2021 camping season is kicking into gear on National Forest lands! 8 Tips on best camping practices

Camping season is upon us!

Hi all, 

It's been a great spring for camping in the Owyhee Canyonlands and BLM lands and river sites in SW Idaho. Now that the snow has melted out in the lower elevations in the Boise, Payette and Sawtooth National Forests, Forest Service officials are opening numerous campgrounds this weekend (May 21-23) and next for the traditional camping opener over the Memorial Day long weekend coming up May 28-31.  

The weather actually looks quite rainy and cold in McCall and Stanley this weekend, but the weather looks more promising for Memorial Day weekend, so perhaps you can plan your next outing and pick a fun spot for friends and family.

The Boise National Forest just released a list of campground opening dates online. The Payette National Forest also has opening dates here. The Sawtooth National Forest camping link is here with opening dates. Generally, camp sites at low to mid-elevation are open now, and higher-elevation sites in Stanley and the Sawtooth Valley will be opening soon. 

Check out this new statewide Forest Service interactive map! It's a handy resource for locating campgrounds and other national forest amenities.

Many Idaho State Park campgrounds are open now and will be soon. See this link for information on reserving a campsite an Idaho state park. Local favorites include Three Island State Park, Bruneau Dunes State Park, Lake Cascade State Park and Ponderosa State Park. See the IDPR web site for more information. 

Research BLM campsites here. There are many hidden jewels on BLM lands.

So it's time to plan a trip! Pull all the camping stuff together, tents and sleeping bags, food, water, clothes, etc. Or perhaps you have everything packed in an RV? Research a campsite that provides the kinds of amenities you want such as hiking or biking trails nearby or water hookups? Fishing? River or stream access? Grand views? There are literally hundreds of camping locations to enjoy in Idaho. 

What kind of setting do you want for your camping experience?

Tip #1 - Know where to go. Research where you're going to go camping before you go. Make a reservation online, if necessary, and you'll have your trip dialed in. If you're going to pursue a campsite in a campground where no reservations are necessary, go early to get your spot. 

Tip #2 - Make a Plan B. Your favorite campsite might be taken or the campground could be full. You'll need an alternative plan if things get busy. If last year is any indication, it's going to be a busy summer with major competition for campsites in Idaho. Going mid-week or in off-peak times will be a great way to avoid the crowds.

Tip #3 = Make a Plan C. Plan B might be taken too. 

Tip #4 - Remember to Pack-it-in/Pack-it-out. Bring your own garbage bags and pack out your garbage. Many public lands camping areas have no dumpsters or trash service. 

Tip #5 - Leave no Trace. Leave a clean campground when you leave. Pack out all of your things and garbage and make sure you haven't left any micro-trash on site ... things like small wrappers or twist-ties or what not. 

Tip #6 - Snuff out your campfire completely before you leave. Pour water on the fire and make sure you don't leave hot coals behind. More than 80% of the wildfires in Idaho are typically caused by humans. 

Tip #7 - When nature calls, dispose of human waste properly. Use the outhouse or dig a cat-hole and bury your waste. Bring a little shovel for digging a proper hole. Walk 200 feet away from any water sources. See video for more detail.

Tip #8 - Bring your own firewood. There might not be much firewood available at your camping spot, depending on location. 

Thanks to Tread Lightly and the Boise National Forest for the videos!

Have fun out there!
- SS

The high country beckons! Three kid-friendly mountain hikes near McCall

Bear Pete Trail at the Josephine Lake overlook.

We ski-daddled along the snowy Bear Pete ridge in our hiking boots.

Hi all,

Summer is kicking into high gear, with temperatures now in the 90s in the Boise Valley. And the snow is melting fast in the mountains, so it's time to head into the high country for hiking and summer fun.

For my outdoor tip of the week, I'm recommending three hikes in the greater McCall area (elevation 5,000 feet). All of these hikes would be suitable for kids and families.

Be sure to pack plenty of water, snacks/lunch, rain coat and bug spray. Also, it's a good idea to bring a Payette National Forest or McCall area Adventure map to stay on track. Most of these areas are out of cell range except Boulder Lake.

Jim Pace takes a gander at Buckhorn Mountain off in the distance at Boulder Lake.

1. Hike to Boulder Lake - Rated easy to moderate. Distance: 4 miles - 2 miles out, 2 miles back. Vertical: 700 feet of gain. This is a scenic hike that offers a little more mountain "wow" factor than the trails in Ponderosa Park and Bear Basin. Nice place to swim, go fishing or have a picnic. Trailhead is off Elo Road by Boulder Mountain Reservoir. See details on Payette National Forest web site. Bring a lunch and enjoy the setting! 

You walk by multiple meadows on the 20 Mile Trail ... old burn areas and some mature forest that didn't burn.

2. 20 Mile Trail - This is more of a forested hike into a beautiful glacial-sculpted canyon. Much of this area burned years ago, but the lodgepole pines are growing back as thick as dog hair. Rated easy. Distance 5.5 miles to 20 Mile Lakes junction and back. Vertical: 260 feet of gain. The 20 Mile trail is in great shape. No downfall. That makes things super pleasant. If you want to go farther, go uphill on the trail to 20 Mile Lakes for a bigger view of the surrounding mountains. Getting to the trailhead: Take Warren Wagon Road north past Upper Payette Lake and watch for 20 Mile Trailhead on the right side of the road.

Looking up the canyon toward Lick Creek Summit.

For an even bigger adventure, leave a shuttle vehicle at the 20 Mile trailhead and get a ride to the Duck Lake Trailhead by Lick Creek Summit. You can do a through-hike from Duck Lake down the full length of 20 Mile Trail ... it's only 10.5 miles! 710 feet of gain and 1,640 feet of descent. Plan for a full-day to do the shuttle and hike.  

Wendy walks through a gallery of dead whitebark pines on the way up the mountain.

3. Bear Pete Trail to Josephine Lake overlook - Hiking this route is a quick way to get into the alpine zone from the trailhead at Cloochman Summit, not far from Secesh Summit. Rated moderate. Short strenuous climbs in a few spots. Distance: 5.5 miles out and back. Vertical: 1,400 feet of gain. Drive north of McCall on Eastside Drive to North Beach area, then continue north on Warren Wagon Road past Upper Payette Lake to a signed left-hand turn to Cloochman Saddle. High-clearance vehicle recommended. Park at the trailhead by the saddle. Hike uphill on Bear Pete Trail and enjoy the rainbow of wildflowers as you climb through alpine meadows to an overlook of Josephine Lake at just over 8,000 feet. Big views looking into French Creek, Bear Pete Mountain, and the Payette Crest. The full length of Bear Pete Trail is 17.5 miles ... I have mountain biked it both directions. Hard-core trail runners would love doing the whole thing. 3,125 vertical!

Bear grass coming on!

------------------------------
Notes

The Grand Opening for the new Payette Lake singletrack trail is on Saturday, from 2-8 p.m., sponsored by the Central Idaho Mountain Biking Association (CIMBA). Burgers, dogs, and Salmon River Brewery will be pouring beer. This is a fund-raising event. CIMBA does a ton of great things for trails in the greater McCall area, including overseeing the development of the new trail on the west side of Payette Lake. Here's a link to the new trail on MTB Project.

- SS

Avoid the smoke: Five classic backpacking trips to consider near McCall in Payette NF

Drew catches a brook trout at Snowslide Lake 

Drew at Snowslide Lake 

Drew and Huck at Snowslide Lake 

20 Mile Lakes (courtesy Quinn Stuebner)

20 Mile Lakes (courtesy Quinn Stuebner)

20 Mile Lakes (courtesy Quinn Stuebner)

Box Lake from the north side of the lake 

Wendy on top of Beaver Dam Peak near Box Lake 

Box Lake as you approach it on the trail. 

Steve at Blackmare Lake 

Hi all,

It's a bummer to watch the Pioneer Fire burning up valuable resources in the Boise National Forest northeast of Idaho City. The fire had burned approximately 50,500 acres as of today's report on Inciweb, and it's continuing to run toward the northeast toward Lowman, sending big smoke plumes into the Garden Valley area, Stanley area, the Sawtooths and points east from there. The Whispering Pines yurt, accessible from the popular Gold Fork Park n' Ski Area, has been destroyed by the fire, and the status of two other yurts is questionable. KTVB-TV did a good report on the situation.

Because of the fire and smoke impacts in that area, I'm recommending five classic hiking and backpacking trips in the McCall area in the Payette National Forest for my outdoor tip of the week.
The McCall area should be clear of smoke this weekend, being well west of the Pioneer Fire. Check the Mile High Marina web cam to make sure.

As many of you know, the McCall area is surrounded by many high mountain lakes, some of them accessible by 4WD. See a previous blog post about kid-friendly lakes in the McCall area accessible by vehicle.

All of the hikes listed below could be done as a day trip or overnight backpack trip. Bear in mind that it's always a higher quality experience to take your backpack and stay overnight, if you can.

1. Snowslide Lake - It's a steep two-mile hike on a rocky trail to Snowslide Lake, but it's a lovely forested lake with a bunch of small brook trout available for kid fishing. My son Drew and I had a great day up there with Huck and Wendy recently. Saw a large group of families backpacking there for the weekend. Once at the lake, it's possible to hike farther up the trail to a pass and climb Snowslide Peak (elevation 8,522). It took us about an hour to reach the lake at a swift pace. Take Lick Creek Road out of McCall to reach the trailhead for Snowslide on the right side of the road. Pick up a Payette National Forest map or look it up online on Caltopo.com.for navigation.

2. Upper Hazard Lake - It's slightly less than two miles to Upper Hazard from the main Hazard Lake campground and trailhead. By walking to Upper Hazard, you'll leave most of the people behind, and you can enjoy a pretty spot ringed by rugged peaks. Hard Creek Lake is nearby if you'd like to try fishing another lake while you're in the 'hood. This hike is considerably easier than the steep hike to Snowslide. Hazard Lake is accessed via the Goose Lake Road on the way to Brundage Mountain.

3. Box Lake - It's about 3.5 miles to Box Lake from the trailhead on the left side of Lick Creek Road. It's a steep hike for several miles and then you hike across a flower-filled an Edelweiss-like meadow and see the lake in a hanging valley below. Gorgeous spot! Good fishing, too, and possible side hike to the top of Beaver Dam Peak (8,600 feet).

4. 20 Mile Lakes - There are four nice lakes to explore in the 20 Miles Lakes area. It's a 5-plus mile hike into the lakes. The last couple of miles off the 20-mile Trail are very steep to take you up to the lakes basin. Because of the distance, it's best to backpack into 20 Mile Lakes and stay overnight. There is good fishing up there. Pick a lake for your base camp and then day hike to the other lakes and see how the fishing is. The trailhead is accessed from Warren Wagon Road in McCall. The trailhead is located directly across from Upper Payette Lake. It's all pavement to the trailhead, which is a nice feature.

5. Blackmare Lake - This is more off-the-beaten path than the rest. Blackmare is accessed from the Kennally Creek Trailhead in the southern end of the Payette forest. Take Paddy Flat Road east from Idaho 55 to the end of the road. It's possible to car-camp at the trailhead, and there's an outhouse located there. It's about five miles one-way to the lake via the Needles Trail. We hiked a loop going up by Square Top at the Needles Summit and then dropped into the beautiful basin where Blackmare Lake sits. I caught some fish. We stayed overnight and then climbed to a saddle above Blackmare, where there are a couple of small ponds, crossed the ridge, and then bushwacked back to the trail, shortening the hike considerably back to the Kennally Creek trailhead.

There you have it! Consider these trips for future reference as well!
- SS

Weather looks grand for Memorial Day weekend; Tips on where to go camping!

Classic car camping scenario in the Boise National Forest near Idaho City

Camping along the North Fork Boise River  

Fishing on the Middle Fork is better than the North Fork (Boise NF photo)

Salmon River beach scene - can't go wrong! 

Leslie Gulch is a scenic wonder. Great place to hike and camp. 

Hiking above Succor Creek State Park ... Steve and Drew 

Hi all,

Well, the weather looks great for Memorial Day weekend -- no rain in the forecast -- but it will be on the cool side at night (temperatures near or below freezing), especially in the Stanley and McCall areas, so be sure to bring plenty of warm clothes for the campout.

Memorial Day marks the beginning of the summer camping season for many of us. Assuming you're thinking about where to go camping this weekend, here are my recommendations:

• Developed campgrounds or self-support dispersed camping sites along the North Fork of the Boise River and Middle Fork of the Boise River will be a great location this weekend. Temperatures are forecast to reach into the 70-degree range in Idaho City, so that'll be perfect for hiking, biking, fishing morel-hunting or hanging out in camp! All of the key access roads to reach the North Fork and Middle Fork are open. The Edna Creek Road to Atlanta also was just opened this week. 
• Salmon River beach camping near Riggins - This is a great spot for hanging out on the spacious white sandy beaches on the Salmon River, upstream of Riggins along the Salmon River Road. Get there early. These spots are choice, so they are popular! Take your kayaks or rafts and do day trips on the Salmon River while you're in the hood. The Salmon River was running 26,000 cfs as of today ... 
• Camping in the Owyhees or in the Snake River canyon should be great. Places like Bruneau Dunes State Park, Leslie Gulch, Succor Creek State Park, Celebration Park or the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area would all be prime this weekend. See my Owyhee Canyonlands guidebook for details on visiting all of these areas.
• Stay home and go hiking/riding or running in the Boise Foothills - Trail conditions are perfect in the Boise footies, the flowers are still happening and it's velvety green everywhere. See my Boise Trail Guide for ideas on where to go. 

See the Idaho Statesman's latest camping guide, published on Wednesday, for a rundown on some of their staff members' favorite camping locations in SW and Central Idaho. They also detailed what campgrounds are open or closed at this time of year.

In general, snow levels are at 6,500 to 7,000 feet in the mountains of SW Idaho and Central Idaho. In the Payette National Forest, there is still three feet of snow at Upper Payette Lake campground, and five feet of snow at Lick Creek Summit. Valley County apparently is working on opening the road to Burgdorf Hot Springs as we speak.

In the Sawtooth Valley, the valley itself has been clear of snow for several weeks, but once you get into the forest, you are likely to run into snow quickly. Check with the Stanley Ranger Station 774-3000 if you want more details.

Have a great campout!
- SS  

10 rock-solid ideas for camping and outings over Memorial Day weekend in SW Idaho

Always great to get the kids out camping in the mountains 

Time to pull out the Dutch oven! 

We love to camp so we can relax in camp and shoot the bull ... 

Salmon River beach scene! Won't need the sun tarp this time of year ... 

Morels are happening! 

Hi all,

The weather looks pretty darn nice for Memorial Day weekend! Highs in the mid-70s to 80s in the lower elevations, and highs in the high 60s and low 70s in the mountains. Very little chance of precipitation. So, hey, time to load up the rig with all of your camping gear for the official launch of the camping season over Memorial Day weekend.

The Idaho Statesman outdoors team 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 6,500-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 my 10 rock-solid ideas for Memorial Day camping and outings:

• Camping in the Owyhees should be fine, 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. 
• Camping near Idaho City should 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 self-support dispersed camping areas in both river corridors. Keep an eye on your kids. The rivers are running high. 
• Camping near Stanley should be fine, too, at low elevations. Stanley Lake Campground is open. So are the campgrounds at the ever-popular Redfish Lake and vicinity. Can't beat the view!   
• Morel mushrooms are popping up in the Boise National Forest and Payette National Forest. Morels are delicious and easy to identify. Look for them between 4,500 and 5,500 elevation. Might be good pickings in the Pony and Elk complex fire zones from last summer, but not sure how much of that is accessible to the public.  
• Another cool 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 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. 
• Idaho has lots of great state parks! Visit the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation web site to check out the camping opportunities. I've mentioned Lake Cascade and Bruneau Dunes, but there's also Three Island Crossing State Park, Ponderosa State Park and Thousand Springs State Park to consider in SW Idaho.  

Those are a few ideas to chew on ... Have fun!
- SS

Try visiting Lick Cr. yurt in McCall to ski/ride fabulous big mountain wonderland in Idaho

Marianne Nelson, our trip leader

Laura floats through the sugar-like powder snow

Payette Powder Guides yurts at Lick Creek Summit

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!

Enjoy!

- 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