10 outdoorsy ideas to pursue on a beautiful November weekend in SW Idaho

Boise River Greenbelt in the fall (courtesy LifewithLolo)

Paddling to see fall colors on Payette Lake (courtesy Pete Zimowsky) 

Leslie Gulch would be a great call this weekend 

Fall biking is all the rage right now ... perfect riding conditions
Fisher-Williams Trail in the White Clouds 

Steelhead fishing is hot now! 

Hi all,

The weather looks fab for the weekend, with temperatures in the 60s and a very small chance of rain in the Boise and SW Idaho area on Saturday morning ... It's amazing to have this kind of weather in November, but it looks like this will be the last weekend of warm temps before things turn to cooler and wetter weather next week, so you might as well get out and enjoy it!

This week, I'm throwing out some outdoorsy ideas close to home to appeal to folks who like to hike, bike, run, paddle, camp or fish ...

1. Go for a sunny walk, run or bike ride on the Boise River Greenbelt. Wait for the weather to warm up in the afternoon and enjoy it! Make a point to stop by the new Esther Simplot Park near the Whitewater Park and check out the many pathways and trails in the park.  

2. Go hiking/running/biking in the Boise Foothills and enjoy the last remaining fall colors. Going to the creeks and gulches is where you'll see the colors in the shrubs and trees. I recommend Polecat Gulch, Dry Creek, Corrals, Hulls Gulch, Hulls Gulch Interpretive Trail, Military Reserve Park, Five Mile Creek, and Orchard Gulch. My book, Boise Trail Guide: 90 Hiking and Running Routes Close to Home, would be a handy reference for any of these trails.

3. Go kayaking/rafting/SUPing on the Payette River. Banks to Beehive would be the best bet. Wear a wetsuit if you're SUPing.

4. Go steelhead fishing on the Salmon, Snake or Clearwater rivers and catch a monster steelhead ... See a new blog post I wrote for VisitIdaho about this fall ritual.

5. Go fall mountain biking! I wrote about five of my favorite rides statewide in a new blog post for VisitIdaho. The blog features Around the Mountain at Bogus, Loon Lake Loop in McCall, Fisher-Williams Loop in the White Clouds, Gold Hill Switchback Special near Sandpoint, and Farragut State Park north of Coeur d'Alene.

It's all fun riding the China Ditch Trail in Reynolds Creek canyon
Pictured here are Paul Hilding, Mark Anderson, Steve Schneider and Jim Giuffre 

6. Ride the Northwest Passage Loop in the Wilson Creek area in the Owyhee Front. This is a 16.2-mile ride that takes about 4 hours to complete. Be sure to take your time, pack a lunch and enjoy the scenery. My blog post has all the details. The ride also is featured in my book, "The Owyhee Canyonlands - An Outdoor Adventure Guide."

7. Top off the tires in your road bike and go for a nice long afternoon ride. I'd recommend: a) Hill Road to points west (Eagle or Star). Loop it with Floating Feather or Beacon Light Road. b) Ride to Hilltop Summit and back; c) Cartwright Loop; d) City to Farm. All of these rides and more are detailed in my road guide, "Boise Road Cycling Guide."

Wees Bar petroglyphs (nice pic by SummitPost) 

8. Hike/run or ride to Wees Bar on the Snake River by Swan Falls. It's 12.2 miles out and back to Wees Bar, where you can see Native American petroglyphs on big boulders on the banks of the Snake River. Trailhead is across Swan Falls Dam. The route is detailed in Boise Trail Guide. 

9. Hike or ride from Mores Creek Summit to see how the Pioneer Fire may have affected your favorite backcountry ski lines on Pilot Peak or Sunset Peak. Go to Idaho City and continue on Idaho 21 to Mores Creek Summit to reach the trailhead. I'm hoping to do this myself very soon!

10. Go hiking or camping at Succor Creek or Leslie Gulch. It's a perfect time to visit these destinations in the Owyhees. Take U.S. 95 south from Marsing to a signed turnoff for Leslie Gulch. Succor Creek is best reached via Homedale. Both areas are detailed in my Owyhee Canyonlands guide.

Trail note: SWIMBA is hosting a trail-work day at the Eagle Bike Park to work on a re-route of Treasure View Traverse. See this link for details.

Have fun!
- SS