Ride Sun Valley Bike Festival coming up, plus some ideas on how to escape 100-degree blast furnace

Ride Sun Valley! 

Cool off at Lake Cascade State Park! 

Trinity Lakes 

Harriman State Park ... Mesa Falls is nearby! 

Loon Lake would be refreshing this time of year ... 

Hi all,

Well, the 4th of July is coming up next week, and extreme heat is descending on the Boise Valley after a nice respite of cool weather. Five days of 100-plus heat are forecast in the Boise area, beginning Friday. Geez! This week, I'll share some thoughts about where you could go to beat the heat, but first, I'll tout some events coming up.

The Ride Sun Valley Bike Fest kicks off on Friday with an enduro event and opening party at Sawtooth Brewery on Friday night, and then there is a full slate of events going on through next week that promise to please cyclists of all kinds.

The Ketchum-Sun Valley area will be a nice place to cool off as well. One event that looks fun is the SRAM Gold Rusch Tour, a series of mountain bike rides for women led by Sun Valley's own Rebecca Rusch, known as "the queen of pain." She's a three-time world-champion in mountain bike endurance events and four-time winner of the Leadville 100 mountain bike race. Reba's Ride Camp runs from July 2-7. There is no charge. Seems like an awesome opportunity.

On July 1-2, demo bikes are available from Cannondale, GT, Mongoose, Ellsworth and Scott, among others. The bikes are available at no charge to ride on Sun Valley's 400+ miles of singletrack from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Another great opportunity.

On Wednesday, July 3rd, there's a criterium race in Ketchum starting at 3 p.m. in the afternoon. That would be fun to watch! And from Monday, July 1 through Friday, July 5th, there are a bunch of "local stoker" rides on the creme de la creme of Sun Valley's singletrack trails. For folks who want to ride the best singletrack that Ketchum-Sun Valley has to offer, here's a chance to explore those rides with local ride leaders.

Next Saturday, July 6th, the USA Cycling Marathon Mountain Bike National Championships will be held at Bald Mountain ... good chance to watch the strongest riders in the nation compete on the 45-mile course featuring over 5,000 feet of climbing and descending. Plus, there's the MASSV Music Fest on July 5 and 6 at the base of Bald Mountain.

I've got to tip my hat to the folks in the Ketchum-Sun Valley area for packing an incredible amount of fun, food and music into a week's worth of quality activities. If you're looking for lodging, check out the Visit Sun Valley web site for the best deals that fit your budget. You also could camp in the Sawooth National Recreation Area nearby.

Cool off in the Payette River and learn about river safety ... On Saturday, June 29, the Idaho Whitewater Association is hosting a safety clinic on the Main Payette River from Banks to Beehive Bend. Put-on the Main Payette between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Participate in clinics on boat-flipping (and flipping back over), first-aid and throw bag safety.

Here are a few recommendations for cool-off trips during the 4th of July week:

• Head up to Bogus Basin, where it's always 10-15 degrees cooler than it is in the valley, and go hiking or biking on tons of trails at the ski area or nearby in the Eastside, Stack Rock area. 
• Go camping in the Trinity Mountains near Prairie in the Boise National Forest. It's a high-elevation area with a number of high mountain lakes near the end of the road. 
• Head for Lake Cascade State Park in Cascade. Ponderosa State Park is likely booked for the whole holiday week, but Lake Cascade State Park will have some openings. The north unit of the park along Lake Cascade west of Donnelly has a number of nice campgrounds right on the shores of Lake Cascade. You can go canoeing or lake kayaking on the lake, bike the Crown Point Trail (great for kids and families), go tubing or kayaking at Kelly's Whitewater Park, or hike/ride the Eagle's Nest Trail (click on free download). 
• Go camping, hiking and biking in the Payette National Forest, north of McCall. Areas like Upper Payette Lake, Squaw Meadows, Burgdorf Hot Springs, Loon Lake and others will be much cooler than the Treasure Valley. Be sure to bring your bug juice as the mosquitoes will be out in force in the evening.  
• Go camping in Eastern Idaho, visit Harriman State Park and Mesa Falls or go fishing on the Henrys Fork or the South Fork of the Snake River. 
• Rent a cabin in the Boise or Payette national forest and dip your toes into a nearby creek. Go to recreation.gov to check on availability. The cabins are inexpensive and make a great base camp, especially with kids. 
• Go kayaking, rafting or canoeing on the Payette River. 
• Float the Boise River. 
• Go backpacking to a high mountain lake in the Sawtooths, White Clouds, Boise National Forest, Payette National Forest, Sawtooth NRA or Frank Church-River of Return Wilderness. Go swimming in the high mountain lake ... it'll be refreshing, I guarantee it. 
• Escape to the Oregon Coast. 
• Head up to Priest Lake or Lake Pend Oreille in North Idaho. 
• Go Ice Skating at Idaho Ice World. Ha! That'll keep you cool. 

There you have it!
- SS 

It's not too late! Celebrate Idaho's rivers by planning a "staycation" on our four best rivers

Ah, rafting on the Salmon River! Life is good! 

Kids reading books? No electronics to divert their attention ... 

The historic Jim Moore homestead on the Salmon River near Campbell's Ferry. 

Dutch oven cooking! 

Happy people! 

Hiking! This is Amanda Damon from Rhode Island. She'd never seen so many mountains ...  

The kids love paddling the double ducky. Thanks Mark! 

Hi all,

After posting pictures from our recent trip on the Main Salmon River - River of No Return, I heard some people say things like "jealous!" and "wish I could go" and of course "beautiful!"

We are blessed with a bounty of awesome, wilderness river trips in Idaho, and the Main Salmon is one of the crown jewels. I also heartily recommend doing a trip on the Salmon, the Middle Fork of the Salmon River, the Selway River and Hells Canyon of the Snake.

It's not too late! There's still plenty of time to plan or book a whitewater wilderness vacation with your friends and family. Given how dry it's been this spring, the experts are predicting a big wildfire season in late summer. You'd be smart to plan a river trip in July, if at all possible.

Who go? The Main Salmon is arguably one of the best family wilderness whitewater vacations in America. And it's located right here in our home state in Central Idaho. You camp on spacious beaches with lots of shade afforded by tall stately pine trees. You get to play on the river during the day, and then you can set up the volleyball net on the beach, play bocce ball, hang out and enjoy the scenery, and more. Plus, there's hot springs, history, and Buckskin Bill's and Mackay Bar, where you can buy fresh ice cream for your kids.

River trips are one of the cushiest forms of camping you can imagine. Instead of hauling all of your food and clothes on your back such as in backpacking, the raft carries all the weight. You can bring iced coolers with just about any food items you want, plus you can carry plenty of favorite beverages for the kids and adults.

As you're enjoying the float trip during the week, the members of your floating party bond and get to know each other on a much more personal basis. You will make lifelong friends on the river. And you will fall in love with the river canyon.

The Main Salmon is best suited for families and novice boaters because the rapids are not as hard to navigate as they are on the Middle Fork, Hells Canyon or the Selway. Follow an experienced boater down the river, and you'll learn a ton. My cousin from Rhode Island learned how to row a raft on our Main Salmon trip, and by the time he reached the end of the trip, he had learned a ton, including how to self-rescue in the middle of a rapids! (Chittam).

For the do-it-yourself boating community, the hardest part of getting on the Main Salmon, Middle Fork, Selway or Hells Canyon is drawing a permit. I picked up a cancelation for June 10th in April from recreation.gov, so I had plenty of time to plan a trip and pull together a diverse party of 16 people.

If you still don't have a permit for this summer, watch the recreation.gov web site for last-minute cancelations, and grab a date that works for you. It will likely be easiest to find cancelations on the Main Salmon or Hells Canyon. The Middle Fork will have some cancelations, particularly in later summer, and the Selway is unlikely to have any cancelations, as only 1 launch is allowed per day.

The second way to book a river trip is to go with an outfitter. Idaho is blessed with a multitude of quality outfitters. As longtime businesses operated on Idaho's best rivers, the outfitters receive an allocation of permits for their trips. So you don't need to draw a permit to go with them. You just have to pay the trip fee, which is usually about $1,500 per person. Go to the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association web site, and shop for an outfitted river trip.

Other options are to float the Lower Salmon River below Whitebird to Hells Canyon. This section of river is a great trip for kids and families, and nothing more than a self-issue permit is needed. This is a 4- or 5-day trip, depending on how fast you want to go.

Other possibilities would be to float the Grand Ronde River or John Day River in Eastern Oregon, or the South Fork of the Snake River in Eastern Idaho.
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Reminder: the SWIMBA Trail Rendezvous runs from 3-9 p.m. on Saturday at the Eagle Cycle Park.
This is a fund-raising event for SWIMBA's quest to purchase a singletrack trail-cutting machine. They are only $9,000 short of their goal. Sockeye brewing is donating all proceeds from beer sales to SWIMBA. Sockeye has created a new beer called "Trail Digger Pale Ale." I'm going to head over there to drink some beer and support the addition of more singletrack trails in SW Idaho.

Also, see Roger Phillips rundown in the Statesman of a bunch of must-see, must-do cycling events coming up this summer. Thanks Roger!

One of those events is the Blue Cruise, a road ride of 15, 30, 50 and 100 miles, starting in Meridian. The ride this year will benefit low-income kids who need bikes. Donate your old bikes to Blue Cross or the Boise Bicycle Project, and BBP will recycle them for the Bikes for Kids event in late July. More information here.    

Outdoorsy folks in Cascade are getting quite creative with a new event called the Payette River Games. There are all kinds of competitive events going on in Cascade at Kelly's Whitewater Park and other venue, including a kayak competition, beach volleyball, bocce ball, golf, lumberjack, fitness, yoga, you name it! It starts on Friday and runs through Sunday.

Have fun!
-SS

Great weather coming up Saturday for 7th annual Weiser River Trail Bike Ride; Go for it!

The old RR trestles have been planked and ride smooth thanks to WRT volunteers 

Upper Weiser River 

Ann Allyn on the trail ... 

Near the Evergreen sawmill 

Downhill grade through the forest. Fun!  

Hi all,

The 7th annual Weiser River Trail Bike Ride is coming up on Saturday, and the weather should be excellent for the ride. If you've ever wanted to explore the Weiser River Trail, this is a perfect opportunity to check out the rail-trail.

The ride on Saturday will cover 28 miles on the upper section of the trail, which is one of the best sections of the 85-mile trail, in my opinion. I like the top end of the trail because you're riding mostly downhill through the headwaters of the Weiser River, and the trail winds along the rushing river and beautiful scenery in the forest before the trail emerges in lower country near Council.

I asked Irene Saphra of New Meadows what she likes about the upper section of the WRT. And she made a Top 10 list!

1)  It's cooler and shadier (for the first 18 miles). Goes through the only real "forested" section of the trail.
2)  Has more awesome wooden trestle crossings than any other portion 85-mile trail.
3)  Goes underneath the "iconic" Highway 95 Bridge, one of the most-photographed landmarks along the trail.
4)  Lots of opportunities to view wildlife, including deer, bear and waterfowl. 
5)  First 18 miles are never far from the clear sparkling head waters of the Weiser River.
6)  In the fall, there are numerous wild apple trees within a hand's reach.
7)  Evergreen campground is a refreshing picnic/rest stop.

8)  Last 10 miles provide open vistas of the Council Valley from ranches to snow-capped peaks.
9)  Mostly downhill.10)  Ending point in Council has numerous opportunities for ice-cream or other "cold refreshment" after completing your ride on a warm day!

To sign up for the ride, register on this web site. Meeting place on Saturday is at 9 a.m. at the Council Trailhead, on Hornet Creek Road, just west of the Council town center. Riders coming from McCall can meet at the northern trailhead of the WRT just west of New Meadows.

What kind of bike is best? The trail is hard-packed dirt/gravel surface. I'd recommend a mountain bike or a cross bike. Road bikes with super skinny tires would not be the best. Helmets are required to participate in the ride.

The registration fee costs $40, which includes a T-shirt and lunch. Proceeds from the ride will go to support the Friends of the Weiser River Trail. Are you a member yet? It's a good idea to become a member to support the WRT. I've always felt like that volunteers managing the trail do an excellent job!

Another friend, Ann Gauss Allyn just rode the upper 40 miles of the Weiser River Trail several weeks ago. This is what she had to say about her experience: 

"The Weiser River Trail is awesome and has something for everyone," Allyn said. "You can stroll at at an easy pace and enjoy the scenery. I loved the variation in the scenery - canyons along the way, farm land and forest. This is a wonderful ride for all abilities."

For more information, contact Ed Allen, ride coordinator, edgart@frontiernet.net. 

BTW, there is a mile-by-mile guide to the WRT in my guide, Mountain Biking in McCall. It's getting hot, summer is kicking in, and it's time to ride the trails in McCall. My book has all of the key rides in the McCall area, plus the WRT, rides around the city of Cascade, and 40 rides overall. It's available on my web site, many bike shops in Boise, plus Gravity Sports, Hometown Sports, the Hub, and Shore Lodge in McCall, plus Wheeler Drug and Cascade Gear & Grind in Cascade.  
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Don't forget about the North Fork Championships this week on the North Fork of the Payette River! There are events going on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. See the event web site for more information. Should be really fun to watch! 
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Save the date: On June 22, SWIMBA will be hosting the Trail Rendezvous, a fund-raising event to cross the finish line on their quest to purchase a singletrack trail-cutting machine, the ST 101. Sockeye Brewery has made a special beer, Trail Digger, for the occasion and they've donated 15 kegs for the event! There will be food, beer, fun, trail riding and music! Stay tuned!   

I'm heading off for the Main Salmon River - River of No Return for a week of vacation on Sunday, so there will be no outdoor tip from me next Friday. See you soon! 
- SS  

Fun events! Big Water Blowout River Festival; Sheep, Music and Lamb Feed in the Foothills

Now that's one big river hole! (all photos courtesy of the Big Water Blowout)

Swimmer? 

Music this year is by the "Wasteland Kings"

Hi all,

The weekend forecast looks quite dandy with temps in the high 70s in Riggins, the self-avowed whitewater capital of Idaho, and home to a super-fun annual event aptly called the "Big Water Blowout River Festival."

It's all happening on Saturday, beginning at 9 a.m. in Riggins. Meet at Riggins City Park (on the right, on the north end of town, as you're traveling north). Check out the vid.

A big bonus associated with the Big Water Blowout event is that guided river trips are available for only $30, which is less than half the price of a typical guided half-day float trip. So for those folks who don't have their own river gear, it's a great opportunity to go rafting through some fun rapids with the pros, and then have a blast in the whole party scene that follows the river trip, including live music and a Dutch oven cookoff.

If you're a river nut, you've got to go. If you've always wanted to try whitewater rafting, you've got to go. If you think you're a river god or goddess, show up and see how the river trip and the D.O. cook-off shakes out. Dress up! Get the river attitude cranked up!

Here's how the event is described by the hosts in Riggins:

This is an action packed, family fun event with experienced Outfitters and Guides offering discounted raft trips all day. Come paddle HUGE Rapids, and enjoy the magnificent scenery and wildlife in the second deepest gorge in North America. Get your thrill seeking in, and see all the rafts, catarafts, kayaks, and dories go BIG and ride boat munching waves with names like The Pencil Sharpener, The Pancake Wave, The Big Easy and The Haystack.

The Salmon River is running 25,000 cubic feet per second at Whitebird, so it's up, but not at a death-defying  level (could be 75,000+ in a bigger snowpack year). The Salmon probably has peaked, according to the snowpack/river flow experts, so if you're into running big water, seize the day NOW.
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Sheep move into the Boise Foothills near the Corrals Trail in April. 

Closer to home, there's a cool event going on Saturday at the Foothills Learning Center. It's called "Sheep in the Foothills." It's a family friendly event, great for kids, to learn about the domestic sheep that graze through the Boise Foothills in the spring as they make their way into the high country in the Boise National Forest.

The event runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be herding-dog demonstrations, sheep, sheep camps, sheep-shearing, music by Gary and Cindy Braun, a lamb feast for lunch (my favorite!), wool crafts and more.

Because of limited parking at the Foothills Center, transportation is being provided to the event at no charge. Park at Fort Boise Community Center near St. Luke's. Shuttles begin at 10 a.m. and continue every 30 minutes through 1 p.m.

The event is co-sponsored by Idaho Rangeland Resource Commission, Idaho Wool Growers Association, and Boise Parks & Recreation.
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Juicer at 5,000 cfs 

The North Fork Championships are happening again next week, June 6-8, on the world-renowned North Fork of the Payette River, near Banks, Idaho, with an expanded menu of events. Besides the qualifier race on the lower three miles of the North Fork at 11 a.m. Thursday, June 6, and the Elite Race at noon Saturday, June 8th in Jacob's Ladder Rapids, the single-steepest and most challenging drop on the North Fork, there will be a "Boatercross/enduro" race at 5 p.m. Friday, June 7th on S-Turn Rapids near milepost 90 on Idaho 55. Read Roger Phillips column in the Statesman for all of the details. That's a must-see event!

Have fun!
- SS

Last-minute ideas for Memorial Day weekend - Campers: dress warm and bring firewood!

Dress warm for camping this weekend ... and you'll be fine. 

Middle Fork Boise River 

The Morel picking has been hit and miss so far ... 

Wind River pack bridge, trailhead for the Wind River Trail on the Salmon River 

Rapid River Trail in Riggins is a dandy hiking and backpacking destination 

Hi all,

It's expected to be fairly chilly this weekend, particularly in the mountains. But at least there isn't much rain in the forecast. Last year, Memorial Day was pretty soggy in the mountains, and that definitely puts a damper on things. But this year, it should be dry, with temperatures in the low 60s by the afternoon in the mountains, which is nice weather for hiking and biking. Just bring a few extra layers.

[Here is the audio from Steve's outdoor tips re: Memorial Day weekend on the the River Mornings show]

Roger Phillips from the Idaho Statesman Outdoors pulled together a nice summary of the camping, road and trail conditions in the Boise, Payette and Sawtooth national forests in today's paper. The upshot seems to be that trails, roads and campgrounds below 6,000-foot elevation are open for Memorial Day weekend activities, and sites above that elevation are more iffy or closed by snow. Bull Trout Lake is closed by snow, for example, and so are Deadwood Reservoir and the Trinity Mountains.

Here are some ideas for Memorial Day camping and outings:

• With these cool temperatures, camping in the Owyhees will be warmer than heading into the national forest. See my spring camping blog post from March ... places like Bruneau Dunes State Park, Leslie Gulch, Succor Creek State Park or the Morley Nelson Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area would all be good bets. 
• Camping near Idaho City should be great. Take the Rabbit Creek Road into the North Fork of the Boise River or the Middle Fork of the Boise River. There are tons of places to camp along both river corridors.
• Camping near Stanley should be fine, too, just a little colder. Highs are forecast in the 60s in the afternoons but in the 20s at night. Campgrounds are open at the ever-popular Redfish Lake and vicinity. Can't beat the view!   
• The Edna Creek road is clear of snow and freshly graded, according to the Forest Service, if you'd like to head up to Atlanta and do some camping or hiking.
• Morel mushrooms appear to be sprouting (I'm seeing pics of morels on my Facebook friends' pages ... people who live in Valley County), so it might be a good time to check areas that got burned last summer for morels. The Trinity Ridge fire area near Pine and Featherville comes to mind, so would the forest north of Stanley. Some forest roads are closed because of fire rehabilitation, but hopefully you can get into some of the burn areas on foot or bike to pick morels. David Olson from the Boise National Forest reports that as of June 1, no permits will be needed for commercial or private morel picking in the Trinity Ridge fire zone. Apparently so far, the morel crop is a dud. Hopefully, that'll change? Be aware that certain forest roads are closed in the vicinity to work on post-fire rehab.
• The trails and roads in the Idaho City Park n' Ski Areas are snow-free and open to the public. The yurts are all rented for the weekend, according to the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, but you can find other spots for car-camping in the vicinity and go hiking and biking on Park n Ski trails. 
• Another cool spring camping location is along the Salmon River, upstream of Riggins. There are numerous HUGE white sandy beaches up there where you can set up a great camp, hang out by the river, do some floating on the Salmon and/or go hiking. The hike on the Wind River Trail via the Wind River Pack Bridge about 25 miles upstream of Riggins has a number of switchbacks as you climb higher and higher up the Salmon River canyon. The trail eventually leads into the Gospel Hump Wilderness, but you probably won't get that far. That'd be a great hike right now.
• If you're in the Riggins area, the hike up Rapid River is a sweet one, too. The trailhead is about two miles south of Riggins. I just saw some beautiful photos from some folks who went backpacking in the Rapid River last weekend. 
• Camping in Lake Cascade State Park should be dandy as well. If you go to Cascade, the Crown Point Trail is a great family friendly hike or bike ride for all abilities and ages. It's about 3 miles one-way to a temporary dead-end, and 3 miles back. You also can go biking or hiking on the The Strand, a two-mile trail along the North Fork of the Payette River in Cascade. Very pretty spot, and it's next to Kelly's Whitewater Park. 

There are a few ideas to chew on ... Have fun!
- SS  

Seize the day! Bike to Work Day incentives + volunteer work opportunities in ID Wilderness

Courtesy Boise Weekly 

Hi all,

It's Boise Bike Week in case you haven't noticed, and tomorrow morning (Friday) is the official National Bike to Work Day! That means if you've ever had even slightest inclination to ride your bike to work, then by god, this is the day to do it. Get up a little earlier than normal, take your time, take care not to sweat too much on the way to work (or pack your work clothes), and you'll feel refreshed when you get to work.

More reasons to bike to work, from the Treasure Valley Cycling Alliance: Number One: You're ONE LESS CAR. I love the T-shirts that say that. It's about making Boise more liveable. It's about reducing your impact on the environment. It's about sustainable living. It's about exercise, community, convenience, freedom and fun. Once you discover the many benefits of cycling, you'll wonder why you didn't start riding sooner.

Plus, there are two very cool incentives for people who Bike to Work Friday ...

• Whole Foods Market, at the corner of Broadway, Front and Myrtle, is providing a free, hot breakfast for peeps who ride their bike to work. George's Cycles and the Boise Bicycle Project will perform free safety checks and quick tune-ups. That's a sweet gig! Hours are 6-9 a.m. Friday.
• Boise Young Professionals and Big City Coffee  have teamed up for Bike to Work Day ... they're offering free treats and coffee to bikers while BYP members will staff the table, ready to greet you on your way to work or school. Learn more about the BYP while you're there! Hours are 7-9 a.m. Friday at Big City Coffee, 1416 W. Grove. 

And then Friday night, head over to the Riverside Hotel in Garden City for the big block party! Be sure to ride your bike to the event (bring a bike lock w/you). Live music will be playing from Hillfolk Noir and Reilly Coyote, plus the beer will be flowing, friendly vendors will be there and great prizes will be raffled off. Event runs from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Bring your friends! 

FYI: The Boise Bicycle Project is hosting a ride from BBP on Lusk Street to the block party at the Riverside Hotel via the Greenbelt. The theme is tandems and twins. Dress up with your BFF as twins and ride a tandem, then you'll really be stylin'!  

Check the Boise Bike Week events schedule to learn about the cycling events planned for Saturday, the final day of Boise Bike Week. And a big shout-out to the Treasure Valley Cycling Alliance, the Boise Weekly  and all of the great organizations that sponsored events during the week. We have a great cycling community!  
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Jack Van Valkenburgh (quoted below) is third from the right. 

Old stuff from a backcountry ranch was gathered up by volunteers for the pack-out .

Pack mules sure help when it comes to packing supplies in and out of the wilderness. 

The Selway-Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation is looking for volunteers to work on four project areas this summer in the Frank Church-River of No Return Wilderness. The projects involve clearing trails of downfall,  trail re-construction, building trail structures and general maintenance work. 

This is an opportunity to see and experience "the Frank" while giving back to the resource. The projects are needed and they have lasting benefits for the many people and pack stock that traverse the many trails in "the Frank." 

This is what my friend Jack Van Valkenburgh had to say about his experience. "I had a great time last summer working trail restoration on Marble Creek (in the Frank). Great people, good food, and the cooking and the heaviest supplies were handled by the backcountry horsemen. A terrific experience in beautiful country! Oh yea! 

Volunteers must provide their own transportation to the trailhead, provide their own personal backpacking equipment, and their sweat equity, and the Foundation provides all project tools, safety equipment, leadership and best of all - delicious meals cooked hot twice a day with a sack lunch for projects.

Take a look at the projects and dates below, and see if it works into your schedule. Contact Eric Melson for more information or to register for one of the trips: emelson@selwaybitterroot.org. 

Here are the four projects: 

1. Upper Yellowjacket Reroute, building of Turnpike/Creek Crossing structure - June 19-26

Open to 6-8 Volunteers

Starting Elevation: 6000ft; Camp Elevation: 6000ft

Mileage: 2 miles to work site

Starting trailhead: Yellow Jacket Creek and FS RD 112

Meet and camp at Yellow Jacket Guard Station deep in the Salmon River Mountains (accessed up FS Road 112 from Panther Creek). Each day, hike 2 miles to the work site and perform work digging new trail and installing a 'turnpike' trail structure over a spring creek. Though this is physically demanding work, we will have time to rest, hike and enjoy the company of the group as well. Trail head camping at guard station, tent camping with access to outhouses, creek water, weekend volunteers are welcome on this project. This project is considered moderate.

2. Lookout Ridge Heavy Trail Maintenance and Reconstruction - July 20-27

Open to 6-8 Volunteers

Starting Elevation: 8500ft; Camp Elevation: 7200ft

Mileage: 4-5 miles to basecamp with the potential of up to 20 miles of travel throughout project.

Starting trailhead: Lookout Mt Ridge at Thunder Mountain

Work on a section of the 900-mile Idaho Centennial Trail, from Thunder Mountain to West Fork Rush Creek junction. This is a challenging and rewarding opportunity to help clear annual blow down, repair trail tread and drainage issues, and re-work a 100-yard section of Idaho’s historic North to South trail. Open to 6-8 volunteers with backpacking experience. Cook and pack stock provided, basecamp camping. This project is considered difficult. 

3. Little Pistol Trail Clearing and Maintenance - Aug. 3-10

Open to 6-8 Volunteers

Starting Elevation: 8900ft; Camp Elevation:  4800ft

Mileage: 7-8 miles to basecamp with the potential of up to 30 miles of travel throughout project

Starting trailhead: Pistol Lake

In the SW corner of the Frank, Little Pistol Ridge is highlighted by an impressive ridgeline and a beautiful alpine lake basin which marks our starting point. Little Pistol is in need of much care and attention with heavy log out expected, tread repair and drainage maintenance also needed. Open to 6-8 volunteers with backpacking experience, trail work experience desired.  Cook and pack stock provided, basecamp camping. This project is considered difficult.

4. Summit Trail Clearing and Maintenance - August 27th - September 3rd

Open to 2-4 Volunteers

Starting Elevation: 7200ft; Camp Elevation:  8500ft

Mileage: 5 miles to basecamp with the potential of up to 20 miles of travel throughout project

Starting Trailhead: Snowshoe Summit on FS Rd 447E

This is a “Jack and Jill of all trades” trip with the opportunity to work with a variety of tools and techniques. We will work on Summit Trail from Snowshoe Cabin to Chilcoot Pass with incredible views of the Frank Church as you work along the ridge. Open to 6-8 volunteers with backpacking experience, trail work experience desired but not required. Cook and pack stock provided, basecamp camping. This project is considered difficult.

Have fun!

- SS 

It's getting hot - time to break out the paddling gear and float your favorite Idaho Rivers

South Fork Canyon "hang on!" 

North Fork Payette River, Class 5 section 

Mixmaster, Main Payette 

Go Left Rapids, Main Payette 

Main Payette, Bennett Rock Rapids  

Hi all,

The mercury is rising as if it's late June, even though it's early May. Temperatures are supposed to be in the mid-80s on Saturday and hit 90 on Sunday. Time to break out the paddling gear and go boating - either flatwater touring or whitewater kayaking or rafting.

I was up on the Payette River on Wednesday, and the water is coming up fast. The main Payette was running 4,350 cfs today (Thursday), the South Fork "Staircase" section 2,400+ cfs, the South Fork "Canyon" 1,620 cfs, the North Fork 1,140 at Banks, and the Middle Fork Tie Creek section 800+ cfs.

That's plenty of water for a good time on any those Payette River sections, plus Cabarton south of Cascade, or one could run the Upper Payette from Grand Jean down to Kirkham Hot Springs. I'm planning on taking some soccer kids on the Main Payette on Sunday afternoon.

If you've got your own gear, you know the drill! Gather up some friends, gear up and go.

If not, you can rent paddling gear from Idaho River Sports, Alpenglow Mountainsport or Boise Army Navy in Boise, or you can book a paddle-boat trip with an outfitter -- both Cascade Raft and Kayak and Bear Valley Outfitters are ready to roll.

Make sure you wear a life jacket
on the Payette River. 

If you rent the gear, and don't know the Payette River very well, consider buying my trusty guidebook, "Paddling the Payette," which provides a detailed guide to all of the rapids on the Payette River and all of the flatwater trips as well. Many people don't realize that there is more flatwater boating on the Payette, than whitewater. My guide tells you where to find 14 flatwater adventures, and 10 whitewater trips. It costs $12.95, and it's available for sale online, or you can buy individual paddling trips for 99 cents each online.

If you like to go inflatable kayaking, but you don't have your own IK, you can rent one, or you can book an IK trip with Cascade Raft and Kayak on Saturdays. They're offering a special on IK trips. Inquire with Cascade for details on rates and times available.

On Sunday, the Idaho Canoe SUP Club, an offshoot of Idaho River Sports, is hosting the ever-popular Mother's Day float on the Middle Fork of the Payette River "Tie Creek" section, upstream of Crouch. This is a beautiful 9-mile float trip on flatwater, with eddies and current. It's suitable for canoes, inflatable kayaks and small rafts. Here's a previous blog entry with photos all about the Middle Fork trip.

If you'd like to go on the Middle Fork trip, and you don't have a boat, IRS is offering a special of $35 for either a canoe or IK rental for the day. You'd need to pick up your craft on Saturday afternoon to do the trip on Sunday. Call 336-4844 for more information. The canoe club group is meeting at the park in Crouch at 10 a.m. to set shuttle vehicles, before heading up to the Tie Creek Campground to launch the trip.
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Calling all cyclists! Look ahead to Boise Bike Week next week. Check out a fun-filled calendar of events from Monday through Saturday of next week. At minimum, make an extra effort to commute by bicycle to work or the store next week, and try to attend as many events as possible to support cycling in our pro-cycling community.
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The Coyote Classic bike race and fun ride are coming up Saturday at Avimor. If you've always wanted to check out the course, but don't care for racing, they are offering a no-drop group ride on Saturday as well. You'll need to sign up for the event in advance to participate. Avimor has a ton of cool trails to check out, including a number of new trails. This would be a good opportunity to experience them.
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In case you were wondering, the North Fork Championships is coming back this year on June 6, 7 and 8. See their Facebook page for more details.

Have fun!
- SS