Fleeting fall colors in Idaho; Mountain Snow coming next week; Ski Swaps coming up

Colorful scene in upper Dry Creek on a quiet mid-week afternoon. 

Hi all, 

It's been a treat to watch the fall colors ablaze throughout Idaho in recent weeks after the hot and smoky summer. But starting tomorrow, Mother Nature is about to turn the page to winter and mountain snow in the high country, and continue into next week. 

The weekend ahead looks pretty rainy in the valleys, but in the breaks between storms, maybe you can take a hike, run, bike ride or scenic drive to enjoy the fall colors perhaps at their peak right now, before the storms below the leaves off the trees and the tamaracks in Valley County lose their golden needles. 

As a reminder, here are some recommended trails in the Ridge to Rivers trail system for seeing fall colors ... (please stay off muddy trails when they're wet!): 

Trails that wind through fall foliage:

• 5-mile Gulch #2:
• The Grove #38
• Gold Finch #35
• Cottonwood Creek #27
• Freestone Creek #22B
• Owl's Roost #37
• Red-Winged Blackbird #35A
• Around the Mountain #98 

I would also add: 

• Watchman Trail 
• Shingle Creek Trail 
• Dry Creek Trail 
• Freddy's Stack Rock Trail 
• New connector trail to Stack Rock 
• Peggy's Trail - Chukar Butte 
  

Views of fall colors

• Central Ridge Trail #22
• Camel's Back Trail #40
• Homestead Trail #12
• Cobb Trail #13
• Valley View Trail #111
• Full Sail Trail #56
• Buena Vista #53

(Courtesy RidgetoRivers.org)

In McCall and Sun Valley, the colors have been peaking as well. Last week when I was in the Sun Valley area, the cottonwoods around Adams Gulch were brilliant! Farther up the valley toward Galena, the leaves had already fallen and the color show was over. 

Taken today, 10-21-21 in downtown McCall

The tammies are the main feature in Long Valley right now ...

 

Looking across at the Needles peaks and Lake Cascade

For those of you who like to play in the snow, the beginning of the winter season is coming with a series of snow storms forecast in the mountains. Looking at opensnow.com, I'm seeing the brunt of the storm coming to the Big Wood Basin and Sun Valley, where 8" of new snow is possible through next Wednesday, Tamarack Resort, 9-12", Brundage, 18-26" through next Wednesday, and Bogus Basin, 4" through Wednesday. 

The main event appears to be Monday and Tuesday. But at least in the McCall area, the snow storms start on Friday in the mountains and continue through next Wednesday. We'll see how it plays out. 

    

So if the winter storms might get you thinking about the upcoming ski season, if you're in need of more ski gear, ski swaps are a great way to save money and get the kids and family geared up. 

There's a new Boise Community Ski Swap going on this weekend, Friday-Sunday, at the old Shopko location on Broadway near I-84 in Boise. 

The BBSRA Ski Swap is scheduled for Nov. 5-7 at Expo Idaho. So that one is still a couple of weeks away. 

I'm stoked to see some wet weather coming in! Let's hope we get nailed and the snow sticks to start the accumulation of mountain snow for the winter of 2021-22!
- SS