Sift the white sand through your toes on the Salmon River

Our private Idaho

Tommy made a monster

Elena found some tadpoles

Camping on the other side of the river from the road is ideal

Tom and Carolyn clown around

My son Drew and Elena

The beaches on the lower half of the Salmon River, upstream of Riggins or downstream from Whitebird, remind me of the Caribbean.

That's why we love to go there ... not only to float the whitewater on the Salmon River, but to camp on those enormous white sandy beaches, let the kids make sand castles at the water line, play badminton and volleyball, and about once every 15 minutes, you dive into the Salmon River to cool off, and do it all again.

If it's especially hot, set your lawn chair in the water and submerge at least half of your body to guard against the heat. The water temperature right now is absolutely purrrfect!

For this week's outdoor tip, I would recommend heading up to the Salmon River upstream of Riggins, and go camping on the beach, float the river and camp along the way, or do some combination thereof.

If you don't have your own raft or kayak, you can book a trip with Exodus in Riggins while you're up there and enjoy a bunch of super-fun whitewater Class 3-4 rapids on the Riggins day trip section. It's an awesome place for water fights and rapids that make the kids scream with delight. Half day trips start at $66/person.

Check out this video from Exodus on rafting the Riggins day trip.

If you plan to go there, remember that this is a popular destination, especially this time of year. So try to get up there early on a Thursday or Friday to nail a great campsite, or go on a Sunday when everyone is heading back home for work.

Don't forget your sunscreen and a big sun tarp that can withstand a major wind.

So why are the beaches so huge? Because the Salmon River is free flowing with no dams for 475 miles from Galena Summit north of Sun Valley to the mouth in Hells Canyon. It's a natural fully functioning river system. During high water, sediments are carried from hundreds of creeks and deposited high on the river bank. Beaches move around each year as the river dynamics always change. There aren't any big beaches left in Hells Canyon because of the high dams. But the Salmon will always be free flowing because it's a federal wild & scenic river.

How to get there: Take Idaho 55 north to New Meadows. Go north on U.S. 95 to Riggins. It's about three hours from Boise. Turn right in Riggins on the Big Salmon River road and cruise upstream to find your campsite. It's about 30 miles to the end of the road. If you have your own raft, you can nail some beautiful camps that are across the river from the road, so that will give you a distinct advantage.

Have fun! -- SS

Cool off at Loon Lake in McCall

The loop is best done counter-clockwise

Secesh River bridge; sweet singletrack along the river coming up

Flowers amid the burn

I ran into people camping with llamas last year in the meadow 1/4 mile from Loon Lake

Bear Grass in bloom next to the trail

It's going to be sizzling hot this weekend, so you've got to head for higher elevation to get cooler weather, and you need to be near cold water for cooling off. Duh. If it's 100 in Boise, the temps will be nudging 90 in McCall or Ketchum. So I'm recommending going to McCall, and doing a 10-mile (round-trip) hike or mountain bike ride to Loon Lake.

One could backpack into Loon Lake, too. There are some great campsites near the lake, but a lot of people go there, so it's not, shall we say, "secluded." Car camping at Chinook Campground, the Loon Lake trailhead, also is a beautiful spot.

Check out this video on YouTube about mountain biking the Loon Lake trail by Kevin Mullin of Boise. It's got great flow ... just like the ride itself.

Loon Lake is a major-big mountain lake. It's more than a mile across. You might see a moose or a loon. Certainly a merganser. But one thing that's really neat about Loon Lake is that the water is shallow, so it warms up nicely by this time of year, and you can swim a long ways out into the lake and really enjoy it. (I have a story about Wendy swimming naked out there -- and getting stuck out there -- when some Boy Scouts showed up, and she couldn't come back into shore for some time!) Most high mountain lakes are so fricking cold that you can't do anything more than a quick skinny dip! Wendy was out there for like 20 minutes!

There's also a plane-crash site on the west side of Loon Lake that provides information about these guys who miraculously landed a B-23 Dragon bomber in the snow in the dead of winter and survived. They hiked out, and they were 50 miles from civilization! Whoa. It's worth hiking to the wreckage site if you haven't done so already. The Forest Service has put up interpretive signs that tell the story.

Check out the wildflowers along the way to the lake. Watch for salmon in the Secesh. And hit Burgdorg Hot Springs after your trip, if you're so inclined.
-- SS

Bogus Basin Contour Special

Photo courtesy benandalonna.com

Well, a gorgeous weekend lies ahead, with temperatures in the 80s, so it's going to be a great weekend to do almost anything outdoors. I'm recommending a 5.75-mile hike or mountain bike ride at Bogus Basin called the "Bogus Basin Contour Special." The hike is featured in the Boise Trail Guide, and the ride is in the brand new 5th edition of Mountain Biking in Boise.

You could combine the hike/ride with the annual "Star Party" at Bogus Saturday night, from 7 p.m. to midnight. Scale the mountain by day, revel in star-gazing at night.

It's a beautiful hike or ride to circumnavigate Bogus Basin, following the Deer Point Trail from the bottom of the Deer Point chairlift, and climbing ever so gently but steadily up to the saddle near the top of the Showcase Chairlift. From there, you pick up Elk Meadows Trail and follow that around the backside of Bogus to Lodge Trail, back to the Pioneer, or take a sidetrip to the top of Shafer Butte for the best view. Be sure to bring a lunch or a snack for the summit.

Lodge Trail returns to the Pioneer Lodge. Go to the left of the Morning Star chairlift and descend on Sunshine, a two-track that dissolves into a wildflower-bordered singletrack. Cruise down to the bottom of Sunshine, merge into the bottom of Shindig, and then follow the service road back to the base area.

If this ride seemed too tame, check out the freeride Eastside Trail. It's longer and much more challenging. The official trailhead is by the Nordic Lodge. Another option is to ride the Bogus Basin freeride trail, which may or may not be ready to ride right now ... - SS

New edition of Mountain Biking in Boise to hit the streets next week

Ian Fitzgerald of Eagle flies into the sky at the Idaho Velopark (Mari Briggs photo)

Five Mile Creek

Bob's Trail, Josh Roper photo

Orchard Gulch off of Rocky Canyon Road

Practice good trail etiquette

Oregon Trail

Scaling Hard Guy

Lots of elbow room on Avimor trails

Idaho Velopark Stage Fright jump line

Hi all,

After many months of work, I'm happy to report that the 5th edition of Mountain Biking in Boise will be released for retail sales in the middle of next week. The book also is available for sale on my web site.

Many new trails have been added to the Boise and Eagle Foothills trail network over the last 5-6 years since the last edition. Volunteers from the Southwest Idaho Mountain Biking Association (SWIMBA), the Idaho Velopark and Boise REI have stepped up to create more trails, more fun, more challenge and more pure adrenaline than we've ever had before. My hats off to all of the people who made this happen.

The new book features 65 rides and maps, a photo gallery of action images, and tips on riding technique, trail etiquette and bike maintenance. The book has 25 more rides than the last edition, including rides in the Eagle Foothills, the Idaho Velopark, Avimor, new Ridge to Rivers Trails and new trails around Bogus Basin. All told, the trail system in the foothills has expanded from 80 miles to 200+ miles of trails, much of it singletrack.

We're blessed to have so many public trails right out our backdoor in Boise. It's a world-class trail system -- one of the best in a city of our size anywhere in America, in my opinion. We need to do everything possible to tread lightly and be an ambassador for the sport of mountain biking when you're out there on the trail.

Go out of your way to yield to other users and say hello ... it's a wonderful thing to see all of the people out there hiking, walking their dogs, running, biking and horseback riding in the foothills, in addition to the motorbikes and ATVs in the upper reaches of the foothills. Everyone is out there to have fun and enjoy the fresh air and the surrounding environment. Do your part to preserve the resource.

The new book will be available at Treasure Valley bike shops, book shops and outdoor stores. Book-signing events will be announced soon.

In the coming days, my web site will feature sample rides from the book, videos of more than a dozen trails, and a fun slide show of previous book covers and associated trivia ... -- SS

Priest Lake is one of Idaho's crown jewels

Awesome beach camping

Oops!

This tree doesn't have much foundation left

Paddling up the Narrows to Upper Priest Lake

Full moon over Priest Lake

Navigation Trail

Sweet singletrack

I am so happy to be here!

Our campsite

Wendy and I had a four-day weekend reserved last week to run the Bruneau River. But after our friends had to cancel, we shifted the trip to Priest Lake, one of my all-time favorite outdoor haunts.

We headed for Beaver Creek Campground in the Panhandle National Forest, a premium camping area on the north end of Priest Lake that has beachfront, immediate access to singletrack hiking and biking trails, and close access to the "the Narrows," a creek-like water channel that connects to Upper Priest Lake. It's a perfect base camp for just about any outdoor activity, including reading on the beach!

We mountain biked on the Lakeshore Trail, a 10-mile wonder along the west shoreline of Priest Lake in heavy timber right on the edge of Priest Lake. We also rode the Navigation Trail to Upper Priest Lake. It's an easy trail for the most part, but there was one challenging section with some stairstep drops into a creek bottom, and Wendy landed at the bottom of the stairstep feature and lost control. She got ejected from her bike and Supermanned into the creek bottom, landing on her head in the mud. Ouch! She was OK after a bit of rest.

The Selkirk Mountains are directly above the east shoreline of Priest Lake. You can take logging roads to points near the upper ridge, and hike to the peaks from there. When Mark Lisk and I worked on the Idaho Impressions coffee table book, we hiked out to Chimney Rock at sunset, and he got a great shot of the orange-and-rouge sunset glows on the Selkirk Peaks, and we hiked back to the truck in the dark, and actually found it!

Several of the mountain bike trails in the Priest Lake region are featured in my statewide guide "Mountain Biking Idaho." Check 'em out. They're awesome!

Try to plan a week to visit Priest Lake and immerse yourself in all of the outdoor fun. Don't forget to hang out on the beach and chill, too.

How to get there: From Boise take I-84 west toward Portland. Go right on I-82 near the Tri-Cities. Then take U.S. 395 north to Ritzville and I-90. Go east to Spokane, then U.S. 2 north to Priest Lake from Spokane. It's about 8 hours of driving time if you keep the pedal to the metal. -- SS

Don't overlook the upper South Fork Payette -- it's scenic and fun

Kirkham Rapids

Pinball Rapids

Kirkham Rapids (photos courtesy Payette River Co.)

Hi all,

Summer weather is kicking in with a vengeance. Idaho's mighty rivers are swollen with snowmelt, and the Payette River is no exception. It's cranking at 3,800 cfs in Lowman and 8,300 cfs in Horseshoe Bend as of Thursday night, 5/28/09, and rising. That means it's bank full, the water is in the trees and bushes, and the current is freight-training downriver.

Here's a tip for this week: Don't overlook the upper South Fork of the Payette River between Bonneville Hot Springs and Lowman. Known as the "Grand Jean" run among longtime Idaho boaters, this little-known gem is a challenging thread of turquoise as it pours out of the Sawtooth Wilderness into the pine-shaded cabin-ville of the Lowman area.

In the upper end, putting in along the Grand Jean road, there are log jamps and tight technical rapids. Below Bonneville Hot Springs, Chapman Creek and Little Surprise, both Class 3 rapids come up almost immediately. I've heard there's a log jam in between those two rapids. Then, the water flattens out a bit, but at this level, even the corners are going to be sporting in a raft or kayak. Below Helende Campground, a series of Class 3-4 drops come up, including Emma Creek, Pinball, and Wangdoodle, before Kirkham Rapids upstream of the hot springs. Some of the run can be pre-scouted on the way up to the put-in. After that, the river mellows out, but it'll still be swift.

I've been told by my friends at Payette River Company, based in Lowman, that they've got trips going this weekend and onward through the spring.

Check with Cascade Raft & Kayak, Idaho Whitewater Unlimited, Far & Away Adventures, and Bear Valley River Co. to see if they're running any trips on the upper South Fork. Some of the outfitters run multi-day trips on that reach, so you can maximize on several days of white-knuckle boating in a row, plus fun nights in camp with great eating.

For private boaters, it's a longer drive to Lowman and the Grand Jean put-in, compared to running the South Fork canyon or the Staircase run but it's well worth it. Be sure to work in a soak in Bonneville or Kirkham hot springs, and consider camping at one of many developed or primitive camping sites between Lowman and Grand Jean. Also, don't forget the Sourdough Lodge for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

The Upper South Fork run is 22 miles from Bonneville Hot Springs to Lowman. I've included a map above from my guide, Paddling the Payette. If you run this river section on your own, be prepared for high-water whitewater conditions. Dress in appropriate cold-water gear. Have your throw ropes ready. Rig for a flip. Be ready and know what to do if you get into a whitewater rescue situation.

The Upper South Fork should be prime for floating for about the next month. Sometime in the first half of July, the water level begins to taper below rafting levels, and then it becomes a place for great wade fishing. Enjoy! - SS

Go camping for Memorial Day Weekend

Hi all,

Well the weather looks fantastic for Memorial Day weekend, that's a rarity in itself.

Summer temperatures are kicking in, the snow is receding higher up in the mountains, the rivers are rising, and lower-elevation camping zones are free and clear of snow.

So for the tip of the week, I recommend going camping at elevations between 3,000 and 5,000 feet. Specifically, close to Boise, the Middle Fork of the Boise River and the North Fork of the Boise River are full of dozens of self-serve dispersed camping areas, and a few developed sites. Bring your own camping gear, water, food, supplies, and maybe bring the fishing poles, bikes, or whatever, and have a great weekend.

How to get there: Go to Idaho City. Just north of town, go right on the Rabbit Creek road (USFS Road #327), and drive over the mountains into the North Fork of the Boise. You'll arrive at the North Fork by Black Rock Campground, a developed site, and then there are a ton of dispersed sites for the next 10-plus miles, including Barber Flat and Deer Park, both beautiful rental cabins and meadows next to the North Fork. Cruise around and pick your own place to camp.

The Forest Service in Idaho City reports that the roads leading into the North Fork, the Middle Fork and Atlanta are snow-free. The snow level is about 6,000 feet. The Park 'n Ski trail areas around Banner Ridge still have snow in places. So focusing on lower-elevation areas is a good idea right now, unless you want to play in the snow.

Try to snag a map of the Boise National Forest before you go so you can consider your options after you've made camp. One hiking or biking possibility is to hike or bike a singletrack trail along the North Fork of the Boise, between Deer Park and Graham. The trail is snow-free near Deer Park, and you should be able to make a number of miles before you get into snow. I don't have any reports about the snow level at Graham. Let me know!

If you go camping, be sure to bring plenty of sun screen and bug stuff. It's going to be a warm weekend with lots of sunshine. Lather up. Expect to see a lot of mosquitoes. Watch for ticks as well. It's that time of year.

- SS