Oodles of Idaho outdoor fun await for Labor Day weekend! Might be a little wet, tho!

Drew Stuebner on a hike with Dad to Bridal Veil Falls in the Sawtooths. 

Hi all,

Labor Day weekend is upon us! It's the typical last hurrah of the camping season, so I'm dishing up some last-minute tips for the three-day weekend, as always. 

Before we get into the camping ideas, Bogus Basin, Brundage Mountain and Tamarack Resort all have some fun stuff going on this weekend, and the Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic at Ann Morrison Park runs daily through Sunday.  

Courtesy Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic

 

Steve fishing Rainbow Lake in the Trinities 

Now, on to the camping tips and other Labor Day ideas ... mountain weather  BTW looks a bit topsy-turvy Saturday-Monday with a good chance of thundershowers and high temps in the 60s. So make sure you've got a good rain tarp and dress warm! 

Recommended camping options: 

• Trinity Mountains - Go camping, day-hiking or backpacking in the Trinities. I recommend driving there via Featherville. Head for Big Trinity Lake, the trailhead and general dispersed camping area. It's definitely worth backpacking into the high mountain lakes to get away from the car-campers and enjoy some good fishing!
  
  
  
  

• Cascade area - Stolle Meadows and Landmark are my favorite camping areas in this neck of the woods. There are tons of primitive car-camping spots in both locations, east of Cascade, off the Warm Lake Highway. I've heard there may be some construction on the South Fork Salmon River Road? Plus, there are hot springs in the vicinity.

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  Lick Creek area in the Payette National Forest 
  
  

• McCall area - Camping, hiking and backpacking in the Lick Creek area NE of McCall should be fabulous. Some of the nice mountain lakes up there include Box, Snowslide, Duck, Hum, Enos and Thirty-three lakes. Pick up a Payette National Forest map or a McCall Adventure Map to get the details for access. Also, check my blog from earlier this summer on five easy-to-access kid-friendly mountain lakes in the McCall area. 

  

  Stanley Lake beach 

  
  
• Stanley area - I'm sure the Stanley area will be hopping with lots of campers at Stanley Lake, Redfish Lake, Pettit Lake and points along the Salmon River. 

  

  North and Middle Forks of the Boise River ... car-camping mecca 

• Idaho City area - The North and Middle Forks of the Boise River work great for car camping. See my post from last week.  
• Salmon River beaches - Upstream from Riggins along the Salmon River Road are many sweet spots for camping, hanging out and swimming. 

Salmon River beaches are the best in bare feet! Courtesy Winding Rivers Rafting

Also, Labor Day weekend is chock full of big sales at your favorite outdoor retailers in the Boise area, places like Idaho Mountain Touring, George's Cycles, Boise REI, Greenwood's, McU Sports, Alpenglow Mountain Sport and Idaho River Sports. They all have some fantastic clothing and gear on sale right now. Great deals! Go get 'em! 

- SS

Last weekend before school starts! 5 of my favorite car-camping spots in C. Idaho

Need a good 4WD truck to reach Railroad Ridge

Flowers were everywhere ... feeling on top of the world in Central Idaho ... 

Hi all,

Don't panic but this weekend is the last one of the summer vacation before school starts! That is, Boise Schools and Boise State University both start on Monday, Aug. 20. If you're still ginning to go camping, I thought I'd share five of my favorite car-camping spots in Central Idaho. Some have easy access; some of them require driving on gnarly 4WD roads.

But once you arrive at your destination, you'll be perched high on a mountaintop or ridgetop, with beautiful mountains and meadows as far as the eye can see. Or, you'll be hanging out in a lawn chair with the sand sifting through your toes by the Salmon River.

All of these camping spots are excellent for dark sky and stars. But with all of the fire smoke, you never know! BTW, here's a cool interactive smoke map with the latest fires and smoke conditions. 

Here we go, my top five:

1. Railroad Ridge, White Cloud Mountains, near Clayton, Idaho. 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 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. It's WAY COOL! 

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 theSawtooths 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. We were on the rooftop of Central Idaho! 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. The only downside with the spot, is that there's no cover anywhere, no trees for shelter, no rocks, nothing. You are totally exposed. Bring a good tent! 

Stanley Overlook map ... Click to enlarge 

2. Stanley Overlook - South foothills overlooking Stanley, with the Sawtooth Wilderness smack dab right in your face! Getting there: Go to Lower Stanley and take the Nip and Tuck Road (the turnoff is off to the north, kind of hidden), a public dirt road that climbs over to Stanley Creek. There are spur roads that peel off to the left, climbing up to the hilltop overlooking Stanley. 4WD is necessary. 

I've sipped cocktails with friends on that knoll, sitting in a lawnchair on a gorgeous summer evening, taking in the spectacular views, feeling lucky to live in Idaho! In the morning, sandhill cranes echoed from the Valley Creek meadows below. 

The camp is a great jump-off point for day trips around Stanley -- biking the Potato Mountain Loop, Fisher-Williams, riding up to the Basin Butte Lookout, or hiking in the Sawtooths and White Clouds. Be sure to leave some stuff there while you're gone for the day so someone doesn't take your spot. 

Steve loves to ride Bear Pete Trail! 

3. Cloochman Summit - Great overlook campsite north of McCall, next to the trailhead for Bear Pete Trail. You're also in the vicinity of Burgdorf Hot Springs, Loon Lake Loop, etc. Getting there: Take Warren Wagon Road north of McCall, past Upper Payette Lake, to a signed turnoff for Bear Pete Trail and Cloochman Summit, Forest Road #492. It's only about three miles to the summit. 4WD rig is recommended. Chainsaw recommended. There's a couple of pullouts that make for a great car-camping spot right at the summit. One of them looks south over Squaw Meadows, 20-mile lakes, the Payette National Forest peaks, and lots of burned timber from a big forest fire in the early 1990s. Go hiking or biking on Bear Pete Trail ... it's an ass-kicker of a climb uphill from the trailhead, but once you're on top of the ridge, it's a promo skyline trail.  

Having fun on the Salmon River beach scene 

4. Salmon River Beaches - Love those white sandy mansion-like beaches along the Salmon River, upstream of Riggins. Getting there: Turn right on the Salmon River Road as you drive into Riggins. The river road goes for 25 miles past French Creek to the Vinegar and Carey Creek boat ramps. There are oodles of places to camp along the road, particularly on some mansion-like beaches. Go early on a Thursday or Friday to snag a primo spot for the weekend. Potential nearby activities include rafting, kayaking or SUPing on the Salmon River. Launch from your campsite and position a shuttle vehicle downstream. Or go hiking on the Wind River Pack Bridge next to the Carey Creek boat ramp and climb a nice Forest Service trail to the Bullion Mine or beyond. 

Floating Bear Valley Creek (Courtesy Idaho Rivers United)

5. Bear Valley Campground - Great spot for folks who like to paddle a canoe or flatwater kayak. The Campground is located at the junction of Elk Creek and Bear Valley Creek, both of which are excellent for canoeing. Getting there: Take Idaho 21 to Banner Summit, between Lowman and Stanley, and then watch for a left-hand turn on the Boundary Creek Road. Follow the road to Bear Valley Campground. This is an area where you might see elk in the early morning or late evening, and you might hear a wolf howling. The meadows around Bear Valley can be spectacular when the flowers are blooming. You could also go mountain biking on the Wyoming Creek Trail and return via the Fir Creek Trail and Boundary Creek Road. You could fish the streams in the area, or drive over to Dagger Falls and hike the Marsh Creek or Middle Fork trails. 

Have fun!
- SS

Try cross-country skiing at Alturas Lake; double it up by staying at Smiley Creek Lodge

Beautiful backdrop for xc skiing! The trails are groomed for classic and skate skiing.
(photo courtesy Galena Lodge) 

The ski trails are dog friendly. Courtesy the Idaho Statesman 

The Alturas Lake trails are kid-friendly, too. Courtesy The Elephants Perch in Ketchum 

Hi all,

I've always wanted to go skate skiing on the trails by Alturas Lake in the Sawtooth Mountains, and I had an opportunity to swing by there today on my home from Salmon.

I had planned to alpine ski at Lost Trail Pass, north of Salmon, this morning, but it was minus-25 degrees in town, and they decided to close the ski area until it warms up. Several ski areas were closed in Western Montana today as well because of severe cold in the minus-30 to minus-40 range. Yikes!

Anyway, it got down to only minus-15 in Stanley this morning, so it was much more balmy than Salmon. But it was still below zero when I went skate skiing today, which meant for slower going (not much glide on cold snow), and I really had to bundle up -- like with more clothes on than I've ever worn for skate skiing. And I needed every stitch of it (including a neck gator). But it's supposed to warm up nicely this weekend, with temperatures in the high 20s on Saturday and 30 on Sunday.

BRCD ski map of Alturas Lake Trails. (click to enlarge)

I recommend touring the Alturas Lake Ski Trails as part of an overnight trip to Smiley Creek Lodge, a friendly place with hearty and wholesome food, and reasonably priced lodging and cabins. They have rooms available in the coming weekends. Lodge rooms are $100/night, with several beds for groups of friends or families. Their cabins rent for $60/night.

You could cross-country ski at Alturas Lake on one day, and then ski Galena Lodge the next. The big allure at Alturas Lake is the jaw-dropping scenary afforded by the Sawtooth Mountains. I couldn't see the peaks today because of light snow and low clouds, but you can pick a time to go when you've got a fair-weather weekend and sunny skies for the maximum views and enjoyment.

The Alturas Lake trail system features a 6.5-kilometer xc ski trail from Highway 75 to Alturas Lake, and then several 2.5-kilometer loops that peel off to the north of the main trail. All of the trails are rated beginner and intermediate. The main trail to the lake has lots of ups and downs through the pines. Very scenic and beautiful. Dogs are allowed on all of the Alturas Lake Trails.

How to get there: Take Idaho 75 north of Stanley approximately 20 miles to a signed, vehicle pullout on the west side of the highway for the Alturas Lake trails system. There is a porta potty at the trailhead.

Thanks to the Blaine County Recreation District for grooming and maintaining the trails. The BCRD provides signs at all of the key junctions to help you navigate your adventure. Trail passes are available from nearby outdoor retailers and at Galena Lodge. Daily passes cost $15 for adults; and $5 for dogs.

If you decided to double-up and explore the xc trails on the Ketchum side of Galena Summit for Day 2, stop at Galena Lodge for information on the vast ski trail system at Galena, the Harriman Trail, Prairie Creek Trails, and much more. It's all world-class xc skiing. And it's all great for skate skiing or xc skiing.

BTW ... there is a free skate-skiing clinic in Stanley on Saturday being offered by the Sawtooth Society. They're gathering at the Park Creek trailhead, seven miles west of Stanley. Beginner lessons from 10 to noon, and a clinic for intermediate and advanced skiers runs from 1-3 p.m. Rentals on hand for $10. For more information, contact kelly@sawtoothsociety.org.

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Cool to see the Statesman do a feature about Fat Bikes in McCall. Thought I'd share the link to that story, if you haven't seen it. Here's a link to my blog and video on Fat Biking that appeared a couple of weeks ago. I want one of those cool bikes!

Steve talks about his outdoor tips with Ken Bass and Misty Taylor on The River 94.9 FM Friday mornings at approximately 7:30 a.m. Go to stevestuebner.com to find information about Steve's outdoor guidebooks and other resources.  

Here are some camping, outdoor adventure ideas for Labor Day weekend; avoiding the smoke Part IV

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