Explore Boise Trails for fitness and fun!

Start from Barber Park, Bown Crossing or River Run to access the walking/running trail

the Herrick house

New underpass at E. ParkCenter Bridge

The heron rookery

This is a favorite venue for runners and walkers - no pavement!

Hi all,

Bandanna Running and Walking has come up with a cool promotion for 2010 -- it's called Explore Boise Trails. The idea is to expand your horizons and try new hikes and trail-running routes that you haven't experienced before.

Bandanna recommends using my guidebook, Boise Trail Guide: 75 Hiking & Running Routes Close to Home, as the source for inspiration.

Listen to Chris Chandler at Bandanna explain the program:



If you want to knock off all 75 routes in one year, and you're one of the first five people to do so, you could win a $100+ pair of Cascadia 5 trail-running shoes. The shoes were made especially for Scott Jurek of Seattle, who is considered by many to be America's greatest trail-runner. His motto is "embrace your adventurous side."

We all know it's January, so I recommend starting on Greenbelt trails, Snake River trails, Owyhee County trails and lower-elevation Ridge to Rivers trails during the winter mud season. Please be sure to check on trail conditions before you go on Ridge to Rivers trails at www.ridgetorivers.org. I have a link to the trail conditions report on stevestuebner.com as well.

To get you started, I recommend the walking/hiking trail along the Boise River between Barber Park and ParkCenter (see map above). I did a 5.5-mile run on the trail on Thursday morning, and it was totally fabulous. At this time of year, you can see bald eagles perched in the tall cottonwoods, not to mention an occasional great blue heron, kingfishers, many types of ducks and songbirds. You might even see a mink, muskrat or beaver at the river's edge.

Part of this trail section has been renamed the Bethine Church River Trail to honor Bethine and the late U.S. Sen. Frank Church, D-Idaho, for all of their outstanding conservation work. There is an interpretive sign near the East ParkCenter Bridge that explains the dedication.

I hope Bandanna's promotion inspires you to go where you've never gone before. At the same time, you could improve your fitness and endurance levels. It's a good way to get ready for Robie if nothing else!

- SS

Seize the day - try FREE xc ski day Saturday

Skate skiing at Ponderosa State Park in McCall (please excuse the heavy breathing ...)

Maybe you've got cabin fever, maybe you're ready to lose a few pounds after the Holidays, maybe you've been lazy ... whatever the case, there can be no excuses on Saturday, a totally FREE day for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. No parking fees, either! Get off the couch and go!

The Nordic trails at Bogus Basin, the Idaho City Park n' Ski Areas, Lake Cascade State Park in Cascade and Ponderosa Park in McCall are all open for free Saturday. The North Valley, Galena Lodge and Quigley trails in Ketchum/Sun Valley are open for free Sunday. You'll need to rent equipment or bring your own. Bring extra food and drink for the trail.

The thing that's great about snowshoeing and cross-country skiing is that any able-bodied person can do it. If you can walk, you can snowshoe or cross-country ski. You're just doing it on the snow. It's like going for a hike in the mountains. It's also a great workout.

Gather up a few of your friends and head up to the Idaho City Park n' Ski Areas, managed by the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation. Gold Fork, a nice moderate trail system on the left side of Idaho 21 with 10 kilometers of trail, will be the epicenter of the fun. Gold Fork is about 1.5 hours from Boise. Check out the Idaho Parks and Recreation web site and you'll see cool pdf maps for each park n' ski area, plus detailed descriptions and locator maps.

On Saturday, the weather is forecast to be clear and sunny, but on the chilly side in the morning. Drew in layers, and dress warm! All of the trails will be well-groomed. For snowshoers, off-trail conditions will be breakable crust, so you may want to walk on the edge of groomed trails. Or, send your strongest person out front and let them break the trail for you, and then take turns.

The whole purpose of free ski day is to encourage first-timers and novices to try cross-country skiing or snowshoeing. I can guarantee that if you visit any of the venues I've mentioned here, you'll want to come back.

Have fun!

- SS

Don't miss out ... go catch a steelhead!

Rick Gerrard with a fresh Hells Canyon steelie

Steve and Quinn with B-run Clearwater River steelhead (it fed 12 people)

A wild Middle Fork Salmon River steelhead (this fish was released)

We had a great float trip on the Snake River in Hells Canyon recently, and we brought home a gorgeous steelhead on Sunday afternoon after I guided my friend Rick Gerrard into a perfect fishing hole with my 16-foot raft, and he nailed a nice one.

We had been catching rainbows and small-mouth bass frequently, so Ricky wasn't sure what he had at first ... Then after about 30 seconds, he whispered "this feels like a big fish, Stueby," to which I leaped from the captain's chair and grabbed our fish net in the bow. We brought more of a trout net than a steelhead net, so when I had a chance to net the steelhead, I scooped it up and brought the fish into the bow of the boat, only to have the dang thing leap out of the net!

Luckily I had these neoprene gloves on with special grips in the palms, so I was able to grab that thing like an oversized football and wrestle it to the floor of the boat.

We checked and it was a fin-clipped fish as expected (no wild steelhead venture into Hells Canyon anymore to my knowledge), so we kept it and ate it for dinner with about 8 people a couple days later. Yee-haw! Great way to round out an awesome cast-and-blast weekend in Hells Canyon.

My outdoor tip this week is to urge everyone to reserve some time in your busy schedule to go steelhead fishing this fall. The steelhead run this year is more than 2x the 10-year average, with 200,000+ fish forecast to move into Central Idaho to spawn the next generation. The mighty steelhead -- ocean-going rainbow trout -- are found on the Snake in Hells Canyon, the Salmon River from Riggins to Salmon, and the Clearwater River in the Lewiston-Orofino area. Go bank fishing, take your own boat or hire an outfitter and guide.

I personally am not too proud to hire a guide. It definitely can increase your chances of success. I booked a trip with the Guide Shop in Orofino a couple years ago and brought home a beautiful B-run Clearwater steelhead. I'd always heard that the B-run fish are huge (they stay two years in the ocean), and put up a great fight, and there's no doubt about that!

When I was working on my book Salmon River Country with Mark Lisk, we went steelhead fishing with Jerry Myers and Mark Troy from Idaho Adventures, and we caught a bunch of fish on a five-day trip from Corn Creek to Mackay Bar ... big Middle Fork wild steelhead that were nearly as big as the Clearwater fish I caught.

The guides are out on the river every day. They know the exact holes where they caught fish the day before. They know what kind of lures, bait or flies are working. Put some friends together and book a trip of a lifetime.

On the Salmon River, near Riggins, you can book a trip with a jet boat or a drift boat. The jet boats can go upriver or downriver and cover a lot of ground in a day. They often will pull plugs or "hotshots" and drag them on the bottom of the river in deep steelhead holes, and that often can be a very effective technique. Drift boats are very maneuverable and can fish practically every patch of fishy water as you move downstream.

Fly fishing for steelhead is another possibility for those so inclined (more skill required). Here's a web site with some tips on what kinds of bait/lures/flies to use.

So I say go for it and celebrate one of the finer things in life as an Idahoan. Even if you don't bring home a steelhead, maybe someone else in your party will, and it will be a memorable day on the river no matter what. - SS

Hike or Bike to Sunset Mountain or Pilot Peak

9.5 miles up-and-back to Sunset Mountain Lookout

7.9 miles up-and-back to Sunset Peak

Steve and Quinn when he was 10 months old

Dad towed him up the mountain in a Kelty baby trailer

Sunset Mountain Lookout (elev. 7,869')

Well, the weekend forecast is definitely "iffy," with temps in the 40-50s in the mountains -- maybe much lower than that -- but here's a trip for hard-cores who might not mind getting wet or even getting into some snow ...

Drive up Idaho 21 past Idaho City to Mores Creek Summit, and either hike/bike up to the top of Sunset Mountain Lookout (directly south of the highway) or hike/bike to the top of Pilot Peak, followed by an optional big 14-mile downhill cruise back to Idaho City (shuttle required).

Sunset L.O. and Pilot Peak are great destinations in the summer or winter. It's a 5-mile trip to the top of Sunset, and 3.8 miles to Pilot, so it's a steeper climb to reach Pilot Peak. You have to climb over 2,000 vertical feet to summit either one. Both of the routes are featured in Boise Trail Guide: 75 Hiking & Running Routes Close to Home and in Mountain Biking Idaho.

Both of them are equally fun. Great views of the Boise National Forest open up as you gain elevation, culminating in a great view at the summit. This weekend, the view may be obscured by weather ... who knows? To this powder hound, it's profoundly invigorating to cruise through a few inches of fresh snow, thinking about the promise of a great ski season ahead with tons of fresh *pow*.

Note: If you want to climb Pilot Peak and take the optional descent into Idaho City, it's a 20.8 mile ride through ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir forests; 14+ miles of it is downhill. Click on Mountain Biking Idaho and look up page 62-67 for a detailed description.

Stop in Idaho City on your through and check out the frontier downtown. Great food and drink and genuine hospitality.

- SS

Hike the Station Creek Trail in Garden Valley

Trip map

Google Earth GPS map ... do the loop counter-clockwise

Wendy strikes a pose. Typical open slopes with big views.

Bow hunters are in the hills so bright colors are a good idea.

The weather forecast for the weekend looks fabulous, so it should be a perfect time for a hike in the Boise National Forest. I'm recommending the Station Creek Trail in Garden Valley, a sweet singletrack that climbs 1,300 feet over several miles to the top of the ridge overlooking the broad valley. It's a 4.5-mile hike round-trip.

The Station Creek hike is featured in my book, the Boise Trail Guide: 75 Hiking & Running Routes Close to Home.

The trailhead is about an hour from Boise on the Banks to Lowman Road, east of Crouch and Garden Valley, and directly across the highway from the Garden Valley Ranger Station. Take Idaho 55 north to Banks, turn right and watch for the trailhead on your left after passing through the little town of Garden Valley and the grass airstrip on the right.

The trail winds through neatly spaced ponderosa pine trees and climbs at a moderate pace to an initial ridge at mile 2.1. You'll notice a right-hand turnoff on the way up for a short loop. Ignore that one unless you have young kids and you can only do the short hike. At the top of the ridge, you'll see a sign directing you toward the downhill loop toward the Alder Creek Bridge, which crosses the South Fork of the Payette River. Take the left fork to walk a series of ridges back to the highway or circle back toward the trailhead. As my book notes, the downhill trail fizzles out as you leave the top of the ridge, but you can see the valley below the whole way, so you can just enjoy a ridge-walk downhill.

As an alternative, at the top of the ridge (mile 2.1), you can go right and follow the trail to Bald
Mountain for a bigger view and a little more exercise. Return to the ridge junction and cruise back to the trailhead or the Alder Creek Bridge.

After the hike, you can hit a local hot springs and/or have a burger in Crouch at the Longhorn Saloon. There are many places to camp in the area, particularly along the Middle Fork Payette Road north of Crouch, or you could stay at a Bed & Breakfast, the Garden Valley Hotel, or rent a private cabin. Check out the Garden Valley Chamber of Commerce web site for more information.

- SS

Nice weekend for a river trip

Rainbow Bridge

Wet Spot

Quinn Stuebner, left, Drew Stuebner and Elena Lansing (Wilson)

The new boat slider at higher water

Just after we finished the ramp

(click to enlarge)

(click to enlarge)

Hi all,

With temperatures expected in the 80s this weekend, it should be a great time to float the Payette River.

The South Fork is too low to float, and the Middle Fork is done, but North Fork of the Payette River is running about 1,200 cubic feet per second (cfs) elow Cascade Dam, so there's still enough water to run the Cabarton Class 3 section of the North Fork or canoe from Cascade to Cabarton. Both trips are featured in my book Paddling the Payette.

The water will be a little bit low and scratchy on the Cabarton run (normal summer flow is 1,500 to 1,800), but still totally doable. The fishing can get better when the water is a little lower. Visit the Payette River page on my web site to check river flows in the future.

If you're more into a flat-water paddling trip, the 9-mile trip from Cascade to Cabarton is a beauty. The current is slow, and the gradient is table-top flat, so it's a totally low-key canoeing trip through Valley County cattle country and one heron rookery. You'll also likely see kingfishers and ospreys. Bring your fishing pole if you like to fish. This section could be floated in a fishing cat or inflatable kayak as well.

The Cabarton run may be quite popular this weekend because it's "the only game in town," so to speak. Be aware of that. Go early or late to avoid the peak crowds.

I like to take my kids on Cabarton because we can fish, and it's a relatively easy whitewater float. The rapids are rated Class 3, with Howards Plunge, the last and biggest drop on the river, rated a Class 3+. It's the climax to a great day on the river.

If you don't have your own kayak or raft, you can go with several outfitters run Cabarton, including Cascade Raft & Kayak, Idaho Whitewater Unlimited, and Bear Valley River Co. You also could rent rafts or kayaks at Idaho River Sports or Boise Army-Navy.

At the put-in at Cabarton Bridge, you'll notice a new boat ramp. We got a whitewater license plate grant two years ago to pay for the building materials, working through Valley County. They were a great partner for that project. The Idaho Whitewater Association also has been working on putting in a new rest room this year at the Cabarton put-in.

Little trivia: The name Cabarton comes from a logging boss named C.A. Barton who worked for the Boise-Payette Lumber Co. in the vicinity many moons ago.

Check out the river maps and photos and have fun! I'll see ya there.

- SS

Tour the Snake River wine region by bike

(Click on map to enlarge)

I recently learned about a new 53-mile backcountry byway in southwest Idaho called the Snake River Canyon Backcountry Byway. The byway was recently recommended by the Idaho Travel Council as a great place to take a scenic drive to enjoy fall colors, fine wine, fresh home-grown produce, history and more.

The Snake River Canyon byway is unique because it tours a number of secondary roads in Canyon County on the north side of the Snake River, and thus, would be an outstanding venue for road biking. But the real bonus is that it passes by a number of great wineries in a very close proximity to each other, making it a perfect destination for biking and wine-tasting. The wineries include Bitner, Koenig, Sawtooth, Ste. Chappelle, Hells Canyon and more.

So ... to take a page from the Provence region of France, I'd recommend doing 70-mile road-biking tour that passes by many great wineries from Kuna to Parma. Ideally, you should start the ride in Boise, so you get some exercise for 20 miles before the wine-sipping begins in Kuna. It'd be best to do the trip in two days -- while staying in a bed & breakfast or hotel along the way in Melba, Nampa or Caldwell -- so as to maximize on the wine-tasting and provide enough exercise in between each wine-tasting stop so you can pace yourself and enjoy the whole experience.

Options for lodging include a new Bed & Breakfast at the Bitner Vineyards, the Snake River Log B&B in Melba, Mrs. Hood's B&B in Caldwell, or a number of hotels in Nampa and Caldwell.

Watch for a detailed map on my web site in the coming weeks to provide a road-biking guide to the Snake River wine region in Ada and Canyon counties.

- SS