Trails are open at Bogus! Bogus Creek Lodge is open Sat-Sun; chairlift service starts July 3

Around the Mountain at Bogus! 

Trailhead for Deer Point Trail #91 

Round the Mountain tracks 

Classic view of Around the Mountain ... you'll ride over a few rocks her and there ... 

Hi all, 

It's kind of funny -- it was hot last weekend, and I saw lots of people hiking, running and biking at Bogus Basin Mountain Recreation Area. I went up there to beat the heat, and I rode the Around the Mountain Trail -- rated No. 1 by IMBA in the whole state of Idaho! -- and it was fabulous!  

And now this weekend, when Bogus is opening the Simplot lodge during the day 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., the weather is cooling off, and the highs are forecast in the 60s at Bogus. Nevertheless, my outdoor tip this week is to go up to Bogus and go hiking, running or biking. I'm recommending two awesome loops routes in particular, Around the Mountain and Bogus Basin Contour Special, but there are many other options to enjoy. Bogus has a new trail map that's available at the downtown office. Ridge to Rivers also has a trail map of the Bogus area online. 

Note that Bogus will have some items available for sale in the lodge such as sunscreen, bike patch kits, energy bars and bike shuttle tickets, in addition to food and drink, a full bar, billiards and darts! Good idea!

Also note that Bogus will fire up the Deer Point chairlift for weekend operations all summer long on Saturday, July 2. That's a totally new thing! Single rides cost $10, all day passes cost $25, and summer season passes cost $99. Hours of operation will be 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bogus is building some new easy trails at the bottom of the mountain for kids and to add more trail options from the top of Deer Point lift. That's great to hear! 

Trail closure location (courtesy Land Trust of the Treasure Valley)

One more important note: The popular trail from the big pullout on Bogus Basin Road near MP 13 that leads to Eastside, Stack Rock and Sweet Connie is closed for up to two months because the landowner is logging in the area. You can still access Eastside from the trailhead near Bogus, and then you can connect to Stock rock and Sweet Connie from there. See press release for details. 

Now, here are the details on those two wonderful loops that circumnavigate Bogus Basin from two different vantage points. Both of them are featured in my book, Boise Trail Guide: 

• Around the Mountain Trail - Distance: 9.8 miles. Difficulty: Intermediate for biking, moderate to strenuous for hiking and running. Tread: All singletrack. Travel time: 1.5-2 hours biking, 2+ hours running, 4 hours hiking (fast pace). Check out the 360-degree virtual tour of this route on the IMBA web site. The beautiful thing about this hike/run/ride is that it wraps around the forested mountain of Deer Point and continues to snake across the landscape to the Pine Creek side of the mountain and then Superior and then back to the front side. The route has about 1,500 verticle feet of climbing and descent. Start at the base area and pick up the Deer Point Trail #91 near the quad chairlift. Climb that trail a mile and then peel right on Around the Mountain #98. You'll climb for a couple of miles and then go downhill through a series of banked corners and switchbacks and then climb through the forest over to Superior and then you'll end up on a cat track that climbs to the top of Morning Star lift. Descend to the bottom on Morning Star trail or Sunshine. I saw a lot of flowers popping along the route last Sunday, and there was lots of creek water and springs for dogs. 

  

  Kelley Bachman on Elk Meadows Trail at Bogus 

• Bogus Basin Contour Special - This one is shorter and easier, but it still circumnavigates the mountain at a higher elevation than Around the Mountain. Distance: 5.75 miles. Difficulty: Strong intermediate for biking; moderate to strenuous for hiking and running. Tread: All singletrack. Travel time: Slightly over an hour biking, 1:10 running, 2.5 hours hiking. For this route, you take Deer Point Trail #91 all the way to the top, two miles and 750 feet of gain. Take Elk Meadows Trail #94 and climb over to the backside and follow Elk Meadows on a highline singletrack underneath the Pine Creek chairlift through fields of flowers. You'll drop out on a two-track road at the end of Elk Meadows, contour over to the Superior side of the mountain and climb the switchbacks to the lodge return trail to the Pioneer Lodge or to the top of Shafer Butte for the best views and best workout. Bring a lunch and enjoy your time up there. Take Tempest or Lodge Trail to the Pioneer Lodge, and then Morning Star or Sunshine to the bottom. Vertical gain is the same as Around the Mountain: 1,497 feet.   

Enjoy the trails at Bogus! 

Also, Saturday is Free Fishing Day statewide. If you'd like to take your young kids fishing, this is the perfect time to do so. Idaho Fish and Game brings their fishing trailer to various ponds that are stocked with fish, and they provide fishing poles and tackle for your kids. More information here. 

- SS