New full-color guide to the Boise River provides details on navigating the river from Lucky Peak to Parma

Adam Bass, right, with Chel and the new Boise River guide.

Hi all, 

Just when we're seeing more and more people floating non-traditional sections of the Boise River in rafts, canoes, stand-up paddle boards and inner tubes, the Boise River Enhancement Network (BREN) has produced a new guidebook for the Boise River, providing details on navigating the river from Lucky Peak to Parma. 

Adam Bass is the author of the full-color, waterproof guide. BREN had a little party at Idaho River Sports on Wednesday night to celebrate the launch of the new guide. The spiral-bound guide is available for sale for $35 retail.

Tom "Chel" Chelstrom wrote the first detailed guide to the Boise River in the mid-1990s, and updated it five times over the years.

"My first printing of “Canoeing the Boise river” served to jump start our community’s awareness of the recreation opportunities beyond Barber Park to Ann Morrison," Chel says. "I am delighted that Adam has incorporated some of that early work and made a much more detailed, user-friendly guidebook.

"The book is a great tribute to the efforts of so many people to improve access and information about the river. Shout out to IRU, Boise River 2000, the Boise River Trails Coalition and Boise River Enhancement Network for 25 years of great work!"

Here's Drew on the Boise River with his friend Jenny McIntosh.

Adam Bass said this about the book:

"The Guidebook introduces river users to the beautiful plants and fascinating wildlife of the lower Boise River as well as the natural and human-created hazards. Experienced boaters can use the Guidebook to safely explore our backyard treasure and become ambassadors for a healthy river." 

In the introduction, Bass writes "The Boise River flows nearly 70 miles from Discovery Park, just below Lucky Peak Dam east of Boise, to its confluence with the Snake River west of Parma. The river provides wonderful paddling opportunities and scenic views over its entire length. There are many accesses and most are easily reached on major roads, which make for simple shuttles."

They break the river down into the following sections: 

• Lucky Peak to Barber Park 
• Barber Park to Ann Morrison Park 
• Glenwood to Eagle Road - South Channel 
• Glenwood to Eagle Road - North Channel 
• Eagle Road to Linder - South Channel 
• Eagle Road to Linder - North Channel 
• Star Road to Lansing Lane 
• Middleton Road to Wittenberger Park 
• Wittenberger Park to Notus 
• Notus to Parma 
• Parma to Fort Boise  

Each section has notes on put-ins and takeouts, hazards or points of interest, wildlife you might see along the way, etc.

BE SMART AND SAFE OUT THERE! 

Try to scout unfamiliar sections of the river before you go, or at least hazards that you expect to encounter such as irrigation diversions. The best advice is to "scout" any hazards before floating them. 

The guidebook says, "Paddling on rivers is never completely safe. Develop your skills on lakes, paddle within your ability, and always wear a properly fitted PFD (life jacket). You are responsible for your safety while paddling and only you can judge the suitability of the Boise River for your skill level."

Also ... "Keep other river users in mind," Bass says. "If you plan a trip through town, keep in mind other floaters. If you plan a trip downstream of Eagle Road, keep in mind potential
waterfowl hunters. Always be aware of fishermen."

Truth be told, Chel approached me about printing a guidebook on the Boise River when he was researching all of the different sections of the river shortly after I had published my first edition of "Paddling the Payette," a guide to 24 day trips on all forks of the Payette River. At the time, I didn't think there would be much of a market for a canoeing guide to the Boise River ... because it was a very small small number of people who do that type of thing. 

But now that SUPs and sit-on-top kayaks are commonplace on the Boise River -- and full-sized rafts with anglers on board -- there definitely is a need for a detailed guide about the more unsung sections of the Boise River, in my view. 

KNOW BEFORE YOU GO - Be sure to check water levels on the Boise River before you go ... check the Idaho river flows page to get the latest flows, such as the gauge in Caldwell: https://waterdata.usgs.gov/id/nwis/uv/?site_no=13211205&PARAmeter_cd=00065,00060,00010

Be sure to bring plenty of food and water with you. Wear good river shoes/sandals for navigating around hazardous areas. 

And have fun!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR IDAHO CITY YURTS! 

Hey folks, Idaho Parks and Recreation is having a hard time recruiting volunteers for stocking up the Idaho City yurts with fresh firewood and other things for the winter season. Contact Steve Schaps, thewildwestguy@gmail.com if you'd like to help out.

August 11-12 - Skyline Yurt organized by Brian McMahan. Meeting at 7:45 am at the Idaho Parks and Rec office on Warm Springs Road.  Carpooling available.

August 17-18 - Hennessey Yurt organized by Leo Hennessey himself. Meeting at the yurt at 9-10 am. 

August 30-31 - Elkhorn Yurt organized by me (Steve Schaps) meeting at the Parks and Rec office on Warm Springs Road at 7:45 am. Carpooling available.

August 31-Sept 1 - Banner Ridge Yurt organized by Julie Rittenberry. 

Please spread the word to your friends. Thanks!
- SS 

Two paddling adventures suitable for Idaho bucket list - 1000 Springs & Shoshone Falls

Photos courtesy VisitIdaho 

Taking off from Centennial Park toward Shoshone Falls 

Hi all,

I've been exploring the Southern Idaho region more than usual this year, working on Southern Idaho Tourism for Carew & Co., a really great Boise ad agency. I've been posting items on social media, blogging and shooting photos and video for content posted on VisitSouthIdaho.com.

Along the way, I've been touting two paddling trips in the region that are really world-class adventures because of the scenery and surroundings:

1. Paddling from Centennial Park in Twin Falls to the base of Shoshone Falls, a 4-mile trip one way.
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2. Doing a loop around Ritter Island below the rushing water of Thousand Springs, pouring from the Snake River cliffs above. 2-mile loop

Now that we're in mid-summer, it's prime time for paddling adventures! In terms of crafts, these trips are best suited for Stand Up Paddle Boards (SUP), sit-on-top hard-shell kayaks, canoes or inflatable kayaks. In fact, these trips are perfect for them!

You can take your own gear down there, or rent stuff in Hagerman at Hagerman Valley Sports & Merc (for Thousand Springs tour), or at Centennial Park in Twin Falls for the trip to Shoshone Falls. Idaho Guide Service provides guided tours to Shoshone Falls with lunch. The cool thing about renting watercraft from AWOL Adventure Sports at Centennial Park is it's very handy. You just show up, rent your gear and go! Prices are very reasonable - $20 to $45, depending on craft.

They'll tell you how to portage Pillar Falls (two miles toward the falls) and what to expect on your journey to Shoshone Falls. Most of the time, you'll encounter a west wind on the way back. Just remember that for travel time. Bring plenty of food and drink to enjoy the day.

The big highlight of the trip is to hang out below Shoshone Falls and take in the roaring water from river level, hearing the sound of nature pounding on the water and mist rising into the sun's rays, sometimes forming rainbows.

Here's an informative blog post about the paddling trip to Shoshone Falls, titled "Hiking on Water to Shoshone Falls" by Justin Fricke, published by VisitIdaho. And here's a May post that I penned about Paddling the Snake.

For the Ritter Island Tour, travel to Thousand Springs State Park, east of Hagerman, on the Thousand Springs Scenic Byway. There are detailed maps on the state park web site. You can tour the Minnie Miller dairy barn while you're there, and hike around the island, if you wish (2 mile trail). Launch your boat on the Thousand Springs channel near the entrance to the park, and then paddle out to the Snake River, go downstream to the bottom toe of the island, and paddle back around the Thousand Springs channel. Do as many loops as you want!

Paddling in channel below Thousand Springs 

While you're in the neighborhood, I recommend the Twin Falls Sandwich Company in downtown Twin Falls for lunch, Elevation 486 for a top-shelf dinner with a stupendous view of the Snake River canyon, and the Snake River Grill in Hagerman for a delicious fish dinner or your choosing.

For lodging, you can find an RV campground in the area or book at hotel room.

Have a great time!
- SS

Go north to Idaho's lakes country to get out of the smoke & go boating, hiking or biking

Priest Lake under a full moon

Hi all,

I think it's safe to say that people are getting really tired of the smoke-filled Boise Valley, and this weekend, they'll be looking for ways to find some clean air. In my mind, this is a perfect excuse to head north to the Idaho Panhandle, where there are a bounty of recreation opportunities to enjoy, and the air is clear, so I've heard from locals in Coeur d'Alene.

You might groan and think, gawd, that's just too far to go! And I'd come back and say, hey, it's not that far, and you've got only a week or so before the kids have to head back to school. Why not take a few days and go somewhere like Priest Lake, where you can hang out on the beach, even camp by the beach,  and go boating on the lake, canoeing in Upper Priest Lake, mountain biking through giant cedar groves or hiking in the Selkirk Mountains. Or, pick up a Panhandle National Forests map and go on a waterfall tour.

Here's one of my previous blogs that details all of the great camping, mountain biking and canoeing opportunities in the Priest Lake area. Wendy and I went mountain biking on the Lakeshore Trail along main Priest Lake, and rode the Navigation Trail to Upper Priest Lake and cruised along the shoreline. We also canoed from our beach campsite at Beaver Creek Campground, paddled up the channel between main Priest and Upper Priest, and toured the upper lake for the day. Pete Zimowsky from the Statesman wrote a very thorough report about that paddling trip in today's paper.

Another more challenging mountain biking ride near Priest Lake is the Upper Priest River Trail. It's 20.4 miles out and back, all singletrack, and you'll end up at a waterfall and swimming hole at the Idaho-British Columbia border, a perfect place to cool off. This one is featured in my book Mountain Biking Idaho. It's one of my all-time favorite rides. The cedar trees are gigantic.  

Several other possibilities in the Idaho Panhandle:

The Taft Tunnel (courtesy Spokesman Review)

• Ride the Route of the Hiawatha, a cool, gravel rail-trail that can be accessed from Wallace if you're taking the I-90 or from St. Maries, if you're driving up through Idaho. There are a whole series of dark tunnels and railroad trestles on the trail. Distance is 14 miles up, 14 miles back. There's a shuttle available if you don't want to ride uphill. Be sure to bring a bright light! (Camping headlamps are worthless). This ride is written up in Mountain Biking Idaho. Here's an informative video about the whole experience. 
• Ride the Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes anywhere between Wallace and Heyburn State Park. If you're driving up through Idaho, access the trail from the west side at Heyburn, and cruise on the paved trail to Harrison for ice cream and continue along Lake Coeur d'Alene and then the Coeur d'Alene River, enjoy the scenery and all of the bird life along the way. 



The Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes 

• Pick up a copy of  Mountain Biking Idaho and check out some outstanding rides in the Coeur d'Alene and Sandpoint areas. Canfield Butte next to Coeur d'Alene has a ton of singletrack trails to explore, and Farragut State Park also has some great trails, one of them right next to Lake Pend Oreille. In the Sandpoint area, you can ride a twisty singletrack (more than 40 switchbacks!) to the top of Gold Hill, cruise around Schweitzer Mountain Ski Area, or try a long expert ride like the Bernard Peak Loop (18.5 miles, 2,650 feet of vertical gain/loss.) 

If you go up north, I recommend taking I-84 to Tri-Cities, Wash., Highway 395 to I-90, and then you're home free, in Ritzville, Wash., just an hour from Spokane, and 1.5 hours from Coeur d'Alene. This route is at least an hour faster than driving through Idaho (I've done it in 6+ hours). Save time by driving part of the way in the evening, and the rest in the morning, and then you'll have for an outing the first afternoon. 

If you'd rather stay closer to home, head up to McCall and go beaching, camping, hiking, biking and boating. Here's a blog I wrote recently with 10 reasons to go to McCall. The morel picking season is long over, but you can probably still find some huckleberries.  

If you're stuck in town, don't forget the Tour de Fat event on Saturday in Ann Morrison Park ... The parade starts at 10 a.m. (be sure to dress up in some kind of wacky costume), and then the beer begins to flow ... buy beer and your proceeds go toward the Southwest Idaho Mountain Biking Association (SWIMBA), the Boise Bicycle Project and other great charities.

Have fun!
- SS

Flatwater kayaking/canoeing is a relaxing alternative to whitewater boating in Idaho

Lynda with a friend on the Payette River near Emmett

Ditto 

Steve and Wendy paddle Cascade to Cabarton on the Payette R. 

Hi all,

I did a clinic at Sierra Trading Post this week about flatwater boating in SW Idaho, so I thought I'd make that my tip of the week. The weather this weekend may be a little cool for that, but it's an idea you can file away for when the weather gets a little warmer AND the rivers have dropped below flood stage to a post-peak-flow summer slumber.

Before we get into the flatwater boating discussion, I'd like to remind folks that the biggest used river gear sale in Boise is happening Saturday at Idaho River Sports. It's a great event.

Flatwater boating is a nice and relaxing alternative to whitewater boating in Idaho. It's a hoot to go out with a bunch of friends and paddle in a pond, lake, reservoir or river, watch for wildlife and relax. We're fortunate to have numerous fabulous, scenic flatwater paddling destinations in SW Idaho. But first, a few thoughts about gear.


I met Lynda from Emmett the other night. They're hooked on flatwater boating. Lynda really likes her 12-foot sit-on-top flatwater kayak. It's an Ocean Peekaboo model, named as such because it's got a window in the bottom of the hull for looking at fish and other stuff in the water below.

"I just love it," Lynda says. "Every time we get a chance, we're out on the water. It's just so peaceful and relaxing -- it's so awesome to be out on the water after a stressed-out day at work."

So if you'd like to get into the sport, what kind of craft do you need?

The general options are a canoe, inflatable kayak, sit-on-top kayak or a sea kayak with an enclosed cockpit. The ideal craft depends on where you'd like to go paddling (river, lake or ocean?), the size of your family, how much you expect to use your boat, what kind of performance you're looking for, and of course, your budget.

Personally, I've been canoeing for years, having grown up in Minnesota. I've often used a canoe for flatwater outings on rivers, lake tours and extended trips in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and Quetico Provincal Park in Canada. Canoes can carry a significant amount of gear, and they're relatively easy to paddle with instruction and experience.

The downside with canoes is that you need to take a class to learn proper paddling techniques, and they are tippy ... it's very easy to flip a canoe in tricky river currents or when you get into a situation with heavy wind and big waves on a lake. 

I've used inflatable kayaks (IK's) on rivers, and they're super easy to maneuver. They won't flip unless you get into big whitewater. Another advantage is that IK's deflate, so they're easy to transport in a small vehicle or pack on a plane. IK's that do well on rivers don't track that well on a lake, however, and in a stiff headwind, it's hard to make any headway.

Sit-on-top kayaks are cool because they're easy to maneuver, and they take very little instruction, if any. They're hardshell boats, so they are smooth and move fast on the water. Stan Kolby, co-owner of Idaho River Sports, notes that 70 percent of his summer rentals at Quinn's Pond in Boise are sit-on-top kayaks. The customers like them best for cruising around the pond on a scenic tour.   

For sea kayaking, I've used the sit-on-top singles and doubles, and they're pretty bomber. If you're interested in doing lots of trips and tours in island chains and such, higher performance models with enclosed cockpits might be the trick. If you're planning on traveling a long distance, for example, a high-performance boat is going to be less-demanding.

"In a sea kayak, you're going to take about 1,000 strokes per mile," Kolby says. "Depending on the performance of the boat, it might be 900 strokes per mile or 1,200 strokes per mile."

I'm definitely no expert on flatwater paddling equipment. But I'd recommend trying out a boat before you buy it, see how your body fits the boat and make sure it's comfortable. See how it maneuvers, and think about what kind of bodies of water you expect to paddle, and see if it's the right thing for you. Plus, get a nice paddle(s) to go with it. Quality paddles are worth the investment.  

As for where to go flatwater boating, there are a number of locations that rise to the top, like whipped cream. Many of these trips are featured in my guidebook Paddling the Payette (PTP). The Payette River is noteworthy for its world-class whitewater, but the river system also has some premium flatwater trips. In fact, 14 of the 24 trips I feature in the book are flatwater tours.

Now for the flatwater top list:

·    In Boise, Quinn's Pond next to Idaho River Sports, ParkCenter Pond off of ParkCenter Blvd., or Veterans Pond in Veterans State Park off of Veterans Parkway.

·    Montour section of the Payette River. Very easy flat section of the Payette River, starting from the Montour Bridge in the Montour Wildlife Management Area. It's 3.5 miles from the bridge to Black Canyon Reservoir. A bike shuttle is easy. Featured in PTP.

·    "The Meanders," starting from North Beach on Payette Lake near McCall. This is a premium paddling location. There is no current in this old river channel that feeds Payette Lake. It's 4.5 miles from one end to the other. You'll see lots of wildlife, including possibly the resident moose, ospreys, bald eagles, possibly mink, muskrat or beaver, and more. Featured in PTP.

·    Little Payette Lake near McCall. Very sweet paddling location. No motorized craft are allowed on the lake, so it's quiet and hardly anyone goes there in my experience. Featured in PTP.

·    Upper arms of Lake Cascade. I learned about these paddling locations when I worked at Tamarack. I hadn't ever really considered them before that. But they are nice. The Lake Fork Arm, Boulder Creek Arm or North Fork Arm of the lake are the best options when the lake is full in May or June. There are a number of boat ramps in the upper arms. Featured in PTP.

·    Swan Falls Reservoir, starting from Swan Falls Dam south of Kuna in the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area. Put in at the park next to the dam and paddle around and look at birds of prey. Watch out for the wind!

·    Cascade to Cabarton section on the North Fork of the Payette River, starting from the south bridge in the City of Cascade. This section is 9 miles long with a float time of 3-5 hours. It's totally flat with no rapids anywhere. Featured in PTP.

·    North Fork Payette River from McCall to Hartsell Bridge. This section is 9 miles long, there is at least one portage about a log jam, and it takes a full day to float. Lots of meanders. Good fishing. Featured in PTP.
·    Middle Fork Payette River Tie Creek section. This is a fun trip starting from Tie Creek Campground north of Crouch and Garden Valley. This is an 8-mile trip that takes about 2-3 hours. It's fun to observe the funky cabins that line the Middle Fork as you float through. Featured in PTP.

If you like to go flatwater boating, considering hooking up with the Idaho Canoe Club. They traveled to Silver Creek near Picabo for their last trip, and they'll be floating the Middle Fork Tie Creek run on Mother's Day, May 13. 

Informal flatwater trips also are planned through Denny Mooney at Alpenglow Mountainsport.  

Have fun! 

-SS