Idaho Free Cross-County Ski Day is Saturday, plus update on Nordic conditions everywhere!

It's Free Cross-country Ski Day in Idaho on Saturday, Jan. 4! Free hot drinks at the Stargaze yurt! That's the mighty Quinn!

Hi all,

For those of us who pay close attention to snow conditions, snowfall, ski conditions, etc., it's been a bit of a slow start to winter in Southwest Idaho and most of the state for that matter. The series of storms we've had in the last few weeks, however, especially the big storm we had on New Year's Eve/New Year's Day, has put the mountains in pretty good shape for full-on winter recreation.

Wendy and I went up to Mores Creek Summit on New Years Day, as alas, we were not in McCall, where the really big powder dump occurred. There was a good 8-10 inches of new snow on the grade heading up Sunset Mountain, and it was pretty thick snow with high moisture content. Not the best for making turns, but it's the kind of base-making layer we need EVERYWHERE!

Let's hope we get some more big dumps soon! There's a small system that will bring a few inches of new snow to the SW Idaho mountains on Saturday, but we need more! Keep track on Idaho OpenSnow. 

In the meantime, here's an update on Nordic trail conditions and events coming up: 

• The annual Idaho Parks and Recreation Ski Free Day is happening on Saturday, Jan. 4, statewide. In the Idaho City Park and Ski Areas, you can attend an open house at the Stargaze yurt from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Stargaze is accessible to snowshoers and backcountry skiers from Beaver Creek Summit on Idaho Highway 21 between Idaho City and Lowman. Park in the pullout, hike 1.2 miles to the yurt, and learn about the Idaho Park and Ski Trail System from Tom Helmer, IDPR non-motorized trail coordinator. He'll be serving free hot chocolate, coffee and tea. Tom replaced Leo Hennessy in the last year.
• DeEtta Peterson, IDPR yurt coordinator, will lead a 1.76-mile snowshoe hike from the Banner Ridge Park and Ski parking lot, beginning at 10 a.m. She'll be leading several groups through 2 p.m. The Banner Ridge trailhead accesses the Banner Ridge and Elkhorn yurts, plus snowshoe and ski trails. DeEtta is super knowledgeable about all of the yurts and park and ski trails as well.
• To check on the latest snow and grooming conditions at the Idaho City Park and Ski Trails, call 208-514-2423. The latest recording I heard as of Dec. 30 indicated that there was a 26-inch base (prior to the New Year's storm event), so it's well over 30 inches now. Much-improved coverage! The trails are groomed weekly.  
• Ponderosa State Park will be offering free lessons and free equipment in McCall from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Gravity Sports and Hometown Sports have a great selection of gear to try out.  McCall Master Naturalists will offer free snowshoe instruction and guided tours. McCall Master Naturalists, St Luke’s McCall and Albertson’s will provide hot drinks and snacks. Hopefully, Scout the Fox will be visiting, too. 
• Race for the Diamonds at Ponderosa Park on Saturday - This sounds really fun! Registration at 5 p.m. Two-person relay teams are picked at random. Each skier races a 3K course. The winning team gets a $150 gift certificate from McCall Jewelry! Plus there is a 1K and 3K race for kids.
• Tamarack Resort has opened its Nordic Trails - About 15K's are groomed. Some of Tamarack's Nordic Trails are open to snow-biking as well. 
• All of the trails in Bear Basin, Jug Mountain Ranch (snow-biking, too) and the North Valley Trail (snow-biking, too) are groomed and in great shape! See McCall Nordic for the latest grooming reports on all of the xc areas in Valley County. 
• All of Bogus Basin's Nordic trails are open. See the grooming report here.  
• See the Blaine County Winter Trailink for the latest conditions in the Wood River Valley. Almost all of the trails are open in the valley now. 

- SS

Wet, wacky weather coming this weekend! What to expect in March; What to do?

It's going to be wet in March! 40-50% chance of above-average precipitation 

But ... 30-40% chance of above-average temperatures. How will this play out? 

As of March 2nd, much of Idaho is at 100% of normal.
There's still a ton of snow in the mountains!

Hi all,

Well, just as I invited folks to get out and enjoy the trails in the Boise Foothills last week, it looks as if it's going to be wet this weekend and a major wet weather pattern is heading our way in the next couple of weeks. However, tomorrow (Friday) should be fabulous for spring skiing or playing in the foothills, with a high forecast in the mid-60s in the valley and clear skies. Enjoy that while you can.

Looking ahead into March, it's going to be a challenging balance between chasing fresh powder in the mountains or hiking, biking, trail-running, road biking, playing golf or tennis in the valleys below. Even spring camping in the Owyhee Canyonlands may be difficult depending on how much rain we get in the next few weeks. Wet mucky roads = getting stuck and stranded in a super remote place.

PLUS, rising rivers put another wrinkle on things for people who like to kayak, raft, SUP, etc. The Owyhee River has cut loose and it's running 4,000 cubic feet per second today, a sweet level for the Lower Owyhee River, starting at Rome and paddling down to Birch Creek, a 3- or 4-day trip. The Payette River and Salmon River are rising as well. The steelhead bite is on. More about the rivers in a moment.

My outdoor tip this week will focus on weather conditions expected in the next couple of weeks to give folks a sense of what to expect in planning their weekend outings or spring break.

An abnormally warm second half of February has people thinking winter is over, but I know it's too early for that! After all, I grew a beard this winter to DARE the snow gods to remain in our sphere for a full ski season, and that means at least another month of skiing! But I've been curious about what's in store for the next few weeks. Here's what I found:

The National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center forecast for the next two weeks calls for above-average precipitation and above-average temperatures:

50-60% chance of above-average precipitation March 9-19

30%-40% chance of above-average temperatures

In my experience, these forecasts are very accurate. Just to ground-proof it a little, I contacted the National Weather Service in Boise to get their take on things. The forecaster I spoke with indicated that, indeed, they are expecting a wet pattern to come in with gusto with strong winds. High temperatures will be in the mid- to high 50s in the Boise area, while mountain temperatures will vary according to elevation and microclimates.

We all hope for powder snow and no rain, and that will depend on snow levels with each storm. The NWS forecaster said he expects snow levels to be in the 4,000-5,500-foot range for colder storms coming soon, or maybe as high as 7,000 to 8,000 feet by March 11th. It's hard to say for sure, of course, but these are the predictions.

If you're a true skier and a powder hound, you'll watch the weather like a hawk and be in position to pounce when the gettin' is good! If you'd rather avoid the snow and winter weather at this point, you may have to endure a fair number of rainy days in the valley. Please watch the Ridge to Rivers web site or the Boise Foothills Trail Conditions Facebook page for the latest trail conditions and above all else, heed their advice!

Two of my favorite destinations for times when it's rainy in the valley and foothills trails are muddy:

• Marianne Williams Park - Barber Park -  Bown Crossing Loop.  4 miles. Rated easy. Click on link for details and maps. This is a hiking trip, no bikes allowed on the nature trails.
  



Eagle Greenbelt Loop 

• Eagle Greenbelt Loop - 6 miles. Open to hiking, running or biking. Park by the Greenbelt and Glenwood Bridge parking lot on Glenwood Avenue in Garden City or at Bardenay near Eagle Road. I like to start from the Bardenay area. Head east on a paved trail that gives way to dirt after a while and then becomes paved again on your way to the new pedestrian bridge crossing the Boise River. Cross the bridge and head west on a paved path that later turns to dirt as you get close to Eagle Road. When you emerge at Eagle Road, walk or bike across the bridge spanning the south channel, and then walk/bike in the swale to the north channel of the river. Pick up the Greenbelt there, head east a short ways, cross two pedestrian bridges, and then turn left to return to Bardenay. Walkers or runners could do a longer loop by going all the way to Glenwood before crossing the river and returning west on the trail.  

Now, back to the rivers, if you're looking to run the Owyhee this spring, here's a graph from NRCS Snow Survey that shows how the Owyhee River may flow in the coming weeks ... it could be peaking soon! 

Right now, the Owyhee is tracking close to the 1998 season, when it was
runnable through May. What happens with spring precipitation and heat
will determine how the rest of it runs off.

Hope that information helps for what you may be planning in the coming weeks! Have fun!
- SS

Pray for more snow to augment the slow start we have so far; where to find snow this weekend

Sun Valley groomers are a hoot! 

Big views in all directions

Ski the pow at Targhee!

Galena has some of the best xc skiing in North America! 

Bear Basin is the main xc venue in McCall right now 

Boot hiking the Five Mile-Orchard Gulch loop in the Boise footies 

Hi all,

Now that we have a little bit of snow, and we can enjoy some downhill skiing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the mountains, it's time to fire up the weekly outdoor tips for the winter season.

We've had a slow start in terms of snow, that's for sure. Snowpack levels in the Payette and Boise basins are about 64 percent of normal so far. The Big Wood is 59 percent, and the Weiser is 45 percent. I'm hoping that winter storms really pick up in the coming weeks. It looks as if a significant storm is coming in on Friday, and that will allow Brundage Mountain to open for the ski season. Yay!

Here's the latest conditions at popular alpine skiing destinations:

• Sun Valley has the most skiing of any downhill area in the SW Idaho region, with top-to-bottom groomers available. We're talking leg-burners down Warm Springs or College and River Run. Lift tickets are discounted at $69/day right now, and if you combine a ski day(s) with lodging, you can probably do better than that. 
• Bogus Basin has some terrain open on the front side, and they will likely open the backside when they get more snow. Lift tickets are $25 at the moment.  
• Brundage opens on Friday. Lift tickets cost $36 on opening day. 
• Tamarack Resort is operating on Thursday-Sunday, with skiing on the Summit Chairlift. I've heard the skiing is quite good in the upper part of the mountain. They're charging $49/day for adults. 
• Grand Targhee has the best skiing in the southern Idaho, with the full mountain open and a 54-inch base. Lift tickets are $59 through Dec. 20; $72 during the holidays. Not sure if they have any rooms left for Christmas break, but I bet Targhee will be busy! 

As for cross-country skiing ... 

• Bogus Basin Nordic has about 15Ks of groomed xc ski trails at the moment. The main trail from the Nordic Lodge is groomed past the Shafer Butte picnic area turnoff. Several shorter loops are open as well. Day tickets cost $11 for a full day, $8 for a half day after 1 p.m. 
• Bear Basin has 9 inches of snow, with all of the main trails open. The web site doesn't specify exactly how many K's are open in total. Cost is $10 for adults. 
• Ponderosa Park doesn't have enough snow depth to open right now, but after Friday's storm, they may open by the weekened. Ditto with Jug Mountain Ranch.  
• Galena Lodge, north of Ketchum/Sun Valley is reportedly skiing great. They have 30Ks of trails open at the present time. Many of the trails around Galena Lodge are open, plus the Harriman Trail down to Prairie Creek, and the Prairie Creek system is open. Down-valley trails are closed until they get more snow. The cost to ski at Galena is $15 for adults; $5 for kids, and kids 12 and under ski free.  
• The Idaho City Park n' Ski Trails are open but not groomed yet, because they need more snow for grooming. The snow phone reports 1.5-2 feet of snow in places. The parking lots are plowed. So you could head up there with your snow boots and go for a hike or go snowshoeing. Banner Ridge and Beaver Creek Summit and Stargaze Yurt areas should have the most snow being at the highest elevation. Be sure to get a Park n' Ski parking pass on your way at the gas station in Idaho City. 

Backcountry skiing is decent at Mores Creek Summit, I hear. But it's going to be thin in places. Watch out for hazards. Drive to the Mores Creek Summit parking lot above Idaho City, and hoof it up to Pilot Peak, Freeman Peak or Sunset Mountain from the Mores Creek parking lot. Skins on skis or snowshoes work great! 

Closer to home, one thing I've been doing a lot of lately is boot-hiking in the foothills with my dog. The trails have been frozen, with a few inches of snow on top, and it makes for great walking in Sorels or the equivalent. Enjoy while you can. A lot of the trails out of Camelsback Park are great for this, as well as Corrals Trail, Five Mile Creek Trail and Orchard Gulch.    

Before I sign off, I should mention that the new Owyhee Canyonlands guidebook by yours truly and Mark Lisk has been popular since it was released in early December. You can find them in Boise at Lisk Gallery, Idaho Mountain Touring, George's Cycles, World Cycles and Rediscovered Books, (Boise REI and Barnes & Noble will stock them soon) Sierra Trading Post in Meridian, Flying M coffee house in Nampa, Cafferty's Cycles in Nampa, Hastings in Nampa, the Owyhee County Historic Museum gift shop in Murphy, Homedale Drug in Homedale, Logan's Market in Marsing, Gus's gas stop in Grand View, and more, plus at stevestuebner.com and amazon.com! 

Have a great holiday everyone! 

- SS