Mountain Music is on the wane! Get out and enjoy the last couple weeks of live music!

Jeff Crosby Band on the dock by Lake Cascade and West Mountain.
(photo courtesy Jeff Crosby Band and Tri-City Vibe)

Hi all, 

I'm in a mountain musical mood today anticipating the Sheryl Crow concert at the Albertson's Open tonight. Boise counts as mountains, right? 

Live music seems like it's always better in the mountains, surrounded by trees, fresh air and cooler temps. 

Starting tomorrow (Friday, Aug. 25), Tamarack Resort is hosting a one-hour VIP show for the Jeff Crosby Band at 4 p.m., and then he plays a plays a free concert at Tamarack Friday night.

The Jeff Crosby Band also plays next Friday, Sept. 1 in the final show of Brundage's TGIF free concert series. It's fitting for him to finish off the season because he normally gets the crowd on its feet with a great mixture of blues, country rock and rock. Last year, I thought he blew the roof off! 

High Pine Whiskey Yell (courtesy highpinewhiskeyyell.com)

Also on Friday, High Pine Whiskey Yell will be playing at Brundage in their TGIF series concert series. 

As described on the Brundage web site: "This four-piece group of modern-day rounders focuses on telling true stories about robots taking your job, banksters robbing from the poor, the trials of gold panning in Idaho, skiing/riding deep powder, UFOs, and a few other traditional bluegrass subjects (such as murder, drinking, and dogs)."

On Saturday, Bogus Basin will have free music on the patio from 2-5 p.m. with Olivia Frost (left), a singer and guitar player who is based in Boise currently. I took a glance at her Facebook page, and she's been playing all kinds of venues across Southern Idaho in the last year. Wineries, bars, festivals, weddings, you name it.  

Anyway, when you're visiting the ski resorts in the summer, there's all kinds of things to do - from yoga classes, scenic chairlift rides, hiking trails, mountain bike trails, food and beverage, the mountain coaster at Bogus Basin, the zipline at Tamarack and waterfront rentals and activities at Tam. 

Grab some lodging and make a weekend out of it! 
- SS  

Spring season pass sales offer best pricing at Bogus, Tamarack and Brundage

Photo courtesy Bogus Basin

Hi all, 

It's that time of year, once again, when many Idaho ski areas offer spring season pass sales that provide the best pricing for a 2023-24 season pass, plus instant access to the ski mountains in the remaining weeks/months of the 2022-23 ski season. 

Bogus Basin launches their season pass sales tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 23. Tamarack Resort's season pass sales are already under way, with the best pricing open now until March 1st. And Brundage Mountain's season pass sales start on March 1st. 

Be sure to check on the season pass pricing for the places you want to ski/ride, and make your purchase now! The best pricing occurs right when the sales open, and then the rates go up steadily this spring and next fall to full price. Don't wait! Get the best price!  

Remember that many season passes also provide discounts at other ski mountains or provide discounts for an Indy Pass. So when you buy a season pass, you're getting more than just the value of a one-mountain pass.  

2023-24 Pricing: 

Courtesy Bogus Basin

At Bogus Basin, a "True Bogus" pass for adults costs $499 for full access to winter and summer recreation activities. 

• A winter-only adult pass costs $429
• A spring winter pass costs $119    
• Twilight season pass (after 3 p.m.) - $149
• Night season pass (after 6 p.m.) - $99
• Military - $359
• Family - $1,609
• Young Adult (18-24) - $379
• Teen (13-17) - $299
• Junior (7-12) - $179

I believe all of these prices are valid for skiers/riders who have an existing season pass. The price is a smidge higher if you're buying a pass for the first time. 

Considering that it costs $79 for a full day adult pass at Bogus, you can "pay off" these season passes with merely a couple of days of skiing/riding.

More information at Bogus Basin. 

Tim Wolfgram, front, and Mike Erlebach carve turns at Tamarack. Photo by SS 

The $499 Boundless season passes at Tamarack Resort provide four-season access to winter skiing/riding on the mountain, Nordic trails, summer lift-served mountain biking and hiking trails, scenic chairlift rides in the summer, and complimentary 2-hour lake kayak and SUP rentals at the waterfront on Lake Cascade, ski and bike tuning discounts and more. 

Other Boundless passes available with best pricing right now until March 1: 

• Family - $1,199
• Young adult (ages 18-26) - $199
• Teen (12-17) - $299
• Youth - $179
• Senior - $349
• Military - $299
• Midweek - $349

All of those prices go up after March 1st! Again, compared with the cost of a daily lift ticket at Tam ($55 mid-week, $75 weekend), you can ski off the pass in a matter of days. 

Remember that you can get a free day of skiing at Tamarack with a season pass from another Idaho ski area. 

More information on Tamarack season passes.

Courtesy Brundage Mountain Resort 

Again, Brundage Mountain's season pass sale starts March 1, and the best pricing is available through March 20. Rates go up $100 per pass after March 21, and by May 1st, the Brundage adult pass goes from $559 (March 1) to $899. On Nov. 1, the price goes up to $999. You get the idea! 

The season pass pricing shown here provides access to winter and summer activities, including lift-served mountain biking, scenic chairlift rides, bike park access and bike park shuttle in the summer. 

More pricing: 

• Military - $329
• Young adult (age 18-25) - $329
• Teen (13-17) - $269
• Youth (7-12) - $149
• Senior - $299
• Midweek - $399
• Family - $1,399

For price comparison, an adult Brundage lift ticket costs $86. So, you can ski off the pass in a matter of days. And the ski season typically lasts from early December to mid-April! 

More information on Brundage season passes. 

Speaking of skiing/riding, the weather this week has been pretty wacky with this Arctic storm front that descended into Idaho from Canada. Some of the weather forecasts have been way off the mark, and mine were too on the Idaho Daily Snow. Even so, all of Idaho's ski areas have been getting refreshed with new snow this week. Tamarack really got the goods on Wednesday night/Thursday with a foot of new snow. Bogus Basin got 7" out of that storm, and Brundage had 4" as of Thursday afternoon. We'll take it! 

See my latest post on opensnow.com. 

- SS   

North Fork Championships this weekend; plus Brundage, Tamarack and Bogus Basin open for summer season!

A kayaker paddles through a giant frothing hole/wave on the North Fork Payette River.
Photo by SS 

Hi all, 

I stopped by the North Fork of the Payette River today on my way down to Boise from McCall, and I had a chance to watch a number of kayakers participating in the North Fork Championships practice the slalom course in Jacob's Ladder Rapids, the largest and steepest Class 5 drop on the North Fork. 

It's just amazing to stand by the North Fork and feel its thundering power - especially at the top of Jake's! It scares me just to stand there and watch boaters go through the expert-only super-challenging rapids! 

The first slalom gate comes immediately following the first steep drop into the rapids. Competitors have to fly into an eddy on river left as they make the drop, do a quick 180-degree turn, paddle upstream, go around the slalom gate, and then dig in the paddle and carve into a ferocious eddy turn into the center of the raging river, where the kayakers can get churned up in the major turbulence or best case, make a clean entry and zip to the next slalom gate. 

These are some of the nation's best Class 5 kayakers, and they're here kayaking on the North Fork of the Payette River for the North Fork Championships. The event started on Thursday, June 16, and continues through Saturday, June 18, for the North Fork slalom event. I think it's well-worth watching! 

Hang on to that brace buddy! Photo by SS

On Thursday, there was an expert downriver race in S-turn Rapids, just above Big Eddy Campground, on the North Fork. Friday, there's a downriver Boater X race, also in S-turn Rapids, starting at 12:30 p.m. 

The main event, the elite North Fork slalom race in Jacob's Ladder, starts at 1 p.m. Saturday. The kayaker with the fastest time and clean slalom runs wins the race (best of two runs). There are men's and women's elite divisions; a total of 150 kayakers will be participating. 

If you can get up there early and stake out a spot on the North Fork to watch the races, it will be a spectacular thing to see!   

With the warmer weather this week, it seems like summer is finally kicking in! 

Steve Jones amid the flowers in Ponderosa State Park. 

The snow is finally melted around McCall. Hiking and biking trails in Ponderosa State Park are in great shape. The campers are beginning to filter in! Lots of people are hiking and biking at Jug Mountain Ranch as well as on trails around McCall, like the North Valley Rail-Trail, McCall Greenbelt, and Spring Mountain Ranch bike trails.  

Brundage Mountain Resort opens their mountain bike trails this weekend, plus people are encouraged to ski/ride off the top of the mountain as well. Ha! That's kind of a hoot! The Bluebird Express will be running all day Friday-Sunday, plus food and beverage services at the base area. See their announcement about opening weekend, beginning on Friday, June 17, and about future events. The Brundage concert series starts on July 8, plus there's a 4th of July music fest. 

Plenty of snow still at the Brundage summit.

Tamarack Resort's mountain bike park and Tam Express chairlift begin operating this weekend as well on Friday, June 17, and then Tam will remain open seven days a week through the summer season. Riders can enjoy 1,700 vertical feet of downhill riding on the Tam downhill trails, plus there's xc trails worth exploring at the Tamarack base area. There's also zipline tours, waterfront services with boat rentals, and food and beverage. 

Bogus Basin also will be opening for 7-day-a-week operations on Friday. People can ride the Deer Point or Morning Star chairlifts, ride gravity mountain bike trails, ride the Mountain Coaster, go hiking. or engage in other activities in the base area. Food and Beverage as well.    

There you have it! Have a great weekend! 
- SS 

 

Multiple events going on this weekend in the mountains! Sawtooth Festival, Bogus, Brundage, Tamarack all dishing up fun activities!

Chinook salmon (courtesy IDFG)

Hi all, 

The Western Idaho State Fair is in full swing, kids are back in school, and the weather has been fantastic -- the best all summer! -- to go hiking, biking, trail-running, camping or exploring in the mountains! 

For my outdoor tip this week, I'm highlighting a number of events going on at Bogus, Brundage and Tamarack, the Sawtooth Festival in Stanley, and the Gallery 55 Art in the Courtyard event in McCall, where my son Drew will be showing his latest acrylic paintings Friday-Sunday.  

The smoke is supposed to clear by Friday, making for a gorgeous weekend! High temperatures in the 70s are forecast in the mountains! Chilly at night! 

The summer season is winding down at your favorite ski areas, but there are a couple of weekends left to enjoy lift-served service and musical events.

• The Sawtooth Festival is held each year in Stanley during the spawning season. The event is being held at the Stanley Museum on Highway 75 from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Congressman Mike Simpson will be there to talk about his plan to save salmon in the Northwest. Muzzie Braun will be playing at 3 p.m. Salmon spawning tours will be provided by bus. If your kids haven't seen salmon spawning for real, it's something they'll never forget!
  
  
  
  
  
• Bogus Basin will host the Boise Contemporary Theater on Saturday night, and a unique Global Farmer's Market on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Yoga on the mountain in the morning. There's a guided nature hike on Sunday at 2 p.m. Plus, there's the usual assortment of things to do at Bogus from lift-served hiking and biking, to the Mountain Coaster, downhill tubing and more. See the Bogus events page for more information. Last music concert is Sept. 4 with the Boise Rock School. Bogus is operating full services Friday-Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

  

  Nature hike at Bogus Basin happening on Sunday at 2 p.m.
  

  
  
  
  
• Brundage Mountain is hosting their last TGIF concert Friday with High Pine Whiskey Yell. Jeff Crosby will cap off the live music season on Sept. 3. General hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Brundage has a new mountain bike trail called "Rock Garden" to try out up by the summit! Looks amazing! They're operating Wednesday-Sunday through Labor Day weekend, closing Sept. 6 for the summer season. Check out this video of Rock Garden.
  
  

  

  Yoga on the mountain (courtesy Tamarack Resort)
  

  
  
• Tamarack Resort is operating 7 days a week, offering lift-served hiking and biking, zipline adventures, waterfront activities and more. They've got yoga on the mountain in the morning, and live music Saturday afternoon from 4-6 p.m. with Chicago Boise Express. 
• Boise Goathead Fest - And of course we can must mention the Boise Goathead Fest at Cecil Andrus Park on Saturday. If you stay in town, you must go! Registration starts at 10 a.m., pedal-powered parade at 11 a.m., and then Goathead Fest follows at 11:30 a.m. See the full schedule here. 

Come see our booth at the Gallery 55 art show in McCall if you're in the hood! It opens Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. and runs through 7 p.m., then 10 am - 6 pm on Saturday and 10 am - 4 pm on Sunday.  You can preview Drew's art work at drewstuebner.com. We will be selling original acrylic paintings, limited edition prints and note cards.  

Go for hike or a bike ride in the McCall area and take a stroll through the Art in the Courtyard art show ... similar to Art in the Park in Boise ...  more than 35 artists are being featured in the show. We will be at booth #34 in the Legacy Park area, near Salmon River Brewery and Gravity Sports. 

Hope to see you there!

- SS

These are a few of Drew's latest acrylic paintings that will be on display.

Bear and Frog 

Polar bear and puffin 

Snow levels receding, new bear-proof coolers required in the Sawtooth NRA and Brundage Mountain opens for the season!

What's the snow level in the mountains? Depends on location! Pioneers might be a good bet!
Steve, Wendy and Tim Nelson near Goat Lake in the Pioneer Mountains.

Hi all, 

It's been getting hot here in mid-June, and the snow is melting rapidly in the high country. Many people are yearning to go backpacking and camping at high mountain lakes, but that's still a bit iffy in many locations ... tho not far away! 

Backcountry snow report: The good news is that snow levels are receding to the 9,000-foot level in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. Trails out of Stanley Lake, Redfish Lake, Atlanta and Big Boulder Creek trailheads are all open ... although you may run into snow at the mountain lakes above. 

The Forest Service reports that there's still snow blocking portions of the Alice-Toxaway Loop in the Sawtooths, but the Iron Creek Trail leading to Alpine Lake and Sawtooth Lake is open to Sawtooth Lake. The lake itself is still reportedly frozen, but certainly on the melt! 

In the Payette National Forest, you still can't drive over Lick Creek Summit to reach Yellow Pine; snow is blocking the way. If you want to go to Yellow Pine, you can get there via Cascade - Warm Lake Highway to Landmark - Johnson Creek Road to Yellow Pine. The road to Landmark is open, so that means the campsites in that higher-elevation area are open, plus that's another way to reach Deadwood Reservoir. 

North of McCall, the road to Burgdorf and Warren is open. Not sure if Loon Lake Loop is passable yet. Bear Pete Trail from Cloochman Saddle might be snowy in places. 20-Mile Trail would be fine. Snowslide Trail and Box Lake trails likely still have snow. 

Call the local ranger stations closest to where you're thinking of going to get the latest information on snow levels and trail information. 

The Pioneer Mountains might be one of the better choices since that area didn't get as much snow last winter. You can get into the Pioneers via the East Fork of the Big Wood trailhead on Idaho Highway 75 or Trail Creek Road, leading to numerous access points in Copper Basin and the surrounding area. Here's a trip report on a great hike that Wendy and I did to Goat Lake and Betty Lake in the Pioneers. 

Going camping in the Sawtooth NRA? Don't forget your bear-proof cooler! 

FYI - The Forest Service has instituted a new policy regarding food coolers in the Sawtooth NRA area (Sawtooths and White Clouds, outside of the wilderness areas). Here's a link to the "Bear Aware" web page ... if you're picnicking or car-camping in the Sawtooth NRA, you are required to pack your food in a bear-resistant cooler (if left outside), inside your vehicle, inside a building or suspended 10 feet above the ground. The Forest Service is apparently writing tickets about this issue, so be Bear Aware!   

Food storage rules are in effect for this area.

Bogus Basin, Tamarack and Brundage Mountain open for the summer 

I rode Around the Mountain at Bogus Basin two weeks ago when it first opened, and it was outstanding! The creeks were roaring, and the trail wasn't dusty. That will change quickly! Still the wildflowers were spectacular! Quinn and I rode the 10-mile trail together just a week or so after he returned from college. Heading up to Bogus to enjoy a scenic chairlift ride, take a thrilling ride on the Mountain Coaster, go hiking or hang out and have a beer and a sandwich are all good options at Bogus. See the Bogus event calendar for more activities coming up!

Hiking at Brundage on a sun-kissed day

Brundage Mountain is opening for the summer season on Friday, June 18. Mountain biking and hiking trails are open top to bottom! Hidden Valley bike trails are closed still, but Zorro (double-diamond) is open. See the Brundage link for more information on operating hours in the coming weeks. Brundage also has a new trails conditions page. 

Brundage also will host a 4th of July Music Fest featuring the Dusty Huckleberries, French, Evans & Barr, and Laney Lou and the Bird Dogs. There's also a TGIF music series starting with West Mountain Takeover on Friday, June 19. See the Brundage events calendar for the whole lineup this summer.

Tamarack Resort is open for the summer season as well with scenic chairlift rides 7 days a week, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., lift-served mountain biking 7 days a week, food and beverage at the base area, zip lines and boat rentals. Chairlifts will be closed this weekend for the Northwest Challenge 3D Bow Hunt event, and on June 26-27 for the Northwest Cup Downhill Bike Races. Otherwise, the mountain is yours! 

Tamarack also is providing a live music series at Crusty's Restaurant in the village on Tuesday nights. See the Tamarack event calendar for the whole summer lineup of activities.

There you have it! Have a wonderful weekend!
- SS

Go see thousands of snow geese at Ft. Boise WMA, pond-skimming at Brundage or biking

(Courtesy Idaho Department of Fish and Game)

Hi all,

It appears that we have a rainy weekend ahead, at least that's the forecast for Friday and Sunday. There's only a 20 percent chance of rain on Saturday, so there may be a few breaks in between storms or squalls where you can get out and do something fun outdoors!

I'm recommending three things for my outdoor tip of the week -- go to Fort Boise Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Parma to see thousands of snow geese, go pond-skimming at Brundage Mountain or dash out on your bike between rain storms.

What a thrill to see the snow geese flying around in this giant wetland preserve and cottonwood forest where the Boise River meets the Snake River near the Idaho-Oregon border.

This is the same area where trappers stopped in to trade wares at Fort Boise. After 1835, they could stop and visit with post master Francois Payette, who was a very successful trapper (see historical chapter in my Paddling the Payette book) who arrived in Idaho and the Northwest in 1818 at the dawn of the trapping era. He also had a hand in mapping the region, hence, all of the rivers and lakes bearing his name.

But think of the rich fish and wildlife resource that existed there at the time -- salmon and steelhead, sturgeon, trout, all kinds of ducks, deer, moose and maybe even elk. Payette traded with many different Native American tribes, stole horses from them and vice-verse, and he took a few Native American women as his wives. Several Indian children emerged with the last name of Payette.

Here's a link to the Fort Boise WMA web page, which has directions to the refuge and an excellent list of birds you may see there.

Here's a brave lad giving it a go! (Courtesy Brundage Mountain)

McCall Realtor Lolo Nelson has won the
contest in the past wearing a prom dress.  

2. Go pond-skimming at Brundage Mountain. Brundage is poised to receive a batch of new snow on Saturday-Sunday (up to 9 inches are expected), and you could participate in the Crazy Daze pond-skimming competition on Saturday, starting at 1:15 p.m. There's also a beer relay, poker run, photo scavenger hunt and a costume contest.

Temperatures are forecast to freeze Friday night, with a low of 27 degrees, and there's new snow forecast Saturday, Saturday night and Sunday. Watch my Opensnow.com forecasts for the last details. 

Look for lodging deals in McCall by checking with the McCall Chamber or InIdaho.com. Maybe even Shore Lodge or the Holiday Inn Express?

3. Go for a bike ride in between the rain storms. I'm talking road biking because the Boise foothills trails will be wet after the rain we get this weekend.

• Take a long ride on the Greenbelt and plan a stop at a favorite spot for coffee, lunch or a beer.  
• Do the Cartwright 3 Summits Loop. 
• Ride out to Eagle and back on Hill Road and Floating Feather. 
• Ride to Hilltop Summit above Lucky Peak. Wendy and I did that last Saturday. We started at Municipal Park and rode to Hilltop and back, enjoying the new pavement that Ada County Parks and Waterways put in between IDPR headquarters and Diversion Dam. That ride is 27 miles round-trip, with 1,214 feet of elevation gain. 
• Ride a loop somewhere close to your house so you don't get wet! Ha! 
• Pick up a Boise Road Cycling Guide, a full-color waterproof map of the best road bike rides in the Treasure Valley.

All downhill from here! A bearded Steve at Hilltop Summit. 

Have fun! 

- SS 

Here's at least 25 last-minute outdoorsy destinations for Labor Day weekend

Folks could go camping in Stolle Meadows and look for spawning salmon 

Just a faint bit of smoke haze at the top of Brundage today. Beautiful temperature up there! 

Hi all, 

Labor Day weekend is upon us, the typical last weekend of camping in the summer season, so I'm dishing up some last-minute tips for the three-day weekend. 

Before we get into the camping ideas, both Bogus Basin and Brundage Mountain have some fun stuff going on this weekend. 

Mountain bikers ride the Deer Point lift FREE on Friday! On Saturday, Sept. 1, marks the final segment of Music on the Mountain at Bogus Basin for the summer, highlighted by the Aldape Bootstompers and Jeff Crosby. The event feature live music throughout the afternoon in the nicely andscaped base area outside of the Simplot Lodge from noon to 6 p.m. Fun Zone activities, including summer tubing, bungee trampoline, gem panning, and climbing wall, will operate from 11 am to 7 pm., and so will the Deer Point Chairlift.

Bear Valley is a nice off-the-beaten-path spot for camping these days. 

On Friday night, Aug. 31,  Brundage is hosting a free concert with Jeff Crosby and the Refugees. The seafood boil is sold out, but other dinner food will be available during the concert. The Bluebird quad will be running from 10 am to 5 pm Friday through Monday. I saw it running today, but I rode up from McCall! 

Now, on to the camping ideas and other Labor Day ideas ... the weather looks stellar camping, hiking and biking this Labor Day weekend, with daytime highs in the 80s in the Boise Valley, and the 70s in Stanley, Sun Valley and McCall.

• Close to home, you could work on the Boise Foothills Trail Challenge, essentially work on riding all of the trails in the Ridge to Rivers trail system in one month. People are doing the challenge in memory of Jason Delgodilla, one of the founders of Boisetrails.com, who died earlier this year.  
• Also close to home, hike Mt. Kepros or Mt. Cervidae, both part of the Boise Grand Slam Peaks. 
• 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. Plus, there are hot springs in the vicinity. FYI: There should be salmon spawning in Stolle Meadows this weekend. Take Forest Service Road #427 to Stolle Meadows. Once there, you can take the road south up to a trailhead for Rice Lake and Rice Peak. Nice and easy hike up to Rice Peak, and you can explore ridge tops from there ...  

  

  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.  

If you're staying in town, I'm hearing that some people will be taking in the Spirit of Boise Balloon Classic, going on from Thursday through Sunday. There are supposed to be more than 5,000 balloon launches.

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

Summer is finally here! Four places to go Mountain Biking in McCall

Huckleberry Trail in Ponderosa State Park is super fun and challenging! 

The trail drops down by the lake in multiple places, providing a place for Huck to cool off ... 

Flowers popping near Osprey Point ... that's Council Mountain with snow in the distance 

Hi all,

It's great to finally see the snow melting off in the higher elevations of the mountains, ushering in the summer mountain recreation season. While the highest elevations are still snow-bound, the lower elevations in the greater McCall area are melted out, and the wildflowers are sprouting everywhere.

This week, for my outdoor tip of the week, I'm recommending four destinations for mountain biking in the greater McCall area. All of these would work for hiking or trail-running as well. All of these trails are featured in my book, Mountain Biking in McCall, available at most outdoor stores in McCall, some of the bike shops in Boise and on my web site. 

1. Ride Huckleberry Trail around the perimeter of Ponderosa State Park. Rated intermediate with rocks and roots in the trail. Distance: approximately 6 miles. Riding time: 1 hour. Two years ago, Ponderosa State Park staff greatly enhanced the mountain biking experience in the park by adding new sections of the singletrack Huckleberry Trail. Now you can ride all the way around the perimeter of the park, stop at one of several places to go swimming if you wish, stop at Osprey Point to soak in the view, and then cruise along the west shoreline of the park with great views of the lake.

Huckleberry Trail parallels the lake along the west shore of the peninsula ... 

I just rode the trail today, and it's been cleared of winter blowdown and other debris. I saw several deer, beautiful wildflowers by Osprey Point, and enjoyed the views of the lake along the way. You have to be on your toes when you're riding the trail in terms of negotiating around roots and rocks ... something that's pretty standard on McCall trails, but not something you encounter that much on the Boise Trails.

Note that if you ride your bike into the park from wherever you are staying, there is no entry fee.

2. Ride Bear Basin - Rated beginning and up. Smoother trails than Ponderosa Park. Distance: Up to you. Riding time: Up to you. Bear Basin is the perfect place to take kids biking. It has a variety of singletrack trails to enjoy, and good trail signage for navigation. I recommend Sleepy Hollow, Ditch Witch, Upper Drain, Blue Ridge and more. See map below.

You can reach the Bear Basin trailhead by taking ID 55 west of the city of McCall and following 55 to a right-hand turn right before the Little Ski Hill. Follow the road to the Forest Service trailhead. There is a rest room at the trailhead.

3. Brundage Mountain had a grand opening for the summer season today (Thursday, June 22), so the chairlifts are running on Thursdays-Sundays throughout the summer. There is still too much snow on top of Brundage to ride Elk Trail, but you can still ride a couple of shorter trails at the base area. You also could take the chairlift to the top to enjoy the view and snap a few photos. As the warm weather of the summer kicks in, you'll be able to ride from the top of the mountain in a few weeks. Things are delayed because of the epic winter of 2016-17.

4. Ride Jug Mountain Ranch - The trails at Jug Mountain are mostly lower elevation, so people have been riding there for a few weeks. Jug Mountain Ranch is located directly east of Lake Fork. They've got some of the best trails in the greater McCall area with banked corners, narrow singletracks, opportunities for big air, and just a beautiful setting in a dense forest with huge trees. I recommend riding South Elk Trail, climbing up on South Boundary Road to Jug Reservoir, riding around the lake on Shoreline Trail, and then taking Vandelay downhill to Harpers Hollow and return to the trailhead via North Elk Trail. You've also got to ride Berm & Ernie, preferable downhill. There are lots of different trails to try at JMR!

Check on the best lodging options in McCall via inidaho.com, vrbo.com, and the McCall Chamber of Commerce. I noticed a lot of open camp sites in Ponderosa State Park today, but I doubt that will last long!

Have fun!
- SS

Sign up to ride Barking Spider Saturday in Owyhees, Pond Skimming, Greenbelt closures

Riding down that singletrack canyon on Barking Spider course. 

You won't find a trail quite like this in the Boise Foothills! Go to the Owyhees! 

Pond Skimming at Brundage is happening on Saturday! 

Yeah baby! 

Hi all,

The Wild Rockies Racing Series is hosting the annual Barking Spider mountain bike cross-country race out by Hemingway Butte OHV Park near Murphy on Saturday, April 8th. This is a great opportunity to get your legs tuned up for the mountain bike season on a cool xc singletrack course of approximately 9.5 miles per lap.

I featured the Barking Spider course in my Owyhee Canyonlands hiking, biking and camping guide because I just loved the course, particularly the fun downhill in an enclosed singletrack canyon. It's really cool riding downhill in that canyon. Check out Darren Lightfield's video ...

Darren Lightfield, the guy that makes
it all happen for Wild Rockies 

Pre-registration is encouraged! Even if you're not really into the racing scene, I highly recommend the ride. It's good to know about, and it's something you'll come back to ride again and again.

The weather doesn't look great in Boise on Saturday, but the forecast for Murphy is saying only a 20 percent chance of rain out by the course. The course is quite sandy, so it can handle some moisture, unless it really comes down. Give it a whirl!

The Wild Rockies Race Series has been a happening scene for a long time. They offer downhill races, cross-country mountain bike races, running events and triathlon events. People who participate are in incredibly great shape, and they stay in great shape, knowing they have to be ready for the next race!

Saturday looks to be a fun day at Brundage Mountain Resort for their annual Pond-Skimming event, beer relay race, poker run and costume party. The weather looks favorable for the day as the temperature will drop to 21 in McCall Friday night, and the forecast calls for 100 percent chance of snow at Brundage on Saturday for the end-of-sesaon festivities. Sunday will the last day of daily operations, and there's a bonus ski day planned for Saturday April 15th.

In other outdoor news,

The Idaho Statesman has been tracking Greenbelt closures. With the Boise River running 8,000+ cfs on a continuing basis, and potentially higher, the high water is causing a great deal of erosion on the river bank, and it even required the removal of a pedestrian bridge tying together the Plantation greenbelt area with the Garden City greenbelt near Les Bois Park. Mayor Bieter is recommending that people stay off the Greenbelt.

But if you're wondering what part of the Greenbelt is still safely rideable, you can still use the Greenbelt between Bown Crossing and Lucky Peak, and other shorter sections. The Statesman put together a great map of the closure areas (shown in red) and open areas (shown in green).

A group running Pair of Dice Rapids on the Murtaugh section of the Mid-Snake River ... Photo by Rob Lesser 

I wrote a wide-ranging story recently for the Twin Falls Times-News about running Idaho rivers this year because of bountiful snowpack, which will mean longer seasons for the desert rivers, and much more high water and long seasons than usual in the mountain rivers. Here's a link to the article. The title is, "If there ever was a year for whitewater rafting in Idaho, this is the one!" Make your plans now to enjoy a great river season!

Have fun!
- SS

Here comes the snow! Yee-haw! Where to go downhill skiing, xc skiing and snowshoeing

Big storm coming our way today and thru the weekend (courtesy NOAA) 

Brundage forecast today and tomorrow Winter Weather Advisory Woo-Hoo! 

Targhee has gotten a ton of snow in the last week ... 

Pomerelle Mountain Resort near Declo is opening on Friday

Anthony Lakes is looking good! They open Friday to season pass holders,
and on Saturday for the general public. 

Hi all,

I was watching the weather on the 10 p.m. news last night, and I heard Scott Dorval with KIVI-TV say that we should get 1-3 feet of snow in Idaho's Central Mountains in the next week! That put a smile on my face, I'll tell you what! It's been a bit of a slow start to the ski season, but now things are catching up! Bring it on!

Here's the latest information as of Thursday, Dec. 8th on ski area openings and conditions:

First, here are the resorts that are open now or plan to open this weekend:

• Sun Valley is open for top-to-bottom skiing on man-made and natural snow. Tickets are cheaper now than they will be all season. 16-inch base at the top and bottom with snow coming down as we speak. 
• Pomerelle Mountain Resort near Albion is opening Friday and will continue operations Saturday-Sunday with at least 80 percent of their terrain open for skiing and riding. Reporting a 12-inch base at the bottom and 16 inches at the top, with more snow coming today, tonight and tomorrow. 
• Anthony Lakes near Baker, OR, is opening Friday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for season pass holders and then it opens Saturday and Sunday for the general public. Reporting a 30-inch base. 
• Bogus Basin is opening Deer Point Chair and Showcase slopes Saturday, plus the beginner chair. They will open more terrain as new snow allows. Reporting a 21-inch base, and it's snowing as we speak. 
• Brundage Mountain is opening it's beginning hill, Easy Street, and the Bear Chair on Saturday, and may open up more terrain as new snow allows. Lots of backcountry skiers have been climbing Brundage to ski fresh *pow* while they wait for the Bluebird and Engen lifts to open the rest of the mountain. Reporting 13 inch base at the bottom and 16 inches on top, with lots of snow on the way. 
• Gateway Parks in Eagle Island State Park opens on Friday. They've got plenty of snow and lots of park features for folks to enjoy. 
• Grand Targhee opened last week, and they've been getting a ton of snow ever since. "Over 5 feet in 7 days," is the headline on the front page of their web site. If you've got it, you might as well flaunt it! Reporting a 60-inch base. 

Gateway parks at Eagle Island State Park opens tomorrow. 

Boise is supposed to get several inches of snow today, so I'm sure people will be out playing in the snow locally. Snow biking on foothills trails will be excellent until it warms up and starts raining tomorrow. 

Dog owners will be pleased to know that Ann Morrison Park and Esther Simplot Park are official off-leash areas for the winter months. See the off-leash dog areas on the Boise Parks & Recreation web site for more locations. 

You could go snowshoeing at Bogus Basin, Idaho City Park n' Ski Areas,
Ponderosa State Park or Bear Basin in McCall 

As for Nordic skiing and snowshoeing: 

• Bogus Basin is opening the Nordic highway on Saturday, and Sappers and other Nordic trails will be groomed for xc skiing. Stay tuned on snow bike trails. It may take a little more time to get those ready to roll. 
• Idaho City Park n' Ski area parking lots were plowed in the past week, so you could go xc skiing or snowshoeing in the Park n' Ski areas. The trails to Banner Ridge and Stargaze are best-marked, according to Idaho Parks and Recreation officials. As previously reported, none of the xc ski trails will be groomed this year because of the Pioneer Fire. 
• Pondersosa State Park in McCall has rolled a few of their trails including the dog loop and other trails near the trailhead. Park officials report they need another 9 inches of snow to run their groomer and open all of the terrain. But people are out xc skiing and snowshoeing today. 
• Bear Basin trails near McCall are open and signs are going up to prepare for the weekend. They're reporting an 8 inch base prior to the storms coming today, tomorrow and this weekend. 
• For people who like to go tubing, the Activity Barn in McCall will be opening on Friday, Nov. 9 in McCall. They'll have one tubing lane open on Friday, and more will open as snow permits. 

Enjoy this early Christmas gift of wonderful snow snow snow! Have fun!
- SS