R2R green-lights lower foothills trails east of Bogus Basin Road; Beautiful weekend ahead! I'm going spring skiing ...

Spring season is opening in the Boise Foothills! Spring can bring windy days!
Breezy conditions at the Corrals-Scotts jct. prepared Huck for liftoff,
with Wendy Wilson.   

Hi all,

After months of cold weather and muddy trails, hikers, runners and mountain bikers will delight in knowing that Ridge to Rivers is green-lighting lower Boise foothills trails this week - trails east of Bogus Basin Road including Table Rock, Military Reserve, .

Here's the R2R Trails Report on Thursday: "Things are drying out, and trail repairs are beginning in the Foothills. There are long, lingering sections of mud on mid-elevation trails, primarily west of Bogus Basin Road where overall we have soils with a higher clay content (ie. Sweet Connie, Peggy's, Chukar Butte, Polecat Loop). East of Bogus Basin Road you can stay on dry trails all the way up to the top of Scott's Trail in the central Foothills, and to Lucky Peak Trail out east.

Expect to encounter trail maintenance along Cobb Trail and West Highland Valley Trail in the Boise River WMA currently.

NOTE: We are also in the middle of repairing a large cavity in the trail along Lower Hulls Gulch #29, so expect the need to negotiate that project for at least a week."

Doug Lawrence and Huck climbing from Military Reserve to Crestline trail. 

I personally rode Military Reserve to Shane's Summit on Wednesday morning, just after a light skiff of snow fell overnight, and everything was dry and rideable.

MARCH 9TH TRAIL R2R CONDITION REPORT:

"It looks like it's going to be a cool and cloudy day in the foothills. There is even a slight chance of snow this morning. Trail conditions will mostly remain the same as we've seen over the last few days. Corrals from the Scott's Junction down is clear and dry. Scott's is mostly dry with a few snow patches and some mud when the sun warms the tread up. Military Reserve, Hulls Gulch and Table Rock trails are clear and dry. You may encounter short sections of mud - be sure to walk through and not around. Happy Trails!"

So, the warm weather we had last week, plus winds, helped dry out the trails. The forecast for this weekend in Boise calls for warmer days each day, with high temps near 50 F on Friday, 60 on Saturday and 55 on Sunday. Wow! Enjoy!

Jane Rohling captured friends Matt and Alayne on horseback in the Wilson Creek area.  

Please BE KIND to Owyhee County trails, too!

I worked with the Owyhee County Commissioners to craft a press release about roads and trails that went out today. Here are some quotes from that release:

"MURPHY – (March 10, 2022) – Recreationists may be eager to get outside and enjoy the great outdoors as things begin to thaw in March, but it’s crucial that they respect the land in Owyhee County, stay off muddy trails and roads, practice proper trail etiquette, stay on designated trails and follow the rules set forth in Bureau of Land Management travel management plans, officials said.

“When Ridge to Rivers tells people to stay off muddy trails in the Boise Foothills, people often come out here in the Owyhee Front and look for trails and roads to ride as an alternative,” said Jerry Hoagland, an Owyhee County Commissioner and rancher. “But it’s just as important to avoid tearing up the trails and the land in Owyhee County as it is anywhere else.”

“We expect outdoor recreationists to treat the land and other trail users with respect when they’re out here in Owyhee County,” Hoagland said. “It’s really important that people do their homework before they come here to know where it’s appropriate for them to recreate and do it responsibly.”

Taking a moment in Reynolds Creek canyon on the Northwest Passage Loop. 
With L-R Quinn Stuebner, Steve Schneider, Ziggy and Jim Giuffre. 

Owyhee County is one of the most spectacular locations in the state of Idaho for exploring 4.9 million acres of public lands – canyons, high plateaus, lava features and more. Some of the most popular destinations are the Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) Trails near Murphy, Wilson Creek non-motorized trails, Bruneau Canyon overlook, Big Jacks Creek, and the 100-mile Owyhee Canyonlands Backcountry Byway from Grand View to Jordan Valley, Ore.

Key issues that Owyhee County Commissioners are concerned about with regard to outdoor recreation in Owyhee County, include:

·     The need for mountain bikers to practice proper trail etiquette on non-motorized singletrack trails in the Wilson Creek area. Mountain bikers riding at high speed on the trails can spook horses and cause potential safety issues. The number of people mountain biking in the Owyhees has increased dramatically, officials said. Be sure to keep your speed down in case you encounter hikers or horseback riders on the trail.

The proper procedure is as follows: If mountain bikers encounter horseback riders on the trail, step off the trail, talk to the horseback riders so the horses know you’re human, let the horseback riders pass by, and continue your ride.

· Stay off muddy trails (universal for all users)."

See the Owyhee County Recreate Responsibly web page for more information. Please be a good trail ambassador and practice good trail etiquette when you're out enjoying the Owyhee trails. Thank you!

Great weekend for Spring Skiing too!

With the weather warming up dramatically this weekend, it should be a great time to go spring skiing at Bogus Basin, Tamarack Resort or Brundage Mountain. I'm planning on skiing Brundage on Saturday, when formal wear is encouraged for people like to dress-up! I'll be doing a live forecast for OpenSnow.com Saturday morning. I see Bogus is having an Atomic Demo Day on Friday, and Tamarack is hosting an Atomic and Armada Demo Day on Saturday.

There's a big storm coming next Tuesday, that could bring significant snow to Idaho statewide. See my latest forecast: Idaho Daily Snow.

Look for me in my white coat, red vest and red bow tie at Brundage on Saturday.

Have fun! - SS

R2R gives Green Light to select lower foothills trails! Spring skiing is perfect right now!

Nice late-afternoon light on Three Bears Trail above Rocky Canyon Road   

Hi all, 

On March bluebird days like these, it's a tough call for me ... should I go hiking, biking or skiing! 

Today, on Thursday, March 11, I read on the Ridge to Rivers Facebook page that they were green-lighting sandy trails in the lowest part of the Boise Foothills like the whole Military Reserve complex of trails, leading up to Central Ridge, Shane's Loop and Bucktail.  

Since that's one of my favorite go-to mountain bike loops with my pointer Huck, we knocked out that 6-mile ride this afternoon. And it was not only dry, but bone dry! There were a few dog puddles on Bucktail on the way down but that trail was mostly dry all the way. Yee-haw! 

I've been avoiding the foothills all winter -- skiing my tail off, hiking and riding my road bike. So it's always a thrill for me to get back on my mountain bike and ride in the Boise footies! Plus, in the brisk wind on top of the ridge, 55 degrees, it's perfect conditions for Huck to run like a gazelle and comb the country. Love to see him lift his sniffer into the wind ...     

Shane's Loop near the top ... good place to go right now. 

Starting at the base of Military Reserve Park, I like to start out on the Mountain Cove trail along Freestone Creek, where there's water for dogs right now. And then climb Ridge Crest to Central Ridge, take Central Ridge to Shanes/Bucktail jct., then ride Shane's clockwise back to Central Ridge jct., and then zip down Bucktail, enjoying the S-curves like a finely carved GS turn on skis. 

The whole Figure-8 route is a generally a gradual climb compared to other harder, steeper trails in the Boise Foothills. Hence, it's a good place to start working in your legs before tackling the harder stuff. 

Quoting from the R2R Facebook page, here are some other options to hike, run or ride: 

"Some of the trails that we know are good to go at this point and might also make nice little loops for folks would include: 8th St. to the access road down to the Bob's dam, up Bob's to Urban Connector, back around and down Highlands, up Bob's back to the dam and retracing your steps back up the access road and down 8th St. From the Foothills Learning Center this makes a 6.75 mile lollipop.

Also, loops or figure 8's with some combination of the Military Reserve trails and around Bucktail and Shane's Loop are opened up as well. The main Table Rock trail is also good to go at this point, although our best guess is that you will find some lingering wet spots down on the Old Pen trail."

It was cool to see a guy exercising a horse and a mule on Curlew Ridge ... he had both saddled up.

Crestline Trail, Sidewinder, Fat Tire Connector out to the wet spot, and Freestone Ridge are some other possibilities. The trails out by Surprise Valley on the old Oregon Trail should be drying out, too. Over by Seaman's Gulch, I hiked the Valley View Trail the other day and it was mostly dry, and it has fetching views of NW Boise, as always.

Here's a link to the R2R Interactive Trail map.

More than a week of sunshine, steady winds, and longer days are drying out the trails fairly quickly in the lowest part of the foothills. Farther up, it's going to be ice and snow.

Skiing/riding freshly groomed corduroy is a treat. (Courtesy Brundage Mountain)   

Speaking of which, Spring Skiing is absolutely fabulous right now at the alpine resorts. I checked in with Bogus Basin, Brundage, Tamarack and Sun Valley, and they all have online day tickets available for week days or weekends at the moment.

So even if you don't have a season pass, now is a great time to get out and ski/ride in the warm sunshine. High temperatures will be in the mid-30s to mid-40s at those resorts this weekend. Ski area snow depths and snow bases are in peak form. See my latest post on the Idaho Daily Snow.

Enjoy the weekend, and remember to set your clock to spring forward an hour on Saturday night. - SS