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Final weekend for camping ... Labor Day weekend |
Labor Day
weekend is upon us! It's the typical last weekend of camping in the summer
season, so I'm dishing up some last-minute tips for the three-day
weekend, as always.
Before we get into the camping ideas, both Bogus Basin and Brundage Mountain have some fun stuff going on this weekend.
This weekend will be the final segment of Music on the Mountain at
Bogus Basin for the summer, a free concert highlighted by Jeff Crosby (headliner), Rider & Rolling Thunder, Matt Hopper & the Roman Candles on Saturday, Aug. 31, from 12-6 pm on the lawn outside Simplot Lodge. Plus you can partake in Fun Zone activities, including summer tubing, bungee trampoline,
gem panning, climbing wall, and mountain coaster will operate from 11 am to 7 pm., and
so will the Deer Point Chairlift. Plus, you can hike, ride or trail-run on Bogus' many trails.
Live music at Bogus Basin will continue into Sunday with Music on the Patio, featuring local artist Ryan Wissinger, who will play from 2:00 to 5:00pm.
Live music at Bogus Basin will continue into Sunday with Music on the Patio, featuring local artist Ryan Wissinger, who will play from 2:00 to 5:00pm.
On Friday night, Aug. 30, Brundage is hosting a free concert with, guess who? Jeff Crosby and the Refugees. A BBQ dinner will be served as well, Friday night. Buy tickets at Brundage.com. The Bluebird Bluebird quad will be running from 10 am to 5 pm daily through Monday.
Now,
on to the camping tips and other Labor Day ideas ... the weather looks
stellar BTW for camping, hiking and biking this Labor Day weekend, with daytime
highs in the 80s in the mountains, and 90s in the Boise Valley.
- Cascade area - Stolle Meadows and Landmark are my favorite camping areas in this neck of the woods. There are tons of primitive car-camping spots in both locations, east of Cascade, off the Warm Lake Highway. I've heard there may be some construction in the Stolle Meadows area so check with the Cascade Ranger District for any closures. Plus, there are hot springs in the vicinity. FYI: There should be salmon spawning in Stolle Meadows this weekend.
Lick Creek area in the Payette National Forest - McCall area - Camping, hiking and backpacking in the Lick
Creek area NE of McCall should be fabulous. Some of the nice mountain
lakes up there include Box, Snowslide, Duck, Hum, Enos and Thirty-three
lakes. Pick up a Payette National Forest map or a McCall Adventure Map
to get the details for access. Also, check my blog from earlier this summer on five easy-to-access kid-friendly mountain lakes in the McCall area.
Stanley Lake - Stanley area - I'm sure the Stanley area will be hopping with
lots of campers at Stanley Lake, Redfish Lake, Pettit Lake and points
along the Salmon River. Backpacking in the White Clouds should be dandy,
particularly from the East Fork side, being a three-day weekend and
all. Don't forget the Marsh Creek Trail as another potential destination
... great hiking and fly fishing spot. Hike up to the junction of Bear
Valley and Marsh Creeks, and there's a huge glory hole right there.
North and Middle Forks of the Boise River ... car-camping mecca - Idaho City area - The North and Middle Forks of the Boise River work great for car camping. See my post from last week.
- Salmon River beaches - Upstream from Riggins along the Salmon River Road are some sweet spots for camping, hanging out and swimming.
Also, Labor Day weekend is chock full of big sales at your favorite outdoor retailers in the Boise area, places like Idaho Mountain Touring, George's Cycles, Boise REI, Greenwood's, McU Sports, Alpenglow Mountain Sport, Idaho River Sports, and Shu's Idaho Running Company, all have some fantastic clothing and gear on sale right now. Great deals! Go get 'em!
- SS