New, 3rd edition of Boise Trail Guide is HOT off the press! Volunteer to plant bitterbrush for IDFG

On top of Mt. Heinen, part of the Boise Grand Slam, with Joanie, Judy and Jack  

Hi all,

Under the banner of shameless self-promotion, I must tell you about the brand new, third edition of Boise Trail Guide: 95 Hiking and Running Routes Close to Home. 

Whenever I run out of book stocks, I not only order a new printing of the book, I update the guide based on anything that's changed in the field -- in this case, the Pioneer wildfire certainly roared through some of the trails, and the Crow Inn sadly closed -- and add new trails that have come online.

So the latest edition of Boise Trail Guide has 5 new routes. The new editions are ... two new Greenbelts and Parks trails -- Esther Simplot Park, and Hyatt Hidden Lakes Reserve, a 44-acre beautiful birding area in the midst of West Boise with hiking/running trails. I added one new route in the Moderate Mountain Trails section, two out-and-back routes via Peggy's Trail. And in the Strenuous Mountain Trails section, I added the full route descriptions and maps for all four Boise Grand Slam Peaks. Now you can see how to climb Mt. Kepros and Mt. Heinen as well as Mt. Cervidae and Shaw Mountain/Lucky Peak. I guess I had to hike all four of the peaks before I could put them in the book. Last year, I finished the slam, and I'll tell you, it's totally worth it!

Where to buy? Boise Trail Guide is available for sale on my web site, stevestuebner.com, Bandanna Walking and Running in downtown Boise, Idaho Mountain Touring, Boise REI and Amazon.com all have copies of the new book. I will be getting more books distributed to more retailers with time.

We are blessed! Think about how amazing it is that I can publish a book with 95 places to go hiking and running in Boise or within an hour of our capital city. There are tons of trails to explore in the Ridge to Rivers Trail system, BLM lands to the south and in the Boise National Forest to the north and east. People who have bought the book tell me they love having more choices for their hiking and running destinations. Many get stuck in a rut, doing the same routes over and over again. Venture outside your mold and learn about new places to go with Boise Trail Guide.

All of the routes provide travel time for hiking and running. Each route has a description and map, with driving directions and details about what make the route appealing or unique.

The new edition is a little more compact and light because the printer used nicer paper that's thinner than the old paper stock, and the trim size is slightly smaller than 5.5" by 8.5", standard guidebook size. I think you'll like it!

Volunteers plant shrubs to benefit wildlife and the integrity of the soil and watershed. 

Join up with a Idaho Fish and Game volunteer shrub-planting event! 

Idaho Fish and Game has three opportunities in March. They need volunteers plant bitterbrush and sagebrush seedlings for wildlife on March 10, 17 and 24.  Meet at 9 a.m. at the MK Nature Center in Boise on those dates. Alternate meeting locations at the planting sites are available at 9:30 a.m. for volunteers that want to meet at Hilltop Summit.

It's fun to participate in service projects like this. You're doing something to enhance habitat for wildlife, and you'll meet new interesting people. Plus, you'll get plenty of exercise planting all of the seedlings.

Planting locations are located near Highway 21 in the Boise River Wildlife Management Area, home to 6,000 to 8,000 wintering mule deer.  These deer utilize the area during the winter for shelter and feeding in a landscape typically devoid of the deeper snows in the higher mountains, where they spend their summers. Over 4,000 acres of this important wildlife landscape burned in the 2016 Mile Marker 14 Fire.

Sagebrush and bitterbrush play an integral role in the habitat on this landscape, providing shelter from winter storms for wildlife. Shrubs are the main food source for mule deer during the winter.  Due to their deep-rooted nature, the shrubs provide erosion protection for the foothills as well. They also are important habitat for birds and other wildlife species.

RSVP to Michael Young at IDFG: michael.young@idfg.idaho.gov; Questions? Call 208-327-7095

By the way, the skiing and riding is great right now everywhere! I recently took over an online blogpost called "The Idaho Daily Snow," which provides a detailed weather/snow/ski report 5 days a week for the state of Idaho, based on the latest weather data from multiple sources. It also provides details on the latest events at all of Idaho's ski resorts. See my latest post here. 

- SS