Don't forget the BIG TARP! Nine last-minute outdoor tips for Memorial Day weekend

The Owyhees near Leslie Gulch (courtesy WildOwyhee)

If you do go camping in the mountains, bring a big tarp! Party under the tarp! 

View toward Silver City from Toy Pass, near Oreana, Owyhee Mountains 

Camping on the big white sandy beaches on the Salmon river is deluxe! 

Lochsa River madness! 

Hi all,

Memorial Day weekend is upon us! Typically, Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of the summer camping season, and I'm sure there will be tons of people heading into the high country this weekend to their favorite camping destination.

And, as often happens on Memorial Day weekend, the weather forecast this year calls for scattered rain showers in the mountains. Sixty percent chance Friday, 50 percent chance Saturday, and less chance Sunday and Monday. If you're heading into the mountains near Cascade, McCall, Idaho City, Stanley or Ketchum/Sun Valley, bring a BIG TARP! Make sure your tent is rain-worthy.

Looking south to the Owyhees, I see more favorable forecasts for the Grand View and Marsing areas in the front side of the Owyhees. I see a 40 percent chance of scattered showers Friday, 30 percent chance Sunday, and only 20 percent chance on Monday. Deeper in the desert, I see higher chances of rainfall in Jordan Valley, Oregon.

I see a similar forecast for Riggins, with a 60 percent chance of showers on Friday, 50 percent chance of thundershowers on Saturday, and 30 percent chance on Monday.

So here's some last-minute camping recommendations for Memorial Day weekend, tailored to the weather:

• Camping in the Owyhees should be good, but be forewarned, the rattlesnakes are emerging. See my spring camping blog post from March ... places like Bruneau Dunes State Park, Leslie Gulch, Succor Creek State Park or the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area would all be good bets.
• Morel mushrooms are popping in the Boise and Payette national forests. Morels are delicious and easy to identify. Look for them above 5,000-foot elevation. Take a day trip to Smith's Ferry, Cascade or McCall and hunt for morels. 
• Salmon River beaches! A great spring camping location is on the HUGE white sandy beaches along the Salmon River, upstream of Riggins. There are numerous big 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 day hike up Rapid River is a sweet one. The trailhead is about two miles south of Riggins. 
• Take a day hike on the front side of the Owyhees ... See my Owyhee Canyonlands guide, available at most outdoor stores and book stores. I'd recommend Little Jacks Creek, the West Fork Shoofly Quick Loop, Between the Creeks, Toy Pass hikes, Reynolds Creek, Wilson Creek, Jump Creek Canyon or Wildcat Canyon. The roads could be iffy depending on how much it rains, so exercise good judgment. 
• Head up to the Lochsa River and go rafting on the biggest whitewater weekend of the year on the Lochsa.  
• Stay home and hike/ride/run in the Boise Foothills - Trails are drying out pretty quick after the rain. Check on the Ridge to Rivers web site or Boise Foothills Trail Conditions page on Facebook to check on the latest trail conditions before you go. Stick to the sandy trails. 
• Stay close to home and go for a road bike ride. See my Boise Road Cycling Guide for ideas. 
• Stay close to home and check out the Memorial Day sales at your favorite local outdoor stores. Idaho Mountain Touring is having a tent sale (20-50% off), McU Sports is having a 20% sale, Boise REI is having a 30% sale, Sierra Trading Post is having a 40-80% sale, and I'm sure I'm overlooking some other sales.  

There you have it! Have a great weekend no matter what you do! 

- SS 

Five spring hiking destinations inspired by new edition of Boise Trail Guide

Rick Gerrard pauses to enjoy the view on the way up to Cervidae Peak.
2,000-foot climb in 2.2 miles. Steep!  

Look how the trail goes directly up the ridgeline ...
That'll get the heart pumping! 

Another steep section ... watch for elk and deer 

Rocky rims lord over Shoofly Creek in the Owyhees

Steve hiking the Shoofly Quick Loop 

Wonder if the wildflowers are going to bloom early this year? 

Hi all,

Well, the weather looks pretty fab once again in the low country this weekend, with temps in the 70s on Friday, slight possibility of rain Saturday, and a slightly cooler day on Sunday, with temps in the 60s, but clear skies. And then rain on Monday.

So I'm recommending five spring hikes inspired by the 2nd edition of Boise Trail Guide, my hiking and trail-running book which is expanding from 75 hiking and running routes to 90. There's a whole new book cover, new photo spreads inside, and more. The 224-page book should be available for retail sales in about 3-4 weeks (mid-April). A full-color ebook will be available as well.

Here are the hikes!

1. Hike to Cervidae Peak near Lucky Peak Reservoir and Spring Shores Marina. Rated strenuous. Distance: 2.2 miles up; 2.2 miles back. 4.4 miles total. Travel time: 2.5-3 hours. Vertical gain: 2,000 feet. Take Idaho 21 east of Boise. Cross the Mores Creek high bridge. Turn right after the bridge and go 2.2 miles up the road (you'll go by the Spring Shores Marina) and park in a large pull-out on the right. Cross the road and pick up a jeep trail that climbs up to a ridge and then you're on the trail to Cervidae. It's a steep hike that goes directly to Cervidae Peak, climbing 2,000 vertical feet in about 2 miles. Leg-burner and lung-burner! It's hard on the knees on the way down. Go easy. Trekking poles would help soften the blow. Good hike for strong kids. Great views at the top of the peak.

Trail map for Eagle Island State Park. Enjoy! 

2. Eagle Island State Park in Eagle - Rated easy to moderate. Distance: up to 5.5 miles. Travel time: You make the call. Take State Street west, past Eagle Road, to Linder. Follow the signs for Eagle Island State Park. Park at the trailhead. There's a hiking/trail-running circuit that you can do at the park that follows the north channel of the Boise River, crosses the park, and then follows the South Channel of the Boise River, before returning across a field to the trailhead. The park has hand-out maps of their trail system. Their trails are open to hiking, running, horseback riding and mountain biking. I enjoyed the Eagle Island leafy setting.

3. West Fork Shoofly Quick Loop - I detailed this hike in a previous blog post when I was working on my guide The Owyhee Canyonlands: An Outdoor Adventure Guide with Mark Lisk. But it will be included in the new version of Boise Trail Guide. Rated moderate. Distance: 5.5 miles. Travel time: 3-4 hours. I like this hike because the trailhead is less than an hour from Boise near Grand View. It's a scenic location, but it's an adventure hike, involving some route-finding and bushwacking. Read my blog post for a trip map, photos and details.

Harrison Hollow trail is popular with families and dogs 

Great views of the city from the ridge above Harrison Hollow 

4. Highlands - Corrals - Bobs Loop, Boise Foothills - The recent completion of Highlands Trail #1 makes this loop possible for hikers and trail-runners. You used to have to shuttle a vehicle to do this loop as a hike/run. But not any longer! Rated easy to strenuous. Distance: 8 miles. Travel time: 3.5 hours. Vertical gain: 1,328 feet. Take Bogus Basin Road north to Curling Drive. Go left on Curling, left on Braemere, go up the hill, then take a left on Hearthstone. Go to the end of Hearthstone and park at the trailhead at the end of the road. This hike provides a mixture of terrain. It starts out kind of steep on the Highlands Trail and then moderates on a steady uphill climb to the junction with the Corrals Trail. Then the walking is moderate on Corrals for about a mile or so before trail gets steeper to reach Corrals Summit. Turn right at the top of the hill to reach Corrals Summit and then follow Trail #31 downhill for a couple of miles to Bob's Trail. Make a sharp right on Bob's and enjoy the rock-dodge down the trail.  

5. Harrison Hollow Loop - Rated easy. Distance: 2 miles or more. Travel time: 1 hour. Take Bogus Basin Road north from Hill Road. Turn left at Highlands Hollow Brew House next to Healthwise and follow the paved road to the parking area. Cruise into the Harrison Hollow area on the all-weather trail provided by the Land Trust for the Treasure Valley. Take a right and climb up to the ridge. Go left on the ridge and follow the ridge trail for a mile. It winds toward a saddle next to some large homes. Climb to the saddle to check out the view. Return to the trailhead via the main trail that goes down the bottom of the gulch. There are many other options in this area, depending on how much time you have, and you much climbing you'd like to do. Once at the saddle, you also could climb uphill to the Buena Vista Trail, which winds around the south side of the hills and heads over to Hillside Jr. High. There are several ways to return to Harrison Hollow.

There you have it! Have a nice weekend!
- SS