Spring Break is coming! Over 10 outdoorsy ideas to keep you entertained close to home!

Fresh *pow* should be fab in the backcountry ... 

Be festive and dress up for spring skiing. Pomerelle is offering discounts for
skiers/riders who dress up. Brundage is offering a free ski day on Sunday
for teens 17 and under. 

Camping in Leslie Gulch is on the list! 

What about hiking and camping at Bruneau Dunes? It's on the list. 

Hiking Cervidae and the local Grand Slam are on the list. 

Should be great weather for road biking ... see suggested rides below. 

Join Idaho River Sports on the Main Payette on Sunday. Potluck, too! 

Hi all,

It's been a soggy 10 days or so in Boise, so it's nice to see the sun burst out of the clouds today! And just in time as Spring Break approaches this weekend. If you're thinking of staying close to home, the weather looks favorable for spring skiing; hiking, biking or running in the Boise foothills, or heading out to the Snake River or Owyhee Canyonlands to go camping and exploring.

Here's the audio from Steve's radio segment on 94.9FM The River with Tim and Misty re: Spring Break tips! 

Just so you know, the weather is supposed to get wet next Monday-Tuesday, so you might plan your activities around that, if you wish. If you're base camping in the desert, hell, bring a big tarp! You'll be fine!

For this week's outdoor tip, I'm dishing up 10 outdoorsy ideas to keep you occupied and entertained during the Spring Break:

1. Spring skiing should be great at Bogus, Brundage, Tamarack and Sun Valley after all the fresh snow that fell in the past week. Brundage is offering FREE skiing to teens 17 and under on Sunday to kick off Spring Break! Sweet deal! On Sunday, March 27th, they're having a family day. Dad or Mom buy one lift ticket, and the rest of the family skis free.

2. Pomerelle got 15 inches in the last few days, and it's providing discounted lift tickets for people who dress up along their daily themes Monday-Friday of next week. Get festive! Themes are Manly Monday, Tuesday 2x2, Womanly Wednesday, Throwback Thursday and Freaky Friday. You can find great lodging deals in the Burley/Rupert/Albion area.

3. Get a jump on hiking and bag one of the peaks in the local Grand Slam. Tom Lopez, author of Idaho: A Climbing Guide, came up with the concept, and I wrote it about in my blog last year, after climbing one of the four, Cervidae Peak. I feature Cervidae in Boise Trail Guide: 90 Hiking and Running Routes Close to Home.  It's a tough, steep hike.

4. Go camping in the Snake River Canyon or the Owyhees, close to home. Here's five destinations that are sure to please, including Succor Creek State Park, Leslie Gulch, Bruneau Dunes State Park, and Celebration Park.

5. Try a new loop in the Boise Foothills. One of my favorites is the Five Mile-Orchard Loop or the Five Mile-Watchman-Three Bears Loop. Click on the links to see a description and photos. Good for hiking or biking. The hikes are moderate to strenuous, and the loops are rated advanced for biking. Great for running, too (rated strenuous).

6. Float the Payette River with Idaho River Sports on Sunday.  They're calling it St. Paddler's Day Float and Potluck. Sounds fun! Weather should be fab for floating the Payette on Sunday. Bring your food with you and you can party down on a beach, get the BBQ rockin' and all of that good stuff.

7. Dust off the road bike and go for a ride. Here are seven rides to try in Boise for various ability levels. All of the rides are from my Boise Road Cycling Guide, the only guide to road biking in the Boise area.

8. Head into the mountains and go backcountry skiing or snowshoeing in your Hawaiian shirt. That would work this weekend, especially Sunday. Try Pilot Peak, Sunset Mountain, Stargaze Yurt, Copper Mountain or Bull Trout Point.

9. Take a hike in the Owyhees. One of my favorites is the Wilson-Reynolds Creek Loop, which includes touring the beautiful redrock Reynolds Creek canyon and hiking the China Ditch Trail.

10. Check out a blog I wrote, Seven Days of Spring Break in Southern Idaho, in case one of these ideas tickles your fancy. Tandem BASE jumping anyone? Rafting the Hagerman reach of the Snake? Fishing Crystal Lake? All kinds of cool goodies.

Have a wonderful Spring Break!
- SS