking forward to a big powder day at Brundage Mountain the next morning.

And then, in the second week of January, my boss called me into his office and closed the door on a Friday morning .... Once the door closed, I thought, oh boy, this isn't going to be good.

Just like any well-run business, Drake Cooper was keeping a close eye on the bottom line, and our Public Relations department was not peforming well financially. The whole department was going to be phased out. I was going to be laid off, but I would have the option of continuing to serve my existing clients as an independent contractor. That option provided a glimmer of hope.

Still, it's a numbing feeling to get furloughed. I had to go for a walk by the river.

Just 2.5 years before, both my immediate supervisor and I got laid off at Tamarack. It also was a cost-cutting move. The public affairs department was being eliminated. I knew that things were getting tight, but I had no idea they were that bad. Both Scott Turlington and I were well-liked in Valley County. We were the face of Tamarack to many policy makers and agency officials. I figured if they were going to eliminate us, they must be in bad shape.

Of course, everyone knows about Tamarack's financial woes and resulting bankruptcy now. What a huge mess! I was lucky to get out of there early on, as it were, so I had a chance to get a new job when the economy was still doing well.

It's been a good ride at Drake Cooper. I feel that working for Idaho's best marketing and communications agencies has improved my skills as a PR practitioner and marketer. I'm happy to continue to be affiliated with the agency and to keep working for my existing clients.

After I got my head wrapped around this latest change, I felt excited about being freed from the 8-to-5 grind and the opportunity to work as an independent consultant, as I had done from 1991 to 2002. Now I've got more freedom to spend time with my kids and more flexibility in my daily routine to go running, biking or skiing in between work tasks.

But in this lousy economy, I've got to be honest -- it's mildly terrifying to be in a position of looking for more client work or other professional opportunities when some people have been out of work for several years, they've drained their retirement funds, they've lost their homes, and some of them have ended up living on the street.

I just have to have confidence that after living in Idaho for 25 years, making friends and building personal and professional relationships, and working as a writer, PR practitioner, nonprofit volunteer and small business owner, the good will that I've tried to develop over the years will open new doors in the future.

So hey... keep me in mind!

• If you need help with PR or marketing, get in touch.

• I'm a published author. Do you have a book project in mind that needs to be written? I'd love to take my author hat off the shelf and dig into a new book project.

• How about web videos? Do you have any video on your web site? You need video today to draw people to your web site and keep them there. I've got my own video camera. I can produce short web videos at low cost.

• I'm conversant with social media. Have you jumped on board yet? Don't know how or where to start? Get in touch.

Please check out my web site to learn more about my core skill areas.

"Temperatures will rise and fall winds will shift. Leaves will drop and buds will form. And with every new transition, new beginnings will be revealed." - Successories.com

Thanks and stay tuned. - SS

Explore Boise Trails for fitness and fun!

Start from Barber Park, Bown Crossing or River Run to access the walking/running trail

the Herrick house

New underpass at E. ParkCenter Bridge

The heron rookery

This is a favorite venue for runners and walkers - no pavement!

Hi all,

Bandanna Running and Walking has come up with a cool promotion for 2010 -- it's called Explore Boise Trails. The idea is to expand your horizons and try new hikes and trail-running routes that you haven't experienced before.

Bandanna recommends using my guidebook, Boise Trail Guide: 75 Hiking & Running Routes Close to Home, as the source for inspiration.

Listen to Chris Chandler at Bandanna explain the program:



If you want to knock off all 75 routes in one year, and you're one of the first five people to do so, you could win a $100+ pair of Cascadia 5 trail-running shoes. The shoes were made especially for Scott Jurek of Seattle, who is considered by many to be America's greatest trail-runner. His motto is "embrace your adventurous side."

We all know it's January, so I recommend starting on Greenbelt trails, Snake River trails, Owyhee County trails and lower-elevation Ridge to Rivers trails during the winter mud season. Please be sure to check on trail conditions before you go on Ridge to Rivers trails at www.ridgetorivers.org. I have a link to the trail conditions report on stevestuebner.com as well.

To get you started, I recommend the walking/hiking trail along the Boise River between Barber Park and ParkCenter (see map above). I did a 5.5-mile run on the trail on Thursday morning, and it was totally fabulous. At this time of year, you can see bald eagles perched in the tall cottonwoods, not to mention an occasional great blue heron, kingfishers, many types of ducks and songbirds. You might even see a mink, muskrat or beaver at the river's edge.

Part of this trail section has been renamed the Bethine Church River Trail to honor Bethine and the late U.S. Sen. Frank Church, D-Idaho, for all of their outstanding conservation work. There is an interpretive sign near the East ParkCenter Bridge that explains the dedication.

I hope Bandanna's promotion inspires you to go where you've never gone before. At the same time, you could improve your fitness and endurance levels. It's a good way to get ready for Robie if nothing else!

- SS