Sweet slice of country in SW Boise

(Route map cropped from the "Boise Road Cycling Guide")

If you're a powder hound, this endless string of beautiful sunny days we've had lately is a bit depressing. But I learned long ago that in drought winters, you've simply got to adapt ... so on Saturday afternoon, I jumped on my road bike and rode a 28-mile country tour on the outskirts of Southwest Boise. It's really quiet out there, the pavement is in good shape, and the great big expanse of country makes it feel as though you're a long ways from town.

The route I took was a combination of George's Tuesday Night Ride and a few snippets of the Boise Half Century Ride for a two-hour ride (pretty major headwind). These rides are featured in a new waterproof bike map I published in December called the Boise Road Cycling Guide.

I started at the junction of Gowen and Pleasant Valley, and then rode south on Pleasant Valley. The southeast wind was right in my face on the way up the Pleasant Valley grade. Big gravel pits are peppered along the grade. At the top of the hill, I went right on Ten Mile Creek Road, a beautiful route along a ranch and creek bottom. Then, I went south on S. Cole to Kuna-Mora Road, again in the wind. But I had the route to myself ... no cars in sight for miles.

At Kuna-Mora, I turned right and rode several miles west into a warm afternoon sun. Then, heading north on Cloverdale, I had a nice tailwind and flew back toward Kuna at 22-25 mph. Instead of riding back over to Pleasant Valley via Ten Mile, I went straight on Cloverdale, and then cut over to S. Cole on Lake Hazel. There's a nice parkway along Lake Hazel east of Cloverdale. Lake Hazel comes to a dead-end, and then you turn left and ride on a couple of small streets in a subdivision to reach S. Cole.

Back into the blasted head wind, I rode S. Cole to the Peregrine Fund turnoff and turned left on Hollilyn for the home stretch back over to Pleasant Valley. There's a lot of open sagebrush between that southern bench and the Boise Airport. Great spot for mice, rabbits and hawks. I saw several red-tails patrolling low, just hovering above the ground.

Anyway, this country tour is a beauty. And it kicks your butt hard enough that you'll be hungry for dinner! Try it sometime. -SS

Fair weather skiing at Bogus

Last Saturday, we had the privilege of skiing under sunny skies at Bogus Basin with a bunch of friends. I brought my video camera and took some shots as we yo-yo'd a great off-trail mogul slope to the skier's right of upper Paradise.

Here's a link to the video.

We all love to ski in the sunshine, but lately, I've been praying for snow. We need a fresh coating everywhere ... sounds like we might be getting the storms coming through this weekend, just in time for the Special Olympics World Winter Games. Bring it on! - SS

My boyhood hockey rink still rocks

My boyhood outdoor hockey rink
Bennett Field, Deephaven, Minnesota
Free outdoor ice - Priceless!

I was back in Minnetonka, Minn., to hang out with my Dad over the weekend, and I had a little time Saturday afternoon to head over to Bennett field -- a place where I used to play hockey when I was a kid. Much to my delight, the outdoor rink was flooded, frozen and in good shape. Six juniors from Minnetonka High School had a pickup game under way.

I laced up my skates in the warming house and joined the game. We played for an hour until we were exhausted (no resting allowed). Much to my delight, I could hang pretty well with those boys. They loved hearing about how I had played in league hockey at that rink and others nearby in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Back then, below-zero temperatures were typical in January -- and my toes and fingers will never be the same.

It's too mild in Boise for consistent outdoor ice. So I really love it when I have a chance to play sandlot hockey in Minnesota. It's a treat. -SS

Cartwright Three Summits Loop always delivers

After at least a week of melting conditions, the roads are dry again in the lower elevations surrounding Boise, so I thought it'd be a great chance to ride the Cartwright Three Summits Loop (also known as "the Dump loop") on Saturday afternoon.

It was a partly cloudy day, with temps in the high 30s, so I dressed warm and peeled out on my road bike toward Hill Road. It's easiest from my house in NW Boise to ride up N. 36th Street past Quail Hollow Golf Course to Arrowhead Point and connect to the first summit on Cartwright Road from there.

And then, there's the killer steep hill going up the second summit of Cartwright. It's always a punishing experience going up that 10% grade -- guaranteed to hurt.

At the top of the second summit, tho, you can really let it rip down to Pierce Park Road, bear right and climb over a short hill on brand new pavement to the Dry Creek Valley. It's mostly downhill through here, and you ride by Hidden Springs, turn left on Seamans Gulch Road and climb to the third summit. It's a fairly gradual climb to the Seamans summit, but your legs are a bit taxed by now, so it still hurts.

Once over the top, you zoom by the Ada County Landfill and the Seamans Gulch foothills trailhead, connect to Hill Road and bear left to return to the start.

The loop is about 17.5 miles, 18 from my house. Total vertical gain is 1,598 feet.

The ride is featured in the new Boise Road Cycling Guide, the first-ever road cycling map for 30+ rides in the greater Boise Valley. - SS

Quick rendezvous in Sun Valley

One of my favorite cousins, Peter Damon, who lives in L.A., made an impromptu trip to Sun Valley last weekend with his family, and so my son Quinn and I jetted up there Friday afternoon to spend the weekend with them.

Peter and I took our boys to Dollar Mountain on Saturday morning, and they had a blast poking around in a some powder pockets between the slopes. Meanwhile, Peter and I toured around the big Baldy-o, cranking turns on the groomers, and flying off soft bumps everywhere. The skies were clear that day, so it was brisk on the mountain, but certainly comfortable, with temps in the high teens by the afternoon. Peter kept remarking on how beautiful the moutains were all around us, and I talked about all the yurts I love to visit in the surrounding mountain ranges and the hiking and mountain bike trails, the rivers, and on and on.

On Sunday morning, I planned to go skate skiing on the beautiful groomed trails at the Sun Valley Nordic Center. I thought I was real smart to get my skate skis waxed with a fresh coating of cold wax at the Elephants Perch the day before. My previous outing had been on pretty warm snow (31 degrees) at Jug Mountain Ranch on New Years Day.

But lo and behold, on Sunday morning, it was so crisp and cold that my nose hairs stuck together (reminiscent of my Minnesota childhood), and the danged skate skis didn't glide at all ... they felt just the opposite, almost like sand paper. It was about 10 degrees F at the time.

The track looked absolutely gorgeous. I was SO ready to fly on a groomed track after pushing through tons of fresh powder my last three times out. It looked perfect but I was as slow as a fricking snail.

So I slogged through about 8Ks and came back to the lodge, with extremely cold fingers, and thought, the hell with it, I'm going to go watch the NFL playoffs, drink a beer and relax. But I had to stop at the Elephant's Perch and ask about the wax, and they were like, yeah, skate skiing doesn't work when it's this cold. You should use your classic gear on a day like today ... and I'm thinking, dang! why didn't they tell me that when they waxed my skis?

Live and learn. Skate Skiing Lesson #205. Leave the skate skis in the garage when it's butt-ugly cold. Got it.

- SS

Fun Fun Fun in McCall

We escaped to McCall for a great vacation during Christmas week. We were blessed with tons of new snow, DEEP champagne-quality powder on two separate occasions at Brundage Mountain, and we notched a bunch of Ks skate skiing under the towering pines in Ponderosa State Park.

That's not to mention great times with friends and family, and enjoying the ambiance of our cozy cabin in McCall.

Wendy and I skied up to Osprey Point on the first day we skied at Ponderosa. Because of all the new snow, we had to slog through 5-6 inches of loose unpacked powder for several miles to reach the $1 million view at the top of the peninsula. But as always, it was well worth the grind.

Here's a video I shot on that trip to Osprey Point.

So let us thank the great snow god, Ullr, who brought us the greatest Christmas present of all -- he showered tons of fresh "pow" on our mountains, putting the ski resorts in primo shape just in time for the holidays, and allowing us powder hounds to enjoy the best that winter has to offer. Most assuredly, Ullr has brought wonderful things to all of us who could appreciate that gift. - SS

Sledding at Hilltop Summit

In snow sledding season, sometimes it's great to head out to your own favorite local sledding hill and go for it.

I've often taken my kids to a nice sledding hill near Hilltop Summit, near Lucky Peak Reservoir, about 12 miles east of Boise on Idaho 21. There's a turnout to the left, and you can climb the hill as many times as your legs will allow.

Here's some video of my 11-year-old son, Quinn, on the hill, and a few other characters.

-SS