Whoa baby! Here comes the heat! Here are 13 tips on how to stay cool close to home ...

Lake Cascade 

Boating at Lucky Peak 

Floating the Salmon River

Floating the Payette River 

SUP'ing on Payette Lake ... Photo courtesy Lolo Nelson 

Redfish Lake near Stanley 

Round the Mountain Trail, Bogus Basin 

Hi all,

Well, I see the summer heat is going to hit us right between the eyes -- all too soon -- here in the last week of June. I just finished a 6-day trip on the Main Salmon - River of No Return, and the temperatures were most pleasant, with highs in the mid-80s to low 90s. But looking ahead to this week, we're going to get hit with temperatures in the triple digits for the next week! Yikes!

Here are 13 recommendations on how to stay cool:

• Start super early if you'd like to go hiking, biking or trail-running in the Boise Foothills. That means get out before 7 a.m. 
• Go to Bogus Basin and start your hiking, trail-running or biking trip up there. It should be 15 degrees cooler. Hike or ride the Around the Mountain Trail, Freddy's Stack Rock Trail, Eastside or Sweet Connie. This weekend, Bogus is hosting a trail-running event on Saturday. 
• Float the Boise River - Put on plenty of sunscreen, wear a big goofy hat, and float the Boise River with your friends and family. See info. at Ada County Parks & Waterways. Take your time, hang out by the water and stay cool. 
• Go swimming, tubing or water-skiing at Lucky Peak, Arrowrock or Anderson Ranch. 
• Go swimming or SUP'ing at a local park or pond. See Boise Parks & Recreation for ideas close to home. 
• Hire a guide or rent a boat and go float the Payette River. The Main Payette River from Banks to Beehive Bend is best for those breaking into the sport. If you'd like to crank up the adrenaline meter and float the South Fork, put a bunch of friends together and hire a guided service. Bear Valley, Cascade Raft and Kayak, and Idaho Whitewater Unlimited all provide quality guided trips on the Payette River.
• Go swimming or SUP'ing at a local park or pond. See Boise Parks & Recreation for ideas close to home. 
• Go camping, fishing, swimming, water-skiing or SUP'ing at Lake Cascade State Park in Cascade or Donnelly.
• Go swimming, tubing, surfing or water-skiing on Payette Lake. Find a place to stay overnight in McCall or go camping in the Payette National Forest. 
• Go camping, fishing, swimming or SUP'ing at Redfish Lake or Stanley Lake in the Sawtooths. Go to recreation.gov to make reservations.   
• Drive to Riggins and hang out on a big beach on the Salmon River. Go swimming, camping and fishing. Get there early. There will be competition for the primo camping spots.  
• Plan a personal trip on the Salmon River or book a trip with an outfitter, if you don't have your own gear. Here's a few notes from my trip last year on the Salmon. It's a trip-of-a-lifetime to vacation for a week on the Salmon River, but since we live in Idaho, we can do it every year! 
• Backpack or day hike into a high mountain lake and stay cool in the alpine forest environment. See my blog about five of my favorite kid-friendly hikes near Stanley and McCall for ideas. 

There you have it! Have fun! 

- SS 

Try stand up paddle boards on ponds, lakes, ocean waves and whitewater!

SUP's are popular for ocean surfing

Surfing with Fido

SUP nuts tying the knot

A scenic and relaxing sunset cruise

In the lesson, we started out on our knees ...

Some SUPs are set up for paddle-boarding and sea kayaking

Jo Cassin and Jefe Bates give us the skinny on how to get started ...

Hi all,

I've been seeing quite a bit of information about a new recreational toy called a Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) in the last year, so I thought I would give one a test drive.

I took a class on Tuesday night, and the class was full -- that seems to indicate how popular this new sport is becoming. Idaho River Sports is offering lessons upon demand during the day Monday through Saturday, and evening sessions on Tuesdays and Fridays. Alpenglow Mountainsport also is offering lessons upon request with a SUP board rental.

Interest has just "exploded" in the sport of SUP in the last year, local paddling experts say.

"Number one, it's easy ... most people can do it," says Jefe Bates of Glide Paddleboards. "Eventually, the paddleboard is going to replace the canoe."

People also are drawn to the sport because of its potential sex appeal. Guys like being the surfer dude and showing off their beach bodies, and it's a sport where women can wear a hot bathing suit and show off as well. Bates said some people even teach yoga on SUPs.

Me? I just wanted to try it out and see what all of the fuss is about. Bates and IRS co-owner Jo Cassin walked us through the basics on dry land, and then we all got into the water at Quinn's Pond, kneeled on the boards, and nervously paddled out into the deep water, where we would all try to stand up and paddle.

I felt very stable on the board in the kneeling position, but quite unstable initially as I stood up, legs wobbling, trying to hold my balance and stand on both feet. I noticed that my other class-mates stood up and were paddling in a matter of 5 minutes or less. I managed to survive standing up, but my legs quivered for at least 10 minutes until I adjusted my feet to put one foot in back, and the other in front a bit, standing in the middle of the board. Finally, I felt a little more relaxed.

I have bad memories of trying to learn how to board-sail many years ago, when I spent hours upon hours trying to get started in a weak wind, only to fall over and try to climb on the board again. I was hoping that wouldn't happen to me doing the SUP thing, and fortunately, it didn't.

The paddle strokes came easy to me because I know how to canoe and kayak, so I know a J-stroke, sweep stroke and brace. The brace came in handy a couple of times when I almost lost my balance. That was nice.

A friend of mine told me he likes to paddle-board for balance and body core exercise. After trying it out, I can see how the balancing act works your core. After learning to balance a bit better, I felt the main appeal was relaxation while getting a low-key workout. I did get hot after a while, and had to drop into the water to cool off. One of my class-mates thought the flat-water was too boring ... she wanted to surf some waves! See what you think!

The board I used is a 12-foot soft top fiberglass board made by Surftech. It retails for $1,199. IRS also carries boards made by Doyle and NRS. Most of the boards were in the $1,000 price range. You can always rent and save money that way. I'm sure after a few years, the price may come down, or used SUP's will become available. The paddles are long -- they're supposed to be 6-10 inches taller than your head.

SUP's are very popular in the ocean for surfing. Check out this video on ocean surfing with SUPs. Bates has been focusing on running whitewater on the Payette River with a SUP, so that's a different twist! He says he has run the Main Payette, and is working his way up to running Staircase and Slalom on the South Fork Payette.

For most of us, still-water paddling venues will hold the most appeal. Besides Quinn's Pond off of Pleasanton in Northwest Boise, you also might try the Boise River next to Discovery Park, Redfish Lake, Lake Lowell, Lake Cascade, Payette Lake, the "Meanders" on the north end of Payette Lake, slow sections of the Payette River south of Cascade or by Smith's Ferry, C.J. Strike Reservoir, Swan Falls Reservoir (watch out for wind), or other bodies of water that you like to visit.

Check in with these local SUP dealers to learn more:

• Idaho River Sports
• Alpenglow Mountainsport
• Glide Paddleboards
• Stand Up and Paddle Sports

(I hope I didn't overlook anyone; let me know!)

Have fun!

- SS