Camas Lilies blooming at Centennial Marsh, morels popping, and ski areas opening soon

Photo by Steve S.

Hi all, 

Beauty is surrounding us this spring with colorful wildflower blooms, verdant mountains everywhere and rushing water in streams. 

One of those memorable scenes is the camas lily bloom at the Camas Prairie Centennial Marsh near Fairfield. Fields of the lavender flowers carpet the landscape for as far as your eyes can see. It's also a great place to see songbirds, water birds and birds of prey. See post on Southern Idaho Tourism for details. Easy day trip. 

Upper meadow bloom, looking north from the highway 

Watch out for the weather on Friday, if you're planning to get out and about ... looks dicy! High chance of rain, hail, you name it! Similar forecast for Saturday, but more afternoon than morning, according to the National Weather Service.  

I'm seeing that the morels are popping right now in fire zones burned last summer like the Four Corners Fire area near Cascade. But truth be told, I don't want to hear about it! Been too busy to get out foraging myself, so that's been driving me nuts! Be sure to get out soon while the picking is good! I've been wondering how the picking is in the Moose Fire zone near Salmon ... has to be productive, too! 

I've been curious when our local ski areas will be opening for the summer season. You won't have to wait too much longer! Here's what I discovered: 

• Brundage Mountain Resort opens Friday, June 16 for summer operations. Lift-served hiking and biking available, yoga sessions and more. Summer concert series starts on July 7. See band lineup to the left. See event calendar for more details.  
  
  
• Tamarack Resort opens for summer operations on Saturday, June 17. Tam has lift-served hiking and biking, waterfront boat, kayak and SUP rentals, and a zip line course. See events calendar for details on summer activities, live music and more. 
  
  
• Bogus Basin opens for summer ops on Friday, June 23. They have lift-served biking and hiking, music on the mountain, music on the patio, yoga, guided nature hikes, the glade runner, climbing wall, bungee trampoline, gem panning and summer tubing. food and beverage on the patio and more. See summer event calendar for details. 

Have fun! 
- SS 

    

Spring a perfect time to visit Leslie Gulch

In the late afternoon, the sun casts a golden glow on the beige and rouge spires that rise dramatically from the gentle sagebrush hills in Leslie Gulch. I always feel like I'm in southern Utah there, and yet, it's really eastern Oregon, just 1.5 hours from Boise.

Leslie Gulch is an awesome place for hiking honeycomb canyons, fishing or boating on Owyhee Reservoir, and mountain biking on desert two-tracks. It's also a great place to car camp. I've even done a short backpack in a honeycomb canyon ... go get lost in the magical rocks, surround yourself with beauty, bask in the serenity.

For the Tip of the Week, I recommend that you go hiking and camping in Leslie Gulch. My hiking and trail-running book, Boise Trail Guide, suggests a 5.5-mile hike to the summit of the Yellow Jacket peak, a stunningly beautiful rock formation that lords over Leslie Gulch. The peak is about 900 vertical feet from the valley floor. I'll attach a map.

Park at the Juniper Gulch trailhead on the right side of the gulch. Hike uphill on a winding creek bottom for 1 mile, enjoying the volcanic tuff-rock walls and Swiss-cheese-like formations in the canyon. After the canyon opens up, look for a left-hand draw where you can scramble to the top of the ridge, and the top of Yellow Jacket. Return the way you came.

When it's a wet spring, like the one we're experiencing now, many of the dirt roads in the Owyhee Mountains can be impassible One advantage of going to Leslie Gulch is that the roads are heavily graveled and thus, more dependable.

Come prepared for a self-supported camping experience in Leslie Gulch. Bring your tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, kitchen stuff, water, even your own firewood, come equipped for cold weather, and you'll have a great time. There are several vault toilets in the gulch. There also is a great deep-draw boat ramp for launching your craft.

Directions to Leslie Gulch: Take I-84 west to the ID 55 exit in west Nampa. Go south on ID 55 18 miles to Marsing. Drive through Marsing and then watch for a turnoff to U.S. 95 south on the left. Take U.S. 95 south about 16 miles until you come to a BLM sign. Turn right on the gravel road and follow signs to Leslie Gulch. It's 22 miles to this springtime wonderland.

- SS

Thanks to the Malheur Agricultural Experiment Station for their web photos.

Loon Lake video link is cool

Check out this video on You Tube about mountain biking the Loon Lake trail by Kevin Mullin of Boise. It's got great flow ... just like the ride itself.

I rode the Loon Lake loop with my friend Mike from McCall on Saturday afternoon, and it was positively sweet!

Gorgeous colors springing forth, deep reds and yellows starting to pop. Really fast after the first long climb ... can't get too out of control, tho, got to watch out for other trail users. And on the Loon Lake Trail, you WILL run into other people on the trail - hikers, backpackers, motorcycle riders, mountain bikers, horses, Boy Scouts, you name it, I've seen 'em on that trail. On Saturday, tho, just a few hikers and bikers.

Loon Lake glistened in the afternoon light, surrounded by mountain splendor. Last year's fire opened up some country, but really didn't spoil the view of the lake whatsoever ... now there's new green growth coming up under the blackened forest.

We watched for spawning salmon in the deep dark-green recesses of the Secesh River as we pedaled back to the campground/trailhead, slaloming around the rocks, roots and creek-crossings. Didn't see any fish but I know they're in there.

Topped it off with soak at Burgdorf. Yee haw.

- SS