Stellar conditions prevail for fat biking on Nordic trails at Bogus Basin! Trip report!

Beautiful spot in a grove of ponderosa pine trees on the Nordic Connector Trail.

Hi all, 

With all of these postcard blue days we've had, it's been getting cold at night into the single digits and teens (below-zero in Stanley) and that's been good to retain the snowpack we have in the mountains. 

The cold nights also have been good for maintaining good snow quality for grooming downhill ski runs and xc ski trails. A solid firm base lies underneath the soft surface, and that also creates perfect conditions for fat biking in the snow! 

I noticed that several people had been fat biking at Bogus Basin on the Fat Bike Boise Facebook page, and raving about it, so I thought I'd zip up there on Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 2, and give it a whirl! 

Recent dusting of snow created sweet riding surface on an ungroomed trail.

They were right! The snow conditions were excellent for fat biking on Bogus' Nordic trails yesterday ... The firm foundation allowed me to spin along the trail quite easily while leaving almost zero impact on the trail itself ... this is an important factor that fat bikers should pay attention to retain good relations with xc skiers. If your tires are creating a big wedge or rut in the snow, then you will upset the xc skiers, who are expecting to glide on a smooth surface. If you leave light to no tracks, then the conditions are perfect for fat biking.

That's the situation we've got right now. Think about heading up to Bogus Basin to go fat biking on the Nordic trails, or head for a few other destinations that allow fat biking on Nordic trails - Jug Mountain Ranch, Tamarack Resort and the North Valley Trail near Donnelly and McCall, or the Idaho City Park and Ski Trails, northeast of Idaho City. Similar firm conditions prevail at all of those locations. 

At Bogus, it costs $45 to rent a fat bike for 2 hours, $65 for the day. Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. midweek, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends. So you could easily head up there after work if you have a daytime job. Nordic trail passes cost $15 for a half-day, $21 for a full day. 

I have a Bogus alpine season pass, so I paid $15 for a trail pass at the Nordic center, and then stopped in the Bogus Basin office back in town and paid another $10 for a Nordic season pass. They credited me for the day ticket and rolled that into the season pass. Alpine season pass holders get a discount on the Nordic pass FYI, so that's all good!  

I have owned my own fat bike for more than five years, so I didn't need to rent one. My fat bike has 4-inch-wide tires, disk brakes, and a nice range of gears for climbing and riding downhill.  

I covered about 10 kilometers on my ride, maybe a little longer. Starting at the Nordic Center, I took the Nordic highway for a few yards, and then went left on the Nordic Connector Trail to drop into that timbered bowl above Bogus' snow-making reservoir. It's really scenic and beautiful in that area, and the trail had a number of fun twists and corners, hills and downhills, for the most fun portion of my whole ride. 

Trail map courtesy Bogus Basin Nordic Center

I followed the Nordic Connector around to the Meadow trail, and began climbing out of the bowl, following Meadow and then The Flush back to the main Nordic Highway trail. The recent dusting of new snow this week made it fun to ride portions of the Meadow trail which had not been groomed as yet. The dusting made for a sweet and tacky climbing surface, and my fat bike is geared to handle moderately steep trails.  

Once back on the Nordic Highway, I rode slightly downhill over to the Bitterroot chairlift and then more downhill to Superior before the steep climb to the Shafer Butte picnic area turnoff. They don't allow bikes on the climb to the picnic area from that junction, so you can go another half-mile or so on the Nordic Highway, turn around, and head back. 

Shafer Butte picnic area junction.  

The whole ride took me about 1.25 hours because of the fast and firm conditions. You could easily add some more loops to the ride, if you'd like to go farther. 

Be aware that some of the Nordic trails are closed to fat biking. Be sure to check with the Nordic staff at the lodge to ensure you know which trails to ride. 

I highly recommend the Nordic Highway-Nordic Connector-Meadow-The Flush-Nordic Highway loop. 

Be aware that xc skiers and snowshoers may not have seen many fat bikers on the trail before. Please be courteous and try to be a good trail ambassador. One of the "rules of the road" is to ride off to the side of the xc ski trail so as to leave the middle skating lane open for the skate skiers. The classic skiers will be skiing in the grooves. Snowshoers also should stay off to the left or right sides of the groomed trail. 

The good news is that the Nordic Highway is so wide that there should be enough room for everybody, especially mid-week or in the evenings. 

Fat biking hasn't really taken off in SW Idaho compared to a number of other places in the U.S. I see more people on fat bikes in ski towns like McCall, Sun Valley or Driggs and Grand Targhee. 

Besides renting a fat bike at Bogus, you might be able to rent one in town. Check with your favorite bike shop to see if anything is available. I did a quick Google search and saw that McU Sports downtown rents fat bikes, $40 for a half day, and $60 for a full day. 

There you have it! It appears that high pressure aloft in the Pacific Northwest will bring us mostly sunny skies and no snow for the next 10 days. If you're getting bored with your existing routine, try fat biking for something different! You'll like it! And it's a great workout if you work in some hilly trails and climbing. The downhills are fun, too! 

- SS  

Perfect conditions for fat biking in the snow right now in Boise, McCall and Sun Valley

Rider in the Fatbike Fondo at Stanley Winterfest last weekend. (Courtesy Bike Touring News)

Fat biking at Jug Mountain Ranch (Jerri Lisk, Wyatt Lisk, Mark Lisk and Dave Kelly) 

Hi all,

I woke up Wednesday morning in Boise to 2-3 inches fresh snow in our front yard, and it continued to snow hard. Perfect day for a snow bike ride!

I cleared my immediate work stuff and took Huck over to Military Reserve to ride along Freestone Creek to the Central Ridge and climb to Shane's Summit. It's a 6-mile loop that takes about an hour. When the snow conditions move into the perfect zone for snow biking in the foothills -- as they are right now -- you have to seize the day and do the ride!

Being a Minnesota native, it gets my heart pumping when I see new snow. At times like this, I must get out and do something fun in the snow ... it's just in my blood.

My ride on Wednesday with Huck ... horizontal snow at Shane's Summit. 

As it snowed like gangbusters, I thoroughly enjoyed being out in the middle of a snow storm on the snow bike. I wore my ski helmet with goggles, and was perfectly warm with several layers of capilene on top and my backcountry shell ski coat. A gentle wind blew the light flakes almost horizontally across the Central Ridge area in the footies. I ran into a couple of trail-runners with dogs along the way, all grinning wide with rosy cheeks. Huck and the other pointers chased each other at full throttle, doing big circles in the powder, before going on their merry way.

I ride a custom-made snow bike that Dave Kelly of Eagle (vibecycles.com) made for me 4 years ago. It's pretty light, with carbon wheels and 4-inch tires. It's geared to handle climbs like the ride up to Shane's or Sidewinder. But when I'm pushing through 4-5 inches of new snow, with some foot tracks underneath, it made it a little more challenging on Wednesday. I loved the downhill, so smooth in the fresh *pow* with big tires! I felt great after the ride.

Taken in Stanley, Idaho during the Winterfest last weekend (courtesy Bike Touring News)

I did a spin class on Tuesday at the downtown Y with Eva, and she worked us hard on a heart monitor interval-type of workout. I thought about maxing my heart rate at 170 beats per minute during the spin class, and felt that I hit that red zone for sure on the steeper parts of the climb to Shanes. My glutes sure felt it the next day! And that's another reason we ride!

For my outdoor tip of the week, I'm giving you all a head's up that the conditions are perfect for snow-biking in the foothills right now. Trails are frozen with 3-4 inches of snow on top. The conditions in McCall and Ketchum/Sun Valley also are perfect for snow-biking. In fact, there's a Snowball Special Fat Bike Race in Ketchum on Saturday. There was a snow-bike race in Stanley last weekend. 

But it is kind of curious ... snow-biking, or biking in the snow with a fat-tired bike, never really took off around here in big numbers ... it's remained kind of a niche-market for a minority of riders who like to have a full quiver of bikes for all occasions!

I bought mine after snow-biking at Jug Mountain Ranch near McCall. That remains one of the better places to ride in SW and Central Idaho. You can ride on JMR's xc trails, which also are open to dogs, and you can ride some snow-bike specific trails. You can rent bikes at JMR before you go.

Watch the video by Mark Lisk!



I checked with a few bike shops, and they said the level of interest has waned for fat bikes in the Boise area. One of the issues is that you typically have to travel to snow to ride a snow bike. The bikes are big and bulky, so they're hard to transport unless you have a specialty rack or drive a large pickup. The times when there's enough snow in the foothills are rare, and inconsistent. So that is perhaps another factor.

"It's a big expense when there's limited application for it," says Ryan King, a snow-bike enthusiast and owner of Bike Touring News, a bike shop in NW Boise. "It depends on what kind of fat-biking opportunities there are nearby. And if you look at the trails over by Grand Targhee and the Teton Valley, they've got a pretty big following over there."

Pretty cool to be riding next to a herd of elk in Stanley! (Courtesy Bike Touring News)

If there were more snow-bike specific trails near Boise, there would be a bigger following, King says. "I think the ridership is there. It's definitely a niche-thing, but if you build the trails, the riders will come."

I personally look around at my mountain biking buddies, and none of them have bought a fat bike yet. They probably wish they had one today so they could enjoy the foothills trails. But to be honest, my snow bike spends a lot of time sitting in the garage.

Chris Haunold with Idaho Mountain Touring said they quit renting fat bikes because of the high cost of the bikes and slow rental traffic. "It was just too expensive to have them sitting there taking up space," he says. IMT still sells fat bikes and also plus-sized bikes with 3- or 3.5-inch tires. Meridian Cycle has two fat bikes for rent, but they used to care more. "The demand was much bigger 5 years ago," officials said.

Backwoods Mountain Sports in Ketchum also doesn't rent fat bikes any longer. There wasn't much demand for them, officials said. Sturtevants and Formula Sports do rent bikes in Ketchum/Sun Valley, but there isn't a big demand for them, officials said.   

John Yarnell, left, and Chris Wildt riding in Harriman State Park in Island Park, Idaho. Cool idea! (Courtesy Chris Wildt)

Lars Hedin rents and sells fat bikes at Gravity Sports in McCall. Their rental traffic doubled this year compared to last year, he says, but he thinks fat bikes would be more popular if there were more places to ride. "The big key to fat bikes taking off is working with Bear Basin to open some specific biking trails or mixed-use trails," he says. "I have high hopes for the future."

Tamarack Resort allows fat bikes on their Nordic Trails, and they are planning to build more snow-bike specific trails, Hedin says. People also can ride at the Activity Barn and on the North Valley Trail south of McCall. Those trails are great for a shorter low-key ride in my experience.

Bogus Basin allows snow-biking on three of their Nordic trails -- Nordic Highway, Sidewinder and Mores Mountain Trail. Note: The trails need to be frozen and firm for snow-biking to be allowed. Bogus also has fat bike rentals -- $53 for a 2-hour rental and $74 for a full-day. The amount of snow-biking traffic has not grown that much yet, but people call to check on trail conditions almost daily, officials said.

The Idaho City Park and Ski Trails are open to snow-biking as well. The trails will be groomed for this weekend. Two trails that you might try in that system are the Skyline Loop, and the Banner Ridge Trail over to Banner Ridge yurt and the Elkhorn Yurt.

I would close by saying I find fat biking in the snow to be super fun. The bikes have great traction with the larger tires, and I'm glad my bike is geared for steeper climbs. I'm also glad I invested in a lighter frame and wheels so that my snow bike is roughly the same weight as my mountain bike. I would recommend giving a fat bike a spin in the snow, and see what you think.

BTW, King is having a winter sales special on fat bikes and winter riding accessories right now at his bike shop, Bike Touring News.

Have fun!
- SS

Pick up a fat bike and ride! 5 tips on where to rent bikes and ride in Southwest Idaho

Dave Williams rides a fatty in the Snowy 45 at Jug Mountain Ranch

The cross-country ski trails loop around Jug Mountain Reservoir. Very scenic 

There have been times this winter when fat biking is perfect on foothills trails.
That's not the case right now except when they're frozen in the early morning. 

Hi all,

With High Pressure dominating aloft and the ever-familiar layer of yucky inversion fog blanketing the Boise Valley for the next 10 days, it's paramount for your mental health to head into the mountains and go for an adventure.

This week, I'm recommending that you try FAT BIKING as your travel mode of choice. The snow is freezing hard at night and warming up in the afternoon in SW Idaho. It's key to hit the trails when they're frozen hard in the early morning for the most efficient ride. The weather is perfect for that right now.

Below, I'll recommend five places to ride close to home in Southwest Idaho, and where to rent a fat bike.



But first ... why ride a FAT BIKE? Personally, I was sold after riding Jug Mountain Ranch last winter with a bunch of guys from Boise and McCall. We got out in the morning when the corduroy-groomed xc trail was hard and firm, and we rode up to Brundage Reservoir and then looped around back to the clubhouse via a mix of singletrack and xc trail. I loved bouncing up and down on the big tires ... it just makes you giggle. Fat bikes climb slow, but they're super stable on the downhill, and they're basically the bike of choice on snow and ice.

Here's what Ryan LaBar said about fat biking in Bike magazine: "Before these mutant bikes became available, the cold, dreary, daylight-choked winters of the midwest had to be dealt with by skiing, snowshoeing, sitting on the couch drinking beer and eating nachos or, God forbid, actually riding the trainer. 

"Not to say that these activities aren’t fun (except maybe riding the trainer), but, really, nothing compares to the escape from “reality” that shredding trails on two wheels gives you.ile fatbiking on the snow is generally much slower than riding dry trails, the lower friction and alien texture of snow–when conditions are good–replicates the sensation of ripping trails at full speed. It is a blast. Shallow pitches become technical descents, crashing doesn’t hurt nearly as much and power sliding corners has never been easier or more fun."

I bought a custom-built fatty in December from Vibe Cycles in December, and I'm really enjoying it. The bike weighs only 27.5 pounds because it has carbon rims, 45Nrth Van Helga tubeless tires, a carbon front fork and carbon handlebars. It rides great.

So ... how to get started? Rent a fat bike from a local bike store and go ride! See how you like it!

• Meridian Cycle rents fat bikes for $50/day. 
• Idaho Mountain Touring rents for $50 for 1/2 day, $75 for a full day. 
• World Cycle rents for $80 for a 24-hour period. 
• Ken's Bicycle Warehouse rents for $50/day. 
• Eastside Cycles rents for $50 for 1/2 day, $85 for 24 hours.     

Check with the bike shops on the type of bike they're renting and size(s) available.

Now, where to ride? Here are five sure-fire places to ride this weekend:

• Rocky Canyon Road - Watchman Trail Loop East Boise Foothills - Start from the end of the pavement on Rocky Canyon Road, ride up to the Five Mile Trail junction, go left and climb Five Mile to the Watchman Junction. Caution: Rocky Canyon Road is super icy in places. I rode the Five Mile Trail last Saturday, and it was in perfect shape ... either snow- and ice-covered or sandy. Take Watchman down Curlew Ridge to Shane's and back to Rocky Canyon. Hit it early when the trails are frozen. Total distance is 10 miles. 
• Skyline Trail - Summit Trail - Beaver Trail - Elkhorn - Ralph's - Skyline Loop - This is a big loop in the Idaho City Park n' Ski Trail system, starting from the Gold Fork parking lot and then climbing Skyline Trail to the Summit Trail, drop over to the Beaver Trail and do a long climb to the Elkhorn Trail, Banner Ridge and so forth. Loop back to Skyline on Elkhorn and Ralph's to finish the ride. Approximate distance 15 miles. Here is a video of fat bikers touring the park n' ski trails. Idaho City Park N' Ride from Aileen Frey on Vimeo.
• Middle Fork Payette River snowmobile road - Ride the groomed snowmobile trail about 9 miles one way to the Silver Creek Plunge hot springs pool. 
• Jug Mountain Ranch, Lake Fork, Idaho - Fat bikes are welcome to ride on the JMR xc trails. Dogs are cool too. Great place to ride. Start from the clubhouse and do a big loop up to Jug Mountain Reservoir and back to the clubhouse. Did I say it's a great place to ride? BTW, JMR is hosting the Snowy 45 fat bike relay race on Feb. 28.  
• Roads and trails in the Owyhee Mountains - It's been an unusually wet winter in the Owyhees this year, but often times, the trails and roads out there can be great for winter riding, especially when they're frozen or dry and sandy. My friend Eileen Frey highly recommends the Wickahoney Loop, south of Bruneau. I'd recommend the Wilson Creek loop or the Barking Spider loop in my Owyhee Canyonlands guidebook. Both of those are pretty close to home.  

Another place that totally rocks for fat biking in Grand Targhee. All 15K's of their Nordic trails are open to fat biking, and they have two miles of snow-packed singletrack trails. From a resort perspective, everyone says that Targhee is setting the pace for accommodating fat biking. How about a long weekend skiing and fat biking at Targhee in blue sky conditions! Book my room now!!!

Watch the Fat Bike Boise Facebook page for posts from riders reporting on conditions throughout the SW Idaho region and beyond.

Have fun!
- SS