The Mountains beckon! Go biking or hiking in the pine-scented forests of McCall!

Huck cools off in Loon Lake. 

Morgan Hine cruises to Loon Lake on the sweet singletrack ... 

Wendy on the Payette Rim Trail 

Overlook of Payette Lake from the Rim Trail. 

The new Huckleberry Trail comes within 10 feet of the lake at times ... Very cool! 

Hi all,

As the clock turns forward into June, the summer heat has been turning on in the Boise Valley, which in my mind, means it's time to head up to the mountains of McCall to go hiking, biking or boating.

We were up at our cabin in McCall last weekend, and took the kids rafting on the Cabarton section of the North Fork Payette River on Sunday. Then on Monday evening, I rode the new Huckleberry Loop in Ponderosa Park and hung out with the mule deer, which looked nice and tan in their summer coat. On Tuesday mid-morning, I rode the Payette Rim Trail with a friend, and my, it was riding as smooth as ever!

It's SO nice to sniff the cool mountain air while riding the trails and enjoy the wonderful smells and sounds in the deep woods. You look out through the trees to the azure lakes below, and know you could be swimming there on your way home. Plus, the air temp is 15 degrees cooler than it is in Boise!

This week, I'm recommending several hikes and bike rides in the McCall area. June is less busy in McCall than July and August, so it should be possible to find some lodging deals through inIdaho, vrbo or the local hotels. I'm also including a link from Roger Phillips' story in the Statesman today about biking at Brundage Mountain, Tamarack and Jug Mountain Ranch. All of those venues are excellent as well! See my guide, Mountain Biking in McCall for 40 rides in the area.

1. Check out the new Huckleberry Loop trail in Ponderosa State Park. There's a new singletrack trail along the east shoreline of the peninsula that connects to the old Huckleberry hiking and biking trail, and there's another singletrack that takes off from the main beach area and goes north through the huge ponderosa pines to the road to Osprey Point. You pop out on the road just short of the very top. I think the loop is about five miles long in total. It has some steep, technical sections. But overall, I'd rate it strong intermediate as a bike ride. For hiking, I'd rate it moderate. It'd be beautiful to hike it or ride it, whatever your preference might be. Riding time is 1.5 hours. Hiking time is 2+ hours.

Here's a map of the route ...

GPS tracks of the new Huckleberry Loop Trail. There are several variations
that you can enjoy in the southern part of the park on your way out. 

2. Ride the Payette Rim Trail. This loop is best done on a bike. You could hike from the bottom end uphill and go out-and-back to avoid hiking on Bear Basin Road. Distance: 10 miles. Difficulty: Strong intermediate. Rocky sections can be walked. Riding time: 1.5-2 hours. Getting to the trailhead: Take ID 55 north of McCall 1.5 miles to Bear Basin Road. Turn right. Go 1.3 miles to a buck fence parking area by the east side of the Bear Basin Trails. Park. The ride starts here. Proceed up Bear Basin Road. Go straight at the four-way junction. Stay on #451. It gets progressively steeper as you go. At mile 3.1, you'll reach the top of the initial grade, and you'll see a red gate and two-track road on the right. Take this road over to the Rim Trail. It's about 1.8 miles on the two-track to the Rim Trail junction on the right. The turn is marked by a rock cairn. The entrance to the singletrack is rocky and technical but it's gets better. Enjoy the Rim Trail as it winds slightly downhill on a bench above Payette Lake. At mile 6.3, you'll come to a creek crossing. I rode it on Tuesday. Gear down for a steep little climb after the creek. Zoom downhill some more for several miles through the grassy forest, aspen and pine trees. Bear right at a Y-junction and climb abruptly for a short section before zooming along some more on the high bench. This route leads to Bear Basin Road. You'll come to one more junction, and turn right to reach the Bear Basin Road trailhead. The singletrack drops out very close to the parking lot.

3. Ride Jug Mountain Ranch.  See the link to Roger's article above for details. JMR has built a new trail with banked corners called "Berm and Ernie." I can't wait to ride that new trail! See the trail map above. As Roger said, they have the coolest shuttle rig anywhere that'll take you to a point where you can do gravity rides on the trails. JMR is dead east of Lake Fork off of ID 55.

Upper Drain is fast and smooth! 

4. Ride Upper Drain at Bear Basin. If you like to cruise on banked corners, the Upper Drain trail is a hoot! The Bear Basin Trails are close to McCall, and they're built for all abilities. Access is via the Bear Basin Trailhead, north of McCall, off of ID 55. The Upper Drain is a little more challenging because of the banked corners, but I've taken kids there, and they do fine. There are multiple ways to reach the Upper Drain, but one way is to take Baby Bear to Sleepy Hollow and then Blue Ridge Loop to a high point in the forest. Take the Shortcut to the left to Polar Express, and then you'll see a sign for Upper Drain. The trail goes for about 1/2 mile before it goes into the winding corners. Half-way down, you'll come to a junction with Grand Traverse. This goes back to the Bear Basin Trailhead. If you're having fun, continue onto Lower Drain. Then take Westy back to the trailhead. Check out this YouTube video of the Upper and Lower Drain.

Loon Lake route (click to enlarge)

5. Ride Loon Lake Loop. This is one of my favorite rides in the whole state. It's a 10-mile loop (short version), with world-class scenery, a lunch stop at Loon Lake, where you can go swimming, and you might even see a moose! This is a strong intermediate to advanced ride. Take Warren Wagon Road 25+ miles, past the turnoff to Burgdorf, to a signed turnoff for Chinook Campground on the right. Proceed to the Secesh River and Loon Lake trailhead. I recommend doing the loop counter-clockwise. Cross the bridge and grind up a granny-gear climb for several miles to an initial summit and then zoom down to a junction (watch out for other trail users). Turn right, cross the creek, and climb again to a big view overlooking Loon Lake. Enjoy the downhill slalom through the burned snags. Ride across the meadow to Loon Lake (mile 4.5). Have lunch and take a swim. Then ride down to the Secesh River. Cross the bridge, and ride 3.5 miles back to the trailhead. This section is technical and rocky in places ... keep the momentum going and let the bike roll through the rocks!
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Don't forget the North Fork Championships are going on Thursday-Saturday. The event is free, and it's totally worth driving up to watch expert kayakers negotiate the mighty North Fork, some of the gnarliest whitewater in the nation. This year there's a BoaterX race with 6 paddlers racing down S-turn rapids all at once. That's tomorrow at 3 p.m. Saturday at 1 p.m. is the big giant slalom event through Jacob's Ladder, the steepest section of the North Fork. Kayakers zip down a steep slide and leap into the river to run the gates in Jake's and Golf Course. It takes phenomenal skill and experience to compete in that event.

Have fun!
- SS

New printing of Mountain Biking in McCall hits the streets; here's 6 must-do rides from the book

Gregg Lawley riding the Bear Basin Trails. 

Wendy in the lower end of the Payette Rim Trail ... tall grass and singletrack. Yum. 

Morgan Hine cruises along on the Loon Lake singletrack 

Loon Lake - Perfect spot for a lunch break half way through the ride.  

Elk Trail! Brundage Mountain Resort 

Cool viewpoint off the Payette Rim Trail. 

Bonus shot: Flowers galore on Bear Pete Trail ... try it sometime 

Hi all,

My guidebook Mountain Biking in McCall  has been super-popular lately, particularly in the McCall market, where it's flying off the shelf. I recently ran out of books in early July and had to quickly reprint to satisfy the demand.

I did update the Bear Basin and Payette Rim Trail descriptions to reflect a few changes/additions that have occurred lately, and otherwise, there are 41 mountain bike rides in the book, and all of them are absolutely SWEET! IMHO.

This week, I'll recommend six must-do rides from the book for different abilities, starting with easy trails and moving up to expert rides. After you're done riding, be sure to take a dip in Payette Lake and cool off. There are several public beaches on the south side of the lake, and also at North Beach on the north end. The lake is a great temperature right now, totally refreshing but not too cold.

1. North Valley Rail-Trail - Location: South of McCall, starting from River Ranch on Mission Street, near the Forest Service Smokejumper Base. You also can start from downtown McCall, and pick up the paved trail heading south to the airport by McCall City Hall or McCall-Donnelly High School. The North Valley Trail is 3.5 miles long, and if combined with the paved trail, it's 5 miles out and back, or 10 miles total. Check out this YouTube video of yours truly riding the trail with my son. The trail is also a great place to hike and run. Great for families and all abilities. 

2. Ponderosa State Park - Ride the gravel Fox Run Trail and then the Huckleberry Trail through thick woods up to the Osprey Point Overlook. It's a 7-mile loop from the park entrance. Fox Run features a moderate climb, and then a fast downhill to the Huckleberry junction. Gear down to your small ring and spin through the woods over rocks and roots, and climb a steep series of switchbacks to the main gravel road, and then climb up to Osprey Point for a great viewpoint and a well-deserved breather. BTW, there is no park entrance fee if you ride to the park on a bike from wherever you are staying. 

3.  Payette Rim Trail - The Rim trail is a longtime favorite ride in the McCall area. It's a 10-mile ride that takes about 1.5-2 hours. 1,000 feet of climbing. Three years ago, logging on Idaho State Lands really tore up the trail. But locals and CIMBA have re-routed the singletrack around the logging disruption, and the trail now takes you all the way down to the corrals by Bear Basin, creating the possibility of riding the rim trail and then making a loop around the Bear Basin Trails to add another 5+ miles to the ride. Thanks to McCall mountain bikers for the awesome re-route!

4. Eagle's Nest Trail - East of Cascade off the Warm Lake Road. Distance: 13.1 miles. Advanced/expert ride. It's kind of a brutal climb up Forest Road #400 (2,800 vertical feet of climbing), but after you reach the singletrack, it's all downhill, and it's a blast. If you're hiking, start the hike on the singletrack by the big highway pullout 4 miles east of Idaho Highway 55. (This is where you park for the bike ride). You'll see the sign for Trail #111. It's 7.7 miles one-way to the jct. with Forest Road 400 at 6,650-foot elevation. 

5. Loon Lake Short Loop - Location: 30+ miles north of McCall. Distance: 10 miles. Advanced intermediate ride. Drive Warren Wagon 30+ miles north of McCall, past Burgdorf Hot Springs, to Chinook Campground. The Loon Lake Loop is what I call "an Idaho classic," one of the top 10 rides in the state. I prefer to ride the loop counter-clockwise, but others prefer clockwise. The trail tread is all singletrack, with plenty of roots, rocks and steep climbs. Best-suited for advanced riders, but some strong intermediates can make it. Pack plenty of food and drink and make a fun day of it. Have lunch at the lake and go swimming. Watch out for other trail users -- it's a very popular place to go.

6. Bear Basin-Elk Trail-#488 Loop - This is one of 14 advanced/expert rides in the book. It's one of my favorite loops in McCall. It's 18.2 miles, 2,580 feet of climbing, and it takes about 3-4 hours. You ride up the Bear Basin dirt road about 7 miles to the top of Brundage Mountain Ski Area. Then you descend on Elk Trail, a super-fun singletrack that weaves across the front side of the ski area for 4+ miles, all downhill. And then, before making the final descent to the base area, you turn left on Growler, and do a moderate climb on Growler over to an unsigned junction with Forest Road #488. It's all downhill back to Bear Basin Road ... a ripping descent, not much traffic, so let 'er rip! 

There you have it! Mountain Biking in McCall  retails for $12.95. It's available at Gravity Sports, Hometown Sports, Ridley's Market, Paul's Market, Shore Lodge gift shop, May Hardware, The Hub and McCall Drug. It's also available at Idaho Mountain Touring, George's Cycles, Boise REI and Barnes & Noble in Boise.

You also can download six free rides/maps on my web site anytime, and individual rides from the Mountain Biking in McCall book can be purchased for 99 cents each. Or, you can purchase a hard-copy book or the full-color ebook on my web site.

There are tons of places to camp outside of McCall in the Payette National Forest. If you don't want to camp, check into lodging at the McCall Chamber of Commerce, InIdaho.com, or vrbo.com.
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Here are two save-the-date items coming up in August from George's Cycles:

• Bogus Basin Hill Climb - Saturday, Aug. 17. 
• George's MS Wine Ride - Aug. 25. Thirty-mile ride starts and finishes at the Sawtooth Winery. Benefit for the Idaho MS Society.  

Visit the George's web site for more information. 

Have fun!
- SS

Some useful resources for navigating fires and smoke in SW Idaho and Central Idaho

Courtesy NASA (taken on Aug. 18)

Hi all,

I'm sure I'm not the only one who's run into road closures and maddening situations in the last several weeks as we try to travel to the mountains, musical events, campgrounds, etc.

The big whopper I endured recently was when a new fire cropped up near Banner Summit and the Forest Service closed Idaho 21 late in the afternoon on Thursday, Aug. 9. There was virtually no forewarning that there might be any road closures in that area, and suddenly, boom. So much for making it to the Braun Brothers Reunion concert that night. I drove over 10 hours that day and never made it to Challis before collapsing near midnight at the Mt. Borah Earthquake interpretive area.

I felt humbled when I read a story about some very unhappy boy scouts who had driven to the Cape Horn area to camp at the boy scout camp near Beaver Creek, only to discover that the Halstead Forest Fire had shut down that road and camping area, and the boys had to drive home. Wow! That made my trip seem like a jaunt to the corner quick stop.

Planning a recreation outing in Central Idaho these days can be quite challenging because we have a trio of  large fires in Central Idaho that are are burning out of control with no containment in sight. The prevailing winds generally blow west-to-east, and so they are pushing smoke from the 98,000-acre Trinity Ridge fire into the Sawtooths and Stanley areas, and of course all of the recreation areas near Pine and Featherville and the Trinities are off-limits. And then you have the Halstead Fire burning north of Idaho 21 and Idaho 75, making much of that area inaccessible, and the smoke from the Halstead fire is pushing into Challis and Salmon.

It's hard to figure out where to go, but here are a few trip-planning tools that will be helpful:

• Great forest and range fire web site with the latest information: http://inciweb.org/. Scroll down to the name of the fire, click on the link, and you'll get the latest information. 
• Best road closure site: ITD 511  http://hb.511.idaho.gov/main.jsf
• Smoke web site: http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/fires/main/usa/20120820-idaho.html
• Forest Service maps and satellite images: http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/imagery.php?op=fire&fireID=id-mt-000
• The National Weather Service forecasts also have information about wind and smoke. 

As I mentioned in last week's blog, McCall and Cascade are good bets close to home, although it was quite smoky and hazy in McCall when I was there earlier this week. Eastern Oregon also could be a good place to go -- the Wallowas and Eagle Cap Wilderness are beautiful locations. Natalie Bartley wrote a piece about scenic drives in the Wallowas in today's Statesman.

The west side of the Payette National Forest north of Weiser has some good camping areas and mountain bike trails. My book Mountain Biking Idaho has a cool advanced ride called the "Parlor of Pain," (named by locals), which is 19.5 miles. You go up the Mann Creek Road, north of Weiser, and start the ride at the junction with Hitt Creek Road #573. Climb that road for a ways and then veer right on a singletrack, climb the Parlor of Pain section, and then cruise by Hitt Peak and Sturgill Peak, before flying down the Mann Creek Road #009 back to the start.

New singletrack on the Payette Rim Trail

If you do go to McCall, I recommend riding the Payette Rim Trail, which is featured in my book, Mountain Biking in McCall. The Rim trail is a longtime favorite ride in the McCall area, but logging two years ago really tore up the trail. Locals have since re-routed a singletrack trail around the logging impacts, and it takes you all the way down to the corrals by Bear Basin, creating the possibility of riding the rim trail and then making a loop around the Bear Basin Trails to add another 5+ miles to the ride. Thanks to McCall mountain bikers for the awesome re-route!

Another option this weekend is to float rivers. Tons of people have been floating Cabarton on the North Fork of the Payette River, not to mention the South Fork Payette, and the South Fork Boise is still running at summer flows. The Riggins day trip on the Salmon River is another option. The Upper Salmon near Stanley is closed to private boaters but 4 outfitters are running trips there daily.

Canoeists might want to try Elk Creek or Bear Valley Creek and camp nearby. The Landmark area and Deadwood Reservoir should be fine as well.

At least it's going to be cooler this weekend! I'm looking forward to that.

Have fun and good luck escaping the smoke! Tell me what you find!
--SS