Super duper weekend ahead! Three local hikes to explore in Boise, plus National Public Lands Day!

Boise Foothills trails are "the bomb" right now! Cool conditions and trails are in great shape! 
Pic of Harrison Hollow by SS

Hi all, 

After a really nice and cool week of September fall weather, it looks like we'll be shooting up into the 80s this weekend in the Boise Valley and 60s-70s in the mountains. Prime time to do just about anything outdoors while the primo fall weather lasts! 

The smoke has cleared from wildfires too in most locations, so that is a bonus! 

For my outdoor tip of the week, I'm recommending two hikes in the Boise Foothills and one at Bogus Basin for the weekend. (see below)  

First, a couple of outdoor notes: 

It's National Public Lands Day on Saturday, Sept. 24. You can visit National Park system properties in Idaho like Hagerman Fossil Beds National Monument, Craters of the Moon National Monument or City of Rocks for no charge. Volunteers are needed for Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation National Public Lands Day projects at City of Rocks, Castle Rocks, Harriman State Park. Follow the web link to sign up.   

South Fork Willow Creek property ... future open space? 
(Courtesy LTTV) 

The Land Trust for the Treasure Valley just announced today they need to raise $100,000 to acquire 320 acres in the Boise Foothills for protection as open space and wildlife habitat. The property, known as the South Fork Willow Creek property, is east of Avimor and bounded by the BLM on two sides. The property also has potential for recreation and walking and biking trails. If you'd like to donate, go here! 

My boater friends would appreciate the latest outdoor dispatch from Steve Dent with KIVI-TV about a group of experienced whitewater paddlers and firefighters who paddle-rafted the entire North Fork of the Payette River from top to bottom. They broke up the 15-mile continuous Class 5 white-knuckle run into sections. They completed their goal without suffering any major injuries - not to say they didn't have an occasional swimmer! Kudos to them for doing it safely! 

Courtesy Steve Dent, KIVI-TV YouTube channel 

Now, the hikes! All of these hikes are featured in my book, "Boise Trail Guide: 95 Hiking and Running Routes Close to Home." 

Table Rock trail (courtesy Outdoor Project) 

1. Castle Rock - Table Rock "Foothills on the Rocks" - full tour, 4.35 miles; Hiking time 1.5 hours; Vertical gain: 950 feet. Start/finish at the Old Pen parking lot next to the Bishop's House in East Boise. 

Take Castle Rock Trail #19 and climb .5 miles to the top of Castle Rock, a spiky basalt rock cap overlooking Quarry View Park. Turn right at the top and take the Quarry Trail along the edge of the rocks and pick up Trail #15 and cruise over toward Table Rock. The trail gets progressively steeper as you approach the south face of the mountain butte. Once on top, head over to the cross to check out the view of the Boise Valley. 

Circle back on Trail #16, a singletrack trail around the edge of the Quarry bear right on Trail #17. Thread through the giant boulders and rejoin Trail #15 to retrace your steps to the Bishop's House trailhead. 

Hiking to the top of Bogus Basin with Wendy and Drew 

2. Quickest Way to Heaven at Bogus Basin - This is the name of a fun hike at Bogus in my Boise Trail Guide. It literally is the fastest way to the top on foot. Distance: 3 miles; hiking time, 1.5 hours; vertical gain: 750 feet. 

Drive to the Pioneer Lodge. Climb to the top of Morning Star chairlift and turn left on Lodge Trail #140. Follow the two-track around to the Superior side of the mountain. After one mile, you'll come to a junction where a right-turn takes you to the summit of Bogus, Shafer Butte, elevation, 7,582 feet. Bring a lunch and favorite beverage to enjoy the moment on top! 

Wendy and I went hiking last Sunday afternoon at Bogus, and we were pleased to see the BBQ is open by the lower lodge, with burgers, beers, and more! They were open till 5 p.m. Perfect way to cap off a fun day on the trails at Bogus!   

Courtesy Michelle Parsons 

3. Polecat Gulch Finger Loop - See a previous post with directions, pics and a map of this 6-mile moderate and scenic hike. Access is via N. Collister or Cartwright Road. Please note that the direction of travel for the full Polecat Loop is clockwise. R2R's has signs indicating the proper direction. From the N. Collister trailhead, you'll climb an initial hill to the top of a ridge, and then you'll see a left-hand turn for the Polecat Loop. The whole trail is narrow singletrack hiking, biking and running trail, following a series of finger ridges in the Northwest Boise foothills. One-way travel for the whole loop. 

Have fun! 
- SS 

Brrrrrrr! Feels like Fall! 5 rock-solid Fall Hikes Part 2

Three Fingers Rock (courtesy Summit Post) 

Hi all,

Whoa baby, the Cool North Wind was blowing like a son of a gun today, and it's got me thinking about fall hiking for the weekend.

Pulling a few of my recommendations from a program I gave tonight at Boise REI, I'm recommending five sure-fire fall hikes for my outdoor tip of the week. Consider this Fall Hikes Part 2, following the fall hiking post I did recently. In addition, there are oodles of options to choose from in my guides, the Owyhee Canyonlands - an Outdoor Adventure Guide, and Boise Trail Guide: 95 Hiking and Running Routes Close to Home.

This afternoon, Wendy, Elena and I took a walk on Red Fox and Chickadee Ridge, and hiking on the elevated ridge was quite brisk! The rabbit brush was still popping bright yellow, and Huck flushed quail everywhere! Sometimes a quick outing in the super accessible Boise Foothills is a great option when you only have an hour or so.

To that end, we start with:

1. Castle Rock - Table Rock "Foothills on the Rocks" - Distance: 4.3 miles; Difficulty: moderate to strenuous; Vertical gain: 952 feet; Hiking time: 1.5 hours. Start from behind the Bishop's House by the Old State Pen, where there is public parking. Hike Trail #15 to Castle Rock Trail #19 and loop around to the top of Castle Rock. Take a moment to enjoy the view. Continue to the east on Trail #15 and climb to the top of Table Rock. Look out into the city and take a breather. Then descend on Trail #16 and #17, which wrap around the cone of Table Rock, and retrace your tracks back to the start.

2. Marianne Williams - Barber Park Loop - Distance: 3.6 miles; Difficulty: easy to moderate; Travel time: 2 hours; Start either in Bown Crossing or Barber Park. Cap off your trip with some coffee or a beer in Bown Crossing.

Mountain biking on the old Oregon Trail in east Boise 

3. Oregon Trail going out toward Bonneville Point from BLM trailhead on Idaho 21. The trailhead for this hike is just to the east of Surprise Valley off of the Idaho 21 connector to Gowen Road. It's a nice walk to take the trail to the east, climb to the top of the bluff overlooking Diversion Dam and the Boise River, and if you're super ambitious, you could hike all the way to Bonneville Point. But often, I'm just walking the dog and getting some fresh air and an easier out-and-back experience is all I do. I reserve the trip out to Bonneville Point for my mountain bike.

4. Huckleberry Trail, Ponderosa State Park - The colors are turning on "the Huck" and it's a relatively easy walk around the peninsula of Ponderosa State Park. Distance: 5 miles; Difficulty: moderate; Travel time: 2-3 hours. Trailhead is a Ponderosa State Park. If you've got a state trails pass, you can enter for free.

Bear Basin Trails would be another good choice when the snow melts in McCall this weekend, if it melts!

Photo courtesy Carolyn Dickinson of McCall

Norm Nelson takes a breather at the top of Three Fingers. 

5. Climb Three Fingers in the Owyhees - Distance: 2.4 miles; Difficulty: easy to moderate; Travel time: 1.5 hours; Vertical gain: 833 feet. The hardest part about the hike to Three Fingers is to find the trailhead, and that's not that hard. Follow directions in a previous detailed post about hiking to Three Fingers. You should allow 1.5-2 hours to get to the trailhead on the McIntyre Springs Road from Boise. Once you're there, the hike to the top is pretty quick, very kid-friendly, and you'll be amazed at the big views of the Owyhee Canyonlands from the top. You might even see some bighorn sheep.

Be aware that rifle deer hunting season has begins statewide in Idaho on Thursday, Oct. 10, so wear bright colors in your outdoor outings, and put bright colors on your pups.
- SS