Five high-elevation hiking destinations guaranteed to please close to home

View looking south from Observation Peak (courtesy Idahosummits.com) 

View of Baron Peak from the top of Observation Peak (courtesy Idahosummits.com) 

Hi all,

Well, the weather forecast looks pretty fab this weekend for hiking! Temps should be in the 70s in the higher elevations in the afternoon on Saturday, so it seems like a perfect weekend to bag a peak or hike to a high mountain lake.

Drawing from my recently updated Boise Trail Guide: 90 Hiking & Running Routes Close to Home (Spring 2015), here are five high-elevation hiking destinations guaranteed to please close to home:

• Observation Peak (9,151 feet), Sawtooth Wilderness - This is the only peak in the Sawtooth Mountains accessible by an actual trail. The view of the Sawtooth Range from here is truly SPECTACULAR! The route from Grand Jean is 12.5 miles ... you can go out and back in a day. Travel time is 5-7 hours. Difficulty: Strenuous! (Over 4,000 feet of gain!) How to get there: Go to the Grand Jean trailhead in the Sawtooth Wilderness, east of Lowman, and take the Trail Creek Trail to Observation Peak. After climbing several miles, go left at the junction with the Trail Creek Lakes trail and climb to a saddle, At a three-way junction, go left to climb Observation Peak. Bring a lunch and enjoy your time on top! Retrace your tracks to the trailhead. 

  

  Jennie Lake 

• Hike to Jennie Lake, northeast of Idaho City - It's 9 miles out and back to Jennie Lake, with 1,950 feet of elevation gain. Bring your backpack and camp at the lake if you have the time. Hiking time is 2.5-3 hours one-way. It's a beautiful pine-scented hike to Jennie Lake. Good one for kids over 8 years old, too. Getting there: Take Idaho 21 past Idaho City and Mores Creek Summit to Edna Creek Road (USFS Road #384). Turn right and follow #384 for over seven miles to the trailhead. When you get to some hairpin turns, watch for a spur road on the left leading to the trailhead. Follow Trail #197 to Jennie Lake. 

  

  Tripod Peak Lookout 

• Hike to Tripod Peak on West Mountain, near Smith's Ferry - It's almost 12 miles out and back to Tripod Peak. The hike is rated strenuous, featuring 3,160 feet of elevation gain from the trailhead. Travel time is about 5-6 hours out and back. West Mountain Trail is shady in the lower elevations, and then you break into the open in the last mile or so to the peak. Once on top, you can enjoy 360-degree views of Long Valley and the country north of Emmett to the west. Getting there: Take Idaho 55 to Smith's Ferry. Turn left on USFS Road #626 toward Sagehen Reservoir. Follow the dirt road about three miles to a signed trailhead on the right for West Mountain Trail. This is your route to the top of Tripod. 

  

  Huck likes Around the Mountain just as much as I do ... 

• Hike the Around the Mountain Trail at Bogus Basin - Enjoy a cooler, forested environment at Bogus on this wonderful loop around Shafer Butte. It's probably even more fun to bike this route than to hike it, but it's a great hiking loop, too. It's 9.2 miles to do the loop, with 2,440 feet of elevation gain. Hiking time is approximately four hours at a robust pace. You'll enjoy multifaceted views of the Boise National Forest from the trail as it wraps around the mountain. Bring plenty of food and water. Getting there: Park at the lower lodge. Take Deer Point Trail #91 uphill about a mile or so to a junction with the Around the Mountain Trail. Follow the well-marked trail as it loops around the mountain. When you emerge at the Pioneer Lodge, you'll have several options for the final descent to the lower lodge. Take your pick. 

  

  Blue Lake! 

• Hike to Blue Lake - This is the easiest hike by far of the group I'm recommending this week. I call it the "Blue Lake Family Special" in Boise Trail Guide. It's only 1.3 miles round-trip to the lake and back from the Snowbank Road. The trail descends .65 miles to the lake. Hang out at the lake, go swimming or fishing, and then hike back. Bring a lunch and some drinks to enjoy your time at the lake. Getting there: Take Idaho 55 to the Cabarton Road turnoff, next to Clear Creek Station, several miles north of Smith's Ferry. Follow Cabarton Road to USFS Road #435, the road to Snowbank Mountain. Drive 10.5 miles to the trailhead/parking area for Blue Lake.

There you have it!
--------------------------
Couple of other tidbits:

• McCall is hosting a mountain bike festival this weekend, Saturday and Sunday! There will be group rides, shuttles, BBQ, beer and family fun. See the 2015 Festival Program. This is a great opportunity to learn about riding opportunities in McCall.  
• The Owyhee Mountains are closed to public use inside the burn zone until next year. BLM officials said they're asking the public to stay out of the burn zone so they can work on rehabilitation efforts and for public safety. This includes the Wilson Creek area and Jump Creek area. The Soda fire area is the nation's top priority for rehab work according to the BLM National Director, Neil Kornze, who was in Boise yesterday. Succor Creek and Leslie Gulch were not affected by the fires. 
• Ridge to Rivers is looking for volunteers to survey foothills users Sept. 19th and 26th. You can sign up online here.  
• There's still time to participate in the Treasure Valley Cycling Alliance's Goathead Contest. See details at their Facebook page. Basically, you post a picture of the largest goat head plant you've pulled, and the whole pile of goat head plants you've pulled and you could win a growler of beer, bike decals, a bike bell and more! Plus, bragging rights of course! 

Have fun!
- SS

Super fun biking events coming up! Tour de Fat Saturday! Food and wine road ride, too!

I donated to BBP to get that nice Double D bra at Tour de Fat 

Elena, right, looks charming in her flower hat 

Hi all, 

Imagine 20,000 bicycle wheels rolling down the streets of downtown Boise for the 2014 Tour de Fat parade. Were you there? I was dressed up as Captain America with a red cape and not much else. Ten-thousand cyclists -- all dressed up in some kind of wild and wacky costume, some of them quite clever -- showed up and set a record for the biggest participation in the Tour de Fat event in Boise since it started 14 years ago. 

Now here's your chance to make the 2015 Tour de Fat even bigger than ever! The goal is to have at least 12,000 participants in the parade and raise $90,000 for your favorite cycling non-profits -- Treasure Valley Cycling Alliance, Southwest Idaho Mountain Biking Association (SWIMBA) and Boise Bicycle Project (BBP). Get your costume together, drag your friends and everyone in your household down to the parade, and partake in the state's largest bike event! Do this while sporting a really big grin, show off your cool costume and drink plenty of beer to help the cause.

One of the many cool things
you'll see at Tour de Fat 

Bicyclists for as far as you can see in the Tour de Fat parade ... that's so cool! 

Spending $$ on beer = $$ for better cycling opportunities in our community. The funds go directly to new trails, cycling-advocacy activities, bike donations to children and families in need, and bike education. Over the last 14 years, the event has raised approximately $400,000 for the non-profits mentioned above. That's HUGE people. Let's keep growing this event! 

See the 2015 Tour de Fat web site for the music lineup and event details. Hint: The parade starts 

at 11 a.m. at Ann Morrison Park. Have fun!

Also on Saturday, the 43rd annual Bogus Basin Hill Climb is happening for ambitious road cyclists. Start time is 9:30 a.m. You can register online. Not sure who's showing up, but the really strong riders can ride to Bogus in roughly an hour or less. Total animals! My best time in my 20s was 1 hour, 20 minutes. It's always a great workout to ride to Bogus, and it's a hoot to ride back downhill! 

Here's a bike-racing calendar in case you'd like to plan for future events. 

I'll be in Coeur d'Alene on Saturday, picking up my packet for a week of road rides in the Idaho Panhandle courtesy of RideIdaho. This is the first year I've participated in RideIdaho. It's a fully supported ride that covers about 400 miles in a week. This year's route starts and finishes in Coeur d'Alene, doing a big triangle across the Panhandle into Western Montana, and then up to Moyie Springs and Bonner's Ferry before going south to Lake Pend Oreille, Sandpoint and Coeur d'Alene. 

Hope we don't run into too much smoke from the fires! 

The Treasure Valley Food Coalition is sponsoring a 50-mile food and wine ride called "Fruitful Fields" on Sunday, Sept. 20th in SW Idaho. The loop ride will begin at Hat Ranch Winery on Plum Road at 9:00 a.m. and take cyclists on a tour of farms and wineries throughout Canyon County. Along the way, you will taste fresh, local fruit, grilled (lamb) merguez sausage, grilled fingerling potatoes, local cheese and crackers, and sample some of Idaho’s award-winning wines.  

Upon returning to Hat Ranch Winery, you will be treated to a catered luncheon from Three Girls Catering, featuring local meats and produce while Hat Ranch pours wine for tasting. All participants will receive a reusable jute shopping bag filled with local produce, tokens to use at the Boise Farmer’s Market, and coupons for the Boise Co-Op.

The bike route will take you along the Snake River, past Lake Lowell, and through the rolling farmland, vineyards and orchards of Canyon County. Three rest stops along the way will provide tastings, water, medical reserve corps volunteers and pink porta-potties! The event costs $65. Register on the Treasure Valley Food Coalition web page. 

Have fun and have a great ride!
- SS 

Family Reunion recreation tips from Stueby - Our Fabulous Experience in McCall

Wendy and Ellie on the beach 

Steve and cousin John cruising around on Payette Lake 

L-R, Theo Coonen, Haiti and France, Peter Damon, L.A., John Damon, R.I.
Greg and Sandra Coonen, Andora on the Stueby raft 

Back of the boat: Steve, Drew and Jack Damon  

My sister, Kathy, Minnesota, Nolan and Andrew Stuebner, Maine  

Jonesy at the helm

Hi all,  

Almost 40 Stuebner relatives from all over the globe flocked to McCall last week for seven days of non-stop fun. Our family members just RAVED about the beauty in McCall, and thoroughly enjoyed the mix of structured outdoor activities and hang-loose time as well. 

I wanted to share our experience in terms of the recreation activities, rental toys and rental homes that we lined up in case this might be useful for other folks planning a reunion in McCall. Just to give you a flavor, we had a welcome dinner Sunday night, I took folks mountain biking on Monday morning and then Burgdorf Hot Springs in the afternoon, we did a 4-hour horseback ride with Yahoo Corrals on Tuesday, we went whitewater rafting on Cabarton Wednesday, and capped things off with a catered dinner Thursday night. Friday was an open day for lake activities and beach time, and then folks departed on Saturday.  

First and foremost, the McCall location has it all -- big Payette Lake right there front and center, Ponderosa State Park so close by, top-flight lodging at Shore Lodge, the Payette National Forest all around town, Bear Basin Trails 5 minutes from town, the Payette River down the valley, lift-served activities at Brundage Mountain, great trails and shuttles at Jug Mountain Ranch, ditto at Tamarack, Paul's Market and Ridley's -- both big grocery stores -- plus, excellent outdoor stores, restaurants, shops, ice skating, and many rental properties for lodging.

So, I had confidence that McCall would blow people away with its stunningly beautiful scenery and amenities. We set up a full week for the reunion, July 27-Aug. 1. I encouraged family members to come for the whole time ... and almost everyone did. They all flew into the Boise airport, rented cars and zipped to McCall. We did try to car-pool to the maximum extent possible with our fleet of vehicles.   

Kathy Damon, R.I., Sandra Coonen, Andora, Kathy Stuebner, my sister,
Bryn Stuebner, Mountain View, CA, in the big log cabin in Luck's Point.  

Key things to pin down early: 

1. Rent a lakefront home or several lakefront homes six months in advance or more. I knew my cousins from Rhode Island, Los Angeles, France and Andora would want beach-front access. My Mom rented a beautiful lakefront home a stone's throw from Ponderosa Park. We got lucky on another place, renting a large log cabin in Luck's Point, which had private beachfront space and a boat slip for our use 24/7. The more reasonably priced homes go fast! Expect to pay $500/night or more for lakefront. Check with InIdaho.com and vrbo.com for options. 

18-foot Bayliner from RBK Power Sports Rentals rocks! 

2. Rent a power/ski/tube/surf boat that you can use 24/7. Having a powerboat at your disposal with lakefront property and a dock is positively LIVING LARGE in McCall. I tried to rent local in McCall but the vendors up there wouldn't let me keep the boat overnight. So I kept looking and found RBK Power Sports Rentals in Nampa. They have a nice 18-foot Bayliner with a 4.3-liter inboard/outboard engine for $250 a day. I put a 50% deposit down on the boat in the spring, and paid the balance when I picked it up on July 27. I towed the boat to McCall with my truck. Very smooth ride. We had so much fun on that boat -- tubing, water skiing and touring around the lake. 

3. Book early at Shore Lodge for the July time period, which is super high summer season. My aunt and uncle stayed there, plus my brother Jim and his wife, Bryn, stayed there to enjoy some alone time on the week of their anniversary. Getting a tee time was tough for my aunt and uncle but they did play one day on the Whitetail course and loved it. They also enjoyed playing golf at Jug Mountain Ranch.

Group shot in a tall-grass meadow 

Chloe, Peter, Drew, Liz, Tristan and Bridget  

Riding into the meadow 

4. Horseback riding with Yahoo Corrals. We had a large group, thinking initially that we'd have as many as 29 people going on the horseback ride. As it turned out, we had 20. I booked our trip early, and they didn't require a down payment. That was cool since everyone in our group would pay their way on the ride. It was $110/person for a 4-hour horseback ride plus BBQ dinner. Great value for the cost! 

And boy, they took us on a sporting horseback ride! We started at Yahoo Corrals on the west side of Warren Wagon Road, and rode right out onto trails from there. We rode up some steep uphills and downhills, requiring you to lean way forward on the saddle on the uphills or putting all the weight on the stirrups on the downhills. I was so proud of my son, Drew ... it was his first horseback ride and he rode like a champion for 4 hours! Half way through, we rode into a gorgeous mountain meadow and took pics of the group on horseback. Very cool! 

In retrospect, I thought a 2-hour ride would have been plenty, but I didn't want to short my sister, Kathy, Wendy, or my niece, Liz, all of whom love to ride! My only complaint with Yahoo Corrals is that they didn't provide optional beer/wine with dinner. We had to zip back to town to take care of that! No biggie! We were mighty thirsty after the ride! 

5. Finding guides and boats for whitewater rafting. We had 25 people to take rafting, but instead of calling an outfitter, I tried to organize the trip by using my own raft, borrowing more rafts, and persuading my whitewater friends to bring a boat or guide one of them. You have to start early pinning down river guides because they're often busy doing more important trips during the summer 

months. I was fortunate to get Steve Jones, Doug Lawrence and Howard Miller to be our guest guides. Top flight! Wendy and I were the other guides, and it all worked great! The shuttle vehicle situation was too complicated to pull off in one fell swoop, but oh well. Everyone had a great trip on Cabarton. Some of my family had never rafted before. We used all paddle rafts, except Jonesy rowed an oar raft, which are perfect for taking young kids on the river. 

If you don't have your own stuff, try Cascade Raft & Kayak, Bear Valley, Idaho Whitewater Unlimited or Tamarack for booking a Cabarton trip. 

6. Reserve a great spot for a special catered dinner as a grand finale for the guests. We booked a beautiful spot behind the Ponderosa Park Visitor Center. The shelter is shaded. It looks out onto a spacious lawn, large trees and Payette Lake. The cost was about $200.00, very reasonable for a large group. We used Incahoots BBQ as the caterer. They served Tritip and wild salmon, scalloped potatoes, vegetables, salad, and brownies and cobbler for dessert. Yum! 

As the sun set faded into a rouge glow over the distant treetops that evening, my sister Kathy led us all in some wonderful songs with her angelic voice and folk guitar to cap off a memorable evening. 

I must confess that I was unexpectedly emotional as I stood up to give a toast to all of the Stuebner/Damon/Coonen/Salzman relatives that evening. The deep love I have for McCall and everything around it merged with the deep love I have for my family, and I guess it was a little overwhelming. But it was just so cool and gratifying to me that everyone came to McCall, and had such an awesome time. 

Ultimately, at family reunions,it's about the family, renewing bonds and friendships, and catching up on everyone's lives. Quality time! If everyone hadn't shown up, it wouldn't have been the great success that it was. Everyone in my family shows up! And they do it consistently. I love that! 

I'm looking forward to the next reunion! Who knows where it'll be! But I will be there! 

-- SS 

Biking at Jug Mountain Ranch, Tamarack offers super fun, diverse trails + shuttle

Steve and Wendy at Jug Mountain Ranch, with Upper Jug Reservoir
and Jughandle Mountain in the background ... 

Wendy's still smiling even after flying off her bike a couple of times ... 

Paul was stoked after riding around Upper Jug Reservoir on the new Shoreline Trail ... 

Cool boardwalk on the new Shoreline Trail. 

The super cool JMR shuttle rig ... 

Hi all,

I had a blast riding at Jug Mountain Ranch near Lake Fork last Saturday with Wendy and a couple of friends, following a spirited evening at the Huckleberry Music Festival. And then I rode the new Huckleberry Trail at Ponderosa State Park on Sunday morning with my friend Jim before having to pack up, clean the cabin and return to the Boise Valley. 

This week, my outdoor tip focuses on mountain biking in the McCall area Park II. My blog on June 11 featured the new Huckleberry Loop, Payette Rim Trail, Loon Lake Loop, Upper Drain at Bear Basin, and Berm and Ernie at Jug Mountain Ranch. 

The greater McCall area is loaded with hiking and biking trails. It's a wonderful place to be this time of year because it's always 10-15 degrees cooler than it is in Boise, and I love to ride in the cool, shady forests of the McCall area in the summer. I detailed 40+ rides in my book, Mountain Biking in McCall, so you might say that I'm somewhat smitten about riding in the Valley County area. 

This week, I'll recap a fun loop that we rode at Jug Mountain Ranch, and also touch on some mountain biking opportunities at Tamarack Resort. Remember that you also can go biking/hiking at Brundage Mountain. Lifts run on Thursday-Sunday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Lift fees are $12 for single-ride lift (hikers), $16 (for bikers), and $32 for day pass for bikers. Brundage is hosting a Family Festival on Saturday, an event geared toward young kids and season pass holders. 

Jug Mountain Ranch continues to impress with new and existing trails, shuttle service, events and general hospitality. Our group met at 10 a.m. at the clubhouse and went for a 2.5 hour ride. I didn't have my GPS on my bike, so it's hard to say how many miles we rode, but I'd guess it was over 10. 

What's great about riding at Jug is the exciting and challenging singletracks that zigzag through the forest, mixed with occasional technical features, fast descents and surprising uphills that you don't expect. When you're done, you feel like you've been worked, but you've got a big grin. 

The route we took Saturday began with a loop around the South Elk Trail, an up-and-down trail in the forest right out of the parking lot. Then, we climbed Mainline, a two-track road, to Upper Jug Reservoir, circled around the reservoir on the newly-dug Shoreline Trail, and then descended on Vandelay Trail and Harper's Hollow back to the clubhouse. 

Shoreline is still getting worked in, but it's really cool to be able to ride around the lake. It's a great addition to the trail system at JMR. 

Both Vandelay and Harper's are narrow singletracks with lots of entertaining features on the way down ... rocks, roots and assorted hazards are all in play in the forests around McCall. True mountain features. Trail-builders at JMR have incorporated those features into the flow of the trail, all to benefit the mountain bike experience. Check it out!

BTW: JMR offers Pivot long-travel bike rentals and runs a shuttle service on weekends. The shuttle cost is $20 for 4 hours. 

This is a Tamarack Classic taken by Sherri Harkin back in the day ... 

Double-diamond line at Tamarack ... 

Super G! 

Another cool place to ride in Valley County is at Tamarack Resort, which is running a shuttle service this summer on Saturdays and Sundays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The shuttle costs $36 for a full day and $26 for half-day. Full-on downhill bike rentals are available. Call 325-1030 to reserve a spot on the shuttle. 

The big draw at Tamarack on weekends is the ability to take the shuttle and ride Super G, an intermediate to advanced/expert mountain bike trail with high-banked corners on numerous turns, downhill for nearly 2,000 verts. Tamarack is a favorite with hard-core freeride bikers, offering rare double-diamond steep rock drop-offs and other totally sick features. For lower-key riders, there's an easy way down on Pura Vida. 

Blast from the past ... Gary Kucy, left, and Steve on a ride down the backside
of Tamarack leading to the upper Weiser River ... My old full-suspension Cannondale ... 

Check out the meadow trails at Tamarack, too, where no shuttle is required. You can take Cottage Trail or Lower Pinnacle over to the meadow trails. Climb Lower Pinnacle, go left on Merlin and climb that to the junction with Sandhill and Wild Turkey. Go downhill on Wild Turkey as it slaloms through the forest to Blackbird and continue to Pelican Trail, which provides a big loop around the perimeter of the golf course, returning to the clubhouse area. 

- SS 

Wanna go camping? Five of my favorite primitive car-camping spots in SW Idaho

Stanley Overlook map ... Click to enlarge 

Steve on Railroad Ridge 

Wendy on Railroad Ridge 

Railroad Ridge camp set up 

Sunset off to the west 

Mark Anderson looks off into French Creek from the Bear Pete Trail 

Steve loves to ride Bear Pete! 

Aerial view of Bear Valley Creek, the headwaters of the Middle Fork. 

Floating Bear Valley Creek (Courtesy Idaho Rivers United)

Having fun on the Salmon River beach scene 

Hi all,

A friend, Ted Kielley, was surveying the Facebook landscape for people's favorite primitive camp sites, in hopes of going somewhere new and different for his next adventure. And that got me thinking about sharing my favorite car-camping spots in SW Idaho in my outdoor tip of the week.

Some of my favorites are dry, high-elevation camps where you need to bring plenty of drinking and cooking water and everything else you need for a self-support camping trip. A full-on, high-clearance 4-wheel-drive is necessary for some of these, too. But it's super cool to be perched high on a mountaintop or ridgetop, with beautiful mountains and meadows as far as the eye can see. One of Ted's requirements was to find a place with almost no lights -- good for dark sky and stars. All of these spots pass that test in spades.

Here we go, my top five:

1. Railroad Ridge, White Cloud Mountains, near Clayton, Idaho. Getting there: Take Idaho 21 to Stanley, and Idaho 75 past Yankee Fork and Clayton to the turnoff for the East Fork of the Salmon River Road. Head up the paved East Fork Road about 10 miles to Big Boulder Road #667. Go right on #667 and proceed to the Livingston Mill. A Forest Service sign indicates the turnoff for the primitive single-lane 4WD road to Railroad Ridge. You, no, the truck, must climb from 7,200 feet to elevation 10,600 feet, 3,400 feet of gain over just a few miles of steep road. It's WAY COOL! 

It took us, no, the truck, less than an hour of climbing and we were cruising up the backbone of Railroad Ridge, which was absolutely smothered with multiple layers and colors of wildflowers. We hit it at the peak! Sweet! Perched at 10,600 feet, it was so cool to look at eye level with 10,000-foot peaks in theSawtooths to the west, and the Frank Church Wilderness to the north, while the higher Lost River Range and Lemhi Mountains lorded over the eastern side of the state. We were on the rooftop of Central Idaho! I hiked down to Crater Lake to fly fish, just in time for a thunderstorm to hit and lightning bolts to land around the edges of the lake. We had a great evening watching a storm hammer the Lemhi's and the Borah Peak area. The only downside with the spot, is that there's no cover anywhere, no trees for shelter, no rocks, nothing. You are totally exposed. Bring a good tent! 

2. Stanley Overlook - South foothills overlooking Stanley, with the Sawtooth Wilderness smack dab right in your face! Getting there: Go to Lower Stanley and take the Nip and Tuck Road (the turnoff is off to the north, kind of hidden), a public dirt road that climbs over to Stanley Creek. There are spur roads that peel off to the left, climbing up to the hilltop overlooking Stanley. 4WD is necessary. 

I've sipped cocktails with friends on that knoll, sitting in a lawnchair on a gorgeous summer evening, taking in the spectacular views, feeling lucky to live in Idaho! In the morning, sandhill cranes echoed from the Valley Creek meadows below. 

The camp is a great jump-off point for day trips around Stanley -- biking the Potato Mountain Loop, Fisher-Williams, riding up to the Basin Butte Lookout, or hiking in the Sawtooths and White Clouds. Be sure to leave some stuff there while you're gone for the day so someone doesn't take your spot. 

3. Cloochman Summit - Great overlook campsite north of McCall, next to the trailhead for Bear Pete Trail. You're also in the vicinity of Burgdorf Hot Springs, Loon Lake Loop, etc. Getting there: Take Warren Wagon Road north of McCall, past Upper Payette Lake, to a signed turnoff for Bear Pete Trail and Cloochman Summit, Forest Road #492. It's only about three miles to the summit. 4WD rig is recommended. Chainsaw recommended. There's a couple of pullouts that make for a great car-camping spot right at the summit. One of them looks south over Squaw Meadows, 20-mile lakes, the Payette National Forest peaks, and lots of burned timber from a big forest fire in the early 1990s. Go hiking or biking on Bear Pete Trail ... it's an ass-kicker of a climb uphill from the trailhead, but once you're on top of the ridge, it's a promo skyline trail.  

4. Salmon River Beaches - Love those white sandy beaches along the Salmon River, upstream of Riggins. Getting there: Turn right on the Salmon River Road as you drive into Riggins. The river road goes for 25 miles past French Creek to the Vinegar and Carey Creek boat ramps. There are oodles of places to camp along the road, particularly on some mansion-like beaches. Go early on a Thursday or Friday to snag a primo spot for the weekend. Potential nearby activities include rafting, kayaking or SUPing on the Salmon River. Launch from your campsite and position a shuttle vehicle downstream. Or go hiking on the Wind River Pack Bridge next to the Carey Creek boat ramp and climb a nice Forest Service trail to the Bullion Mine or beyond. 

5. Bear Valley Campground - Great spot for folks who like to paddle a canoe or flatwater kayak. The Campground is located at the junction of Elk Creek and Bear Valley Creek, both of which are excellent for canoeing. Getting there: Take Idaho 21 to Banner Summit, between Lowman and Stanley, and then watch for a left-hand turn on the Boundary Creek Road. Follow the road to Bear Valley Campground. This is an area where you might see elk in the early morning or late evening, and you might hear a wolf howling. The meadows around Bear Valley can be spectacular when the flowers are blooming. You could also go mountain biking on the Wyoming Creek Trail and return via the Fir Creek Trail and Boundary Creek Road. You could fish the streams in the area, or drive over to Dagger Falls and hike the Marsh Creek or Middle Fork trails. 

There you have it! Have fun! I'll be at the Roseberry Music Festival this weekend!
- SS

Now that mountain snow has melted, it's time to go backpacking! Try Red Mountain Lakes!

Steve and Quinn on top of Red Mountain 

Huck loves to swim in the lakes 

He likes to help catch fish, too! 

Fish on! 

Here's an Idaho home-grown boy enjoying the wild country ... 

Hi all,

I've been wanting to go backpacking with my son, Quinn, who's 17 and a senior at Boise High this fall, but it's been tough to schedule considering his busy schedule as a student-athlete and worker bee. Finally, last weekend, the stars aligned and we blasted off to backpack into the Red Mountain Lakes with my friend Norm Nelson, who loves to go backpacking anywhere, anytime.

I chose Red Mountain Lakes because it was the 4th of July weekend, and I knew the well-known trails and high mountain lakes in the Sawtooths and White Clouds would be likely over-run with people. And by god, we made the right call! We never saw another human until the 2nd day when we scaled Red Mountain (elev. 8,722') to enjoy the vast views in all directions, and we ran into a nice couple who were on a day-hike to the peak and lakes.

Trip map. It's 3.5 miles one-way and 1,600 feet of climbing
to get into the Red Mountain Lakes. 

In all honesty, I hadn't been to the Red Mountain Lakes for probably 20 years. I remembered that when I had been there before, I had caught fish continuously in one of the lakes. Plus, the area has appeal because it's one of the closest high lakes basins close to Boise. It's maybe a 2-hour drive to the trailhead, northeast of Lowman on the road to Bear Valley. Forest Road 515 takes you right to the trailhead along Clear Creek.

It's a 3.5-mile hike to the first lake. Once you get into the lakes basin, you can fish 4-5 different lakes by Red Mountain, plus, you're super close to the little-known Cat Lakes. Norm swears that he caught two big trout in one of the Cat Lakes, but he failed to take a picture as proof ... I also recommend climbing up to the top of Red Mountain to enjoy the spectacular views of the rooftop of the Boise National Forest

Right now, the wildflowers are peaking on the trail leading to Red Mountain Lakes. We saw an incredible kaleidoscope of colors in the knee-high flowers thriving in the openings below the semi-burned timber ... I could identify red Indian paintbrush, purple lupine, Sego lilies, scarlet gilia, yarrow and yellow daisies. Seems like the elk have an abundance of feed this summer!

Steve enjoying the flowers

Ah the simplicity of backpacking ... After pulling together a week-long trip on the Salmon River with 18 people, 6 rafts and two kayaks in June, it was so nice to get back to the basics of backpacking. All you need are a few clothing items, your sleeping bag, tent, food, backpacking stove, fishing stuff, water, and a water purifyier of some kind. Quinn borrowed a super light pack from a friend that worked great for him. I used my old Kelty XL internal frame pack, but that thing is due to be replaced. Seems like it weighs 5 pounds before you put anything in it!

Norm and I brought fly rods, and I put together a spin cast set up for Quinn. I brought a bunch of Thomas lures for him to try, and he slayed the fish. Thomas lures work great for catching trout in rivers, and I figured they'd do well in the lake. Quinn couldn't get enough of the fishing. He found a hot spot in the lake, and fished it all day long! Wo-hoo!

Now that the snow has melted, there's an endless number of places to go backpacking in Idaho right now. Pore over your maps of the Boise National Forest, Sawtooth National Recreation Area and Payette National Forest and look for high lakes basins. Another good resource is caltopo.com. There are literally hundreds of lakes to choose from. My next trip is going to be in the Pioneers, which are another off-the-beaten-path destination with good fishing and 12,000 spectacular peaks. Maybe you saw my blog about hiking into Betty Lake and Goat Lake last year?

Here's another popular post about three classic bucket-list backpacking trips in Idaho.

If at all possible, take your kids with you. It's super cool to share the wonders of the Idaho backcountry with your kids. They can't help but to be impressed with the beauty of the mountains and the awesome sights of the endless sea of mountains in Central Idaho. Plus, if the fish are biting, they won't want to leave!

Don't forgot your bug stuff ... the mosquitoes were an issue in camp, and the horseflies were out in force as well. Good bug stuff will keep them at bay. Bring lightweight long pants and a long shirt to help protect yourself.

And if you can't get out of town this weekend, go watch the Twilight Criterium in downtown Boise on Saturday. The kids ride with Kristin Armstrong starts at 2 p.m., and a whole slew of races follow throughout the day and evening.  

Have fun!
- SS

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