Here's a hodge-podge of Idaho outdoorsy things to do this weekend or on spring break

Bruneau Dunes State Park

Great views when hiking in Succor Creek State Park

Leslie Gulch has many unique rock formations

Pruitt's Castle on the Lower Owyhee River

Big white sandy beaches on the Salmon River

Hells Canyon!

A Cooper's hawk

Hikers, runners and mountain bikers were everywhere in the Boise Foothills Thursday evening.

Hi all,

Oh. my. word. Suddenly the weather shifts to the dry and warm side in the Boise Valley for two days, and the trails are trying out rapidly in the Boise Foothills. You can bet the same thing is occurring in the Snake River canyon and the Owyhee foothills.

Wendy and I took our puppy "Huck" on the Kestrel-Red Cliffs loop in the Boise Foothills on Thursday evening, and the trails on the 5-mile loop were bone dry. We loved feeling the warm sunshine on our faces, hiking comfortably in shorts, and seeing all of the hawks and songbirds. We saw a pair of Cooper's hawks, kestrels, bunched-up robins migrating through, the sweet call of meadowlarks, and many other birds flying around. Spring is here! Yay!

The weather is looking fabulous this weekend, with temperatures pushing into the low 70s. It was in the low 60s today (Thursday), and it felt like 80. That will open up the possibilities for lots of things.

Here are some Idaho staycation suggestions for the weekend and Spring Break:

• Outdoor multitasking mania - It's that time of year when you can sneak in a little spring skiing in the morning at Bogus Basin, and then go play golf, tennis, road biking, mountain biking, or kayaking/rafting on the Payette River in the afternoon. You could probably work in more activities than that if you're creative. See my previous blog on the topic.
• Camping in the desert. With temperatures warming up quickly, it should be safe to go camping in the Snake River canyon below Swan Falls Dam, at Succor Creek State Park, Leslie Gulch or on BLM lands on the front side of the Owyhees. A high-clearance 4WD vehicle is recommended, because there is still a chance of rain in the forecast. You just never know this time of year.
• Go camping at a developed campground in the desert. If you'd like to pick a sure thing, head for Bruneau Dunes State Park and hike around on big sand dunes. It's a great spot for families and kids. You won't get stuck on muddy dirt roads here ... the park roads are all paved.
• Spring beach camping on the Salmon River. Maybe you didn't plan a trip to Mexico or Bora Bora this year. But you can still sift sand through your toes on the banks of the Salmon River, 10 miles upstream of Riggins or more, there are many beaches to consider for camping. Do a little day trip rafting, kayaking, steelhead fishing or hiking on the Wind River Trail.
• Spring hiking, camping or backpacking in Hells Canyon National Recreation Area via Pittsburg Landing, near Whitebird. See my previous blog about this trip. Hells Canyon is usually the warmest spot in Idaho.
• Float the Owyhee River. The Owyhee was flowing only 1,200 cfs as of Thursday evening, but this warm weather will bring it up some more. I bet there will be some early-birds launching on the Lower Owyhee River tomorrow or Saturday. See my previous blog on this topic.
• Go corn skiing in the backcountry. Go early before the snow gets too sloppy. Banner Ridge, Pilot Peak, Sunset Mountain, Copper Mountain and Stargaze yurt are all good locations for backcountry skiing and snowboarding. Bring plenty of sunscreen!
• Float the Payette River. The North Fork of the Payette River was cranking Thursday afternoon (we had a good glimpse on the way back from McCall) at 1,700 cfs, and the Main Payette was runnign at 3,400 cfs. There will be some early birds floating Cabarton in the snow, and a bunch of rafters and kayakers on the Main Payette. Spring boating is happening.
• Go steelhead fishing on the upper Salmon River between Corn Creek and Stanley. There are only a few weeks left in the season, and the fish are moving upstream to spawn. The nice weather should make for especially nice conditions for steelhead fishing. Check the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Association web site for a guide, if you need one.

Hopefully those ideas will inspire a little adventure!

- SS

Tornak Hut near Sun Valley is one of my favorite backcountry huts in Idaho

Almost there ... the final climb to the hut.

Here's Steve skinning up the slope in the first couple miles.

Clear windows on one side make for fantastic views ...

The dining area inside the hut.

Todd Haylett and Paul Hilding hang out in the sunshine inside the hut.

Looking across to some north ski glades.

Peeling out to ski for the day.

Hiking up to the knob above the hut.

Mack Lyons and Paul Hilding on the trail.

Hi all,

We had the privilege of spending three days at the Tornak Hut north of Sun Valley on a sunny and warm March weekend. Most of our group of 7 brought Hawaiian shirts for the spring skiing occasion, and it was totally appropriate.

Tornak has been one of my favorite huts for a long time. It's owned and operated by Sun Valley Trekking, which has a total of six huts and yurts in the Smoky, Pioneer and Sawtooth Mountains. Since I make a point of doing yurt/hut trips every winter, I've had the privilege of staying at all of S.V. Trekking's huts and yurts over the years, and I can tell you that Tornak is positively deluxe! Think about trying to reserve it for a group of your friends next year.

The hut is a super-long double-wall tent. It's really spacious. It sleeps up to 14, but a party of 10 would be perfect. We had a party of 9 until two of our friends had to bail, so we went with 7. There is a wood stove on each end of the hut. One end is reserved for sleeping, and the other for cooking. The kitchen area is nice and roomy with a large dining table and chairs for hanging out, and a comfy space for cooking.

One entire side of the hut has clear plastic windows for looking at the Boulder Mountains from inside the hut. That's a great feature. Tornak also has one of the best saunas you'll find anywhere. We fit nearly all of our group in the sauna at once. It takes about 1.5 hours to get the stove in the sauna really cranking, and then you'll sweat away all of the impurities from your day of skiing, and then you can dive in the snow, towel off in the chilly evening air, whatever.

Tornak also has excellent skiing or snowshoeing terrain very close to the hut. It's located at 8,400 feet in a protected nook just below a saddle. After breakfast, you climb for 5 minutes to a little knob behind the hut, and marvel at a huge number of bowls that you can ski, depending on what aspects have the best snow. And then go for it!

Because we were there on a warm and sunny weekend, with highs in the upper 40s, we had to hit the east and south slopes as soon as the crust was softened by the morning sun. The west slopes warmed up a little later in the day. The north slopes still had good powder on them in the shade, but breaking trail in the deep, sugar-like snow was kind of a bear in places. That's the breaks.

Getting into Tornak is probably the biggest challenge. It's only four miles, but the climb features 1,400 vertical feet of gain. You park at Easley Hot Springs, about 10 miles north of Ketchum, ski over to a canyon, and start an abrupt climb up a steep slope. You feel the weight of your backpack right away. Several of our crew members got really bad blisters on the climbs.

After the first 30-45 minutes of climbing, the steepness moderates, and you follow a ridge to a snowmobile road, and then climb gradually for another 1.5 miles to the hut on the snowmo road. My friend Mark and I made it to the hut in less than 3 hours. I remember when I was younger we used to get in there in about 2 hours.

Because of the snowmobile road access, it's possible to have Sun Valley Trekking carry some of your gear or all of it to the hut via snowmobile. The hut also is a popular destination for people with disabilities because of the snowmobile access, and they've redone the floor in the hut, so it's nice and flat for moving around in a wheelchair inside. How cool!

A lot of folks in the Treasure Valley focus their attention on renting the Idaho City Park n' Ski yurts during the winter. I'm suggesting to the backcountry skiers/riders and snowshoers out there that you might try spreading your wings and consider the Sun Valley Trekking huts and yurts as well. They're popular, but they don't fill up as fast as the Idaho City yurts. I booked Tornak for my group last November.

Here's some quick perspective on the other SV Trekking huts/yurts:

• The Boulder yurts are close to the highway, with decent skiing close by. Probably the best option of all of them for taking young kids or people who can't go very far. SV Trekking will bring a catered dinner to your door at this yurt.
• The Pioneer yurt in the Pioneer Mountains is a long trek, about 7 miles if I recall. Snowmobile assist is available. Skiing terrain is somewhat limited because of west aspects next to the yurt. But if you look hard, you'll find good snow. Spectacular mountains, Hyndman and Cobb Peaks, loom above the yurt.
• The Fishhook Yurt is an easy to get into from the turnoff on Idaho 75 to Redfish Lake. Another good option for kids and people who can't travel too far. You have to ski quite a ways to find good skiing above the Fishhook Yurt.
• The Bench Lakes hut is about 5 miles from the same trailhead as Fishhook. It's a pretty tough climb in there, but once you're there, it's awesome. There is great skiing directly above the hut, more skiing on "the triangle" on a flank of Heyburn Peak, and more skiing above the upper Bench Lakes. SV Trekking reports that Bench has been redone, and now it sleeps 20. If it's anything like Tornak, it will be stellar.
• Coyote Yurt is 7 miles in from the same trailhead as Tornak, so it's about 3 miles farther to go than Tornak. Snowmobile assist is available to carry some of your gear. That's a nice feature because it can be a long slog to Coyote. Once you're there, it's got great skiing all around the yurt.

If you'd like to reserve any these huts for winter or summer, contact Sun Valley Trekking. Guide service is available, and you also could put together a hut-to-hut trip in several locations.

Enjoy!

- SS

Warm weekend should be perfect for road biking in Boise; 5 rides to get you started

Serious riders on Hill Road

The Boise River Greenbelt ... lovely place to ride.

City to Farm loop skirts Kuna in SW Boise. This is Cloverdale.

Beautiful Ten Mile Valley ... between Cloverdale and Pleasant Valley Road

S. Cole has pretty much ZERO traffic, south of Ten Mile ...

Classic ranchette in the sticks outside of Boise

Hi all,

With the weather warming up this weekend into the low 60s, it's going to be a great weekend for just about anything, including spring skiing.

A lot of folks will want to go biking, and I'm promoting some cool road rides to get your cycling legs in shape again. Mountain biking in the foothills is tempting ... I saw a lot of riders out last Monday walking my dog. But hey folks, there are a number of wet and muddy spots on the north slopes of trails that won't dry out for a while. Please give the foothills trails a break and go road biking instead.

Check the Ridge to Rivers web site for the latest details. Their motto right now is "Know Before You Go." A voluntary closure is in effect for these specific trails after 10:30 a.m.

Here's an incentive to get psyched about road biking this spring. How about training for the BLUECRUISE of Idaho? It's sponsored by the Blue Cross of Idaho Foundation for Health, among others, and they have distances for any ability -- 15 miles, 30, 50 and 100. I'm hoping to do the century ride. The ride occurs on Saturday, June 23. Proceeds always go to a good cause.

Here's a mix of road biking suggestions for this weekend and beyond from my Boise Road Cycling Guide:

• Start out nice and easy - take the Greenbelt out to Discovery Park from Municipal Park near Idaho Fish and Game's Nature Center. It's 9 miles one-way, 18 miles out and back. If that seems too far, try going from Municipal Park to Eckert Road by Lucky 13, and loop back via Barber Park and ParkCenter. That one is 10 miles total.
• Spin it on Hill Road - Saw a ton of riders on Hill Road last Sunday as I was coming back from McCall in the late afternoon. Hill Road has a good shoulder, and you can ride as far as you want, going west. From Boise, you can ride west to Eagle, or keep going to Star for those who have riding all winter. It's 40 miles out and back to Star. Wind will be a factor.
• City to Farm Loop - This is a cool ride starting at Overland & Five Mile and exploring Boise's agricultural roots, golf courses and subdivisions in Southwest Boise. This one is 16.2 miles and takes about an hour. You go south on Five Mile to Lake Hazel, turn right and go to Cloverdale, go south on Cloverdale to Columbia, right on Columbia for one mile, then south on Eagle to Hubbard, right on Hubbard for one mile, right on Locust Grove for two miles to Lake Hazel, go right and cut over to Five Mile, and go north on Five Mile to the start/finish.
• City to Farm modified - I rode a 25-mile version of City to Farm yesterday from the same starting point. The great thing about riding in this area is that there is almost NO TRAFFIC. I took Five Mile south to Lake Hazel, turned right on Lake Hazel for one mile to Cloverdale, then left on Hubbard to Ten Mile, and rode that beautiful open valley to South Cole. Then I went south on Cole to Kuna-Mora, right on Kuna-Mora to Cloverdale, and retraced my tracks back to the start/finish. The NW wind was a real bear yesterday for the way back, but I don't think it's going to be that windy this weekend.
• Cartwright - Three Summits Loop - Once you've worked in your legs (and butt) on the flats, it's time to climb. This loop is about 18 miles and takes about 1.5 hours at a recreational pace. It's also fondly called the "Dump Loop," because it goes by the Ada County landfill. It features several in-your-face steep climbs on Cartwright. It's easier to ride clockwise, than counterclockwise. Start at Hill and Bogus Basin Road. Go west on Hill to Seaman's Gulch. Go right and climb Seaman's Gulch past the landfill over to Hidden Springs. Turn right on Dry Creek Road and enjoy a spin through that valley and then climb the first big hill on Cartwright to Pierce Park. Go left and climb the next hill (short but kind of steep), and then enjoy a really fast downhill past the Owyhee Motorcycle Park. Gear down for the last hill to the initial Cartwright summit, and zoom down past the LDS church to Bogus Basin Road, turn right to the start/finish.

Here are a couple of bonus rides (which I've videoed) for consideration:

• Lake Lowell Loop - 26 miles. It's a pretty easy ride with no significant hills (380 feet of verticle climbing the whole ride), and you circumnavigate Lake Lowell and enjoy the bird life. Start and finish at the Lake Lowell Boat Ramp. See the Boise Road Cycling Guide for directions.
• Big Freezeout - Little Freezeout Loop. This one is about 40 miles, and it involves more than 1,000 feet of climbing/descending, but none of the hills are steep, just kind of rounded. Starts and finishes in Star. Because of the heavy commuter traffic on Idaho 16, I'd only do this one on a Saturday or Sunday. Beautiful tour of the Emmett Valley.

A quick word about the Boise Road Cycling Guide if you haven't seen it. It's a full color, two-sided foldout map with Olympian Kristin Armstrong on the cover. The map features more than 30 rides in the Boise Valley. It's waterproof and tear-proof. It costs $12.50, and it's available at nearly all of the cycling stores in town, and it's available on my web site, www.stevestuebner. It's the only road biking map available for the Boise area.

Have a good ride!
- SS

Ol' Reliable Rocky Canyon Road is a great destination anytime of the year in Boise

Rocky Canyon Road at Aldape Summit early-season

Rocky Canyon Road map (click to enlarge)

Five Mile-Orchard (Trail #7) Loop (click to enlarge)

Five Mile Creek is a perennial stream

Orchard Gulch trailhead

Five Mile Trailhead

Goggles are a must riding in the snow

5-6 inches of fluff this morning!

I wasn't the only person who wanted to recreate in the snow ...

Hi all,

We're getting a nice blast of snow this week to freshen up the "pow" in the mountains, but next week, even by Sunday, the weather is turning warm in Boise ... it might even hit the low 60s by next Monday! That'll get the spring fever going, won't it?

The big swings in temperatures we'll be experiencing next week will freeze our foothills trails at night, and thaw big-time during the day; chances are, they'll be mushy by the afternoon when temperatures rise into the 40s or 50s. I doubt things will dry out yet, so you'll be limited to hiking/running/biking on frozen trails early in the morning.

During times like this, I've always championed going out on Rocky Canyon Road, a place we might call "Old Reliable" because it's a sandy dirt road with relatively good drainage. By using the road, you can't hurt it by hiking, biking or running in any condition. And it's always a good workout going up to the summit or hitting a few side trails or loops.

In case you're new to town, Rocky Canyon Road is part of the locally famous Race to Robie Creek, one of the toughest half-marathons in the Northwest. The section of Rocky Canyon I'm talking about starts at the end of the pavement and climbs 1,728 feet over 4.9 miles to Aldape Summit. Out and back, it's about 10 miles.

Today (Thursday, March 1), I went out to bike up Rocky Canyon in the snow, and it was totally beautiful -- light snow coming down hard, no wind, totally quiet and my tires made no noise in the soft snow. I thought I might have the place to myself, but there were several runners out there with dogs having a blast. See what these women had to say about their outing ...

Last Sunday, Wendy and I took our puppy, Huck, on a hike up the Five Mile Trail. I thought the trailhead would be below the snowline, which it was at the time. The trail is pretty sandy, so it was fine for hiking. After we hiked up the trail a ways, it was covered in snow or a combination of snow and ice to the Watchman/Orchard Gulch junction, where we turned around.

With the fresh snow, the Five Mile-Orchard Gulch Loop should be a beautiful hike or run in the next couple of days. This is a premium side trip in Rocky Canyon. The loop is 5.35 miles with about 1,100 feet of vertical gain/loss. Hiking time is approximately 2.5 hours, but if you're taking an easy-going pace, it might take longer than that. Running time is about an hour or less, depending on how fast you go. The route is featured in my book, Boise Trail Guide: 75 Hiking & Running Routes Close to Home.

I don't recommend Five Mile-Orchard as a bike ride right now unless you've got studs on your tires. But later after the trails dry out, this loop is an equally fun and sweet mountain bike ride. When things get warm in the next couple days, Five Mile and Orchard may get quite muddy, so this is another reason I'm not recommending it.

But there's Old Reliable Rocky Canyon ... you can always climb that, and try to reach Aldape Summit for an excellent workout. This can be very challenging this time of year because of snow, ice and slippery conditions, especially for a bike. I made it past the Orchard Gulch turnoff today, and after climbing maybe a half-mile past there, the snow was 5-6 inches deep, and I couldn't get enough traction on the steep road to keep going. I just kept spinning out, and it was about impossible to get going again.

But that's OK! I can come back another day and so can you! In the spring months, I've often been able to make it to Aldape Summit by riding a tight line (usually an icy or snowy tire track), and stay on that bead. Sometimes the best line is right next to the edge of the road. On the way down, it will be slippery and treacherous, but that's part of the fun. Be sure to lower your seat. And if you don't have fenders, you'll get lots of mud in the face and on the butt.

Runners and walkers don't have to worry about that part of it :) The Race to Robie Creek is scheduled for April 21 this year. There's no time like the present to start training. We saw a ton of walkers and runners on Rocky Canyon Road last Sunday. The runners I saw today went up to Orchard Gulch and did the loop on the way back down. They're already in great shape.

There will be some ice and snow to contend with near the summit for at least a month. But once the snow from today melts off tomorrow and Saturday, it should be possible to get there. I'll have to go back and see myself.

How to reach the trailhead: Take Reserve Street north off of Fort Street near the Fort Boise ballfields and St. Luke's Regional Medical Center. Reserve turns into Shaw Mountain Road at the end of the straightaway. Follow Shaw Mountain Road up the winding paved road to a junction with Table Rock Road and Rocky Canyon Road. Go left on Rocky Canyon. It's about 1.5 miles to the end of the pavement. See the maps above for more detail.

Have fun!

- SS

Tom "Chel" Chelstrom grew many recreation projects with REI magic dust and initiative

Chel at the Boulder Mountain Tour

REI contributed $10,000 to the Harrison Hollow open space campaign

REI was a partner in the Bogus Basin Nordic solar lighting project

REI backs Snowschool, outdoor education for elementary school kids

Seaman's Gulch Trail, an REI service project that was completed in 1 day

How's my hair look? No, this is a REI service project in the Owyhees

Building the Deer Point Trail

Boise REI contributed to the purchase of lower Hulls Gulch in 1993

The Friends of the Payette campaign was supported by REI Boise

Hi all,

I went to a wonderful retirement party for Tom "Chel" Chelstrom, longtime manager of the Boise REI store, last night at the Stonehouse next to the Ram. A big crowd, a veritable who's who from the greater Boise outdoor scene, attended.

We were all there because no matter if you're a dedicated REI shopper or not, if you've been involved in trying to enhance the recreation environment and infrastructure in Southwest Idaho, you've been involved in an REI service project or REI grant project over the years. In his retirement speech, Chel listed a litany of projects over the last 19 years that really inspired my soul. I just flat out forgot about some of them, or never even knew about them. Taken as a whole, it's one impressive list.

Some things Chel did as an individual -- like working with Steve Sweet to identify every diversion structure on the Boise River between Boise and Parma, map them and find a safe way around them. By the time they were done, Chel and Sweet had mapped the entire Boise River reach for canoeists, kayakers and farmers.

In other instances, Chel and REI community relations folks spread the REI magic dust in many directions over the years, contributing to causes, financing projects, assisting nonprofit groups, being an important partner in many collaborative projects, and much more.

Here's a partial list:

• Contributed financially to the Friends of the Payette Campaign, circa 1989, which led to state legislation and state river plans that banned the construction of any further hydroelectric projects on the South Fork, North Fork and main Payette Rivers.
• Contributed financially to efforts in 1993 to purchase Hulls Gulch.
• Boise River Trails - a collaboration on the future management of the Boise River. Part of the vision was to create a water trail and recreation pathway along the river corridor from Lucky Peak to Parma. Now the Ada and Canyon county commissioners and the mayors of seven cities have thrown their support behind that vision. Ditto for the Snake River - a 206-mile plan for a water and land trail from Three Island State Park in Glenns Ferry to Farewell Bend, Ore., has been completed. Chel played a big part in both.
• REI-SWIMBA partnership projects - I was the founding SWIMBA president in 1992, and I clearly remember how cool it was long before the days of the Internet to be able to recruit volunteers for trail projects through REI. People would sign up to volunteer at the REI store, SWIMBA would provide crew leaders along with Ridge to Rivers people, and we'd divide into 10 groups of 10 people or more and build a ton of trail in no time at all. The first project was to build Trail #1, which runs from the 8th Street motorcycle parking lot over to Corrals and Bob's Trail. After that successful project, there were more SWIMBA-REI partnership projects that led to the construction of Sidewinder Trail, Shane's Trail, Redtail Trail, Seaman's Gulch Trail, Miller Gulch Trailhead and more.
• As a Minnesota native, Chel is very fond of Nordic skiing. Soon after he moved to Boise in 1993, REI was quickly involved in brushing out the Nordic trails at Bogus Basin. Later, REI assisted with projects to build the Frontier Point Lodge and install solar lighting on the Nordic trails at Bogus.
• REI contributed financially to the Boise Foothills Open Space Campaign.
• REI, the Winter Wildlands Alliance and Bogus collaborated to create Snowschool, a recreation and outdoor education program for elementary school kids. REI contributed $5,000 for a fleet of snowshoes, and since the program started, more than 8,500 kids have participated in Snowschool. "You haven't lived until you've seen 50 kids doing the hokey-pokey on snowshoes," Chel says. "It's so priceless. It should be a Visa commercial."
• REI has sponsored many service projects and Chel and his wife, Sue, have personally been involved in many volunteer projects with the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation to build the yurts in the Idaho City Park 'n Ski program. Now there are six yurts in the system. Chel remembers me talking about the need for yurts in that area at a Nordic Voice meeting in the early 1990s, and Leo Hennessy of IDPR took that ball and ran with it!
• In the summer, REI and IDPR have co-sponsored many volunteer work days on the summer trail system in the Idaho City Park 'n Ski Area.
• REI and Chel personally participated in the collaborative project between backcountry skiers and snowmobile users to expand the parking lot at Mores Creek Summit and create a zoning map with separate-use areas for backcountry skiers and snowmobile riders to follow.
• REI contributed a $20,000 "Great Places" grant to Boise Parks & Recreation to control erosion and rehab the front side of the ever-popular Camelsback Park.
• REI collaborated with the Idaho Conservation League and the Wilderness Society to create an education brochure about the Owyhee Canyonlands, an effort that was a precursor to the Owyhee Canyonlands Wilderness.
• REI supports Boise Bicycle Project activities, including the purchase of the BBP building.
• REI contributed $10,000 to the Harrison Hollow open space campaign, led by the Land Trust of the Treasure Valley.

Whew! Those are a lot of heavyweight projects that have enhanced and reshaped the outdoor scene in SW Idaho forever. Way to go Chel and REI.

Now the moral of this story is that participating in REI service projects is a must-do activity for any active outdoorsy person in our community. It's fun, it's rewarding and you'll meet new people and friends.

Listening to Chel's list was like a trip down memory lane for me, thinking of all of those REI-IDPR projects and REI-SWIMBA projects that we did, and how the trail systems have bloomed every since. I remember putting the skin on the Elkhorn yurt with Chel, and his wife, Sue, and Leo Hennessy. I had the privilege of doing a little canoeing and biking with Chel and Sue in North Idaho as well. I'll never forget how much ribbing he gave me for using plastic paddles when we were canoeing the lower Selway. To Chel, a canoe paddle has to be made out of wood. It's all about the aesthetic. I'd already broken a bunch of those :)

Chel is a really serious outdoors person. I mean he takes it seriously because his customers take it seriously. He's passionate about it on a personal and professional level. He also understands outdoor conservation, and he understands that it takes money to build projects. I sure appreciate that some of that magic dust fell on groups that I've led or been a part of.

Chel is moving on, but Dean Meer, who has been managing the REI Eugene store for the last 5 years, will be taking over as store manager in Boise. And Sylvia Cooper, REI community relations coordinator, is still here, and she's already got a bunch of projects coming up soon. Here's how you can get involved:

• REI is supporting Ridge to Rivers for a seedling planting project on Monday, March 5, at 4 p.m. They need 30 volunteers, 10 at 3 different locations. Sign up here.
• REI is supporting Harrison Hollow volunteer day on Saturday, April 7. Sign up here.
• REI will be supporting Ridge to Rivers on National Trails Day to relocate the Freestone Trail. Watch for more details at on the Ridge to Rivers site.

I know you'll enjoy your retirement Chel, you've earned it. In my book, you're an Idaho hero!

-SS

Try these winter hikes close to home in Boise

Wind River Pack Bridge, Salmon River Country

Bruneau Dunes!

ParkCenter Greenbelt Loop (click to enlarge)

Bown Crossing Loop (click to enlarge)

Hi all,

A friend of mine, Kirk Hall, gave a presentation Wednesday night at REI about some nice winter hiking destinations close to home. Kirk's theme was "Explore Your Neighborhood, Explore Your Community, Explore the World."

I thought I'd share his winter hiking ideas as my outdoor tip of the week. Some people are not skiers or snowshoers, and those of you who fit into this category are probably getting a bit of cabin fever!

1. Explore some walks in your neighborhood. Have you found some nice loop walks that you can do just by walking out your front door?

Two hikes that Kirk recommended are in Southeast Boise because that's where he lives.

• One route starts and finishes in Bown Crossing, a very attractive place in SE Boise to visit for lunch or dinner. Bown Crossing happens to be located next to the Bethine Church Nature Trail along the Boise River. Kirk's route goes from Bown Crossing to the nature trail. Go west on the nature trail to a Greenbelt spur that takes you to ParkCenter Blvd. Cross ParkCenter at Gossamer Lane, and walk the sidewalks of Monterey and Portside to Victory Lane. Go right and walk several blocks to Law. Go left on Law, and left on Boise Avenue, and walk back to Bown Crossing. This route is about 2 miles or approximately 1 hour or less, depending on how fast you walk. See the map above.
  
  
• ParkCenter - Greenbelt Loop. This route starts and finishes by Municipal Park or the Idaho Fish and Game Nature Center, take your pick. Go west on the Greenbelt to Warm Springs Golf Course, turn right at the fork, and take the big orange pedestrian bridge across to the ParkCenter area. Cross ParkCenter Blvd. by the traffic light at Mallard, walk around the ParkCenter Pond to Red Robin, cross ParkCenter, and then cross the West ParkCenter Bridge to return to the start. This route is about 1.75 miles in length or less than an hour. See the map above.

2. Try some hikes close to home. Kirk recommended exploring the new Marianne Williams Park, also near Bown Crossing. This is a super-cool new park that will be open officially later this year. It's almost as large as Julia Davis Park. It has paved and dirt pathways that wind next to a series of wetlands and the Boise River. Be sure to stay out of the way of construction activities.

Another hike that Kirk mentioned in this category was the Oregon Trail by Surprise Valley or the Oregon Trail by Bonneville Point, accessed from the Black's Creek I-84 Freeway exit. Both of these routes are described in detail in my guidebook, Boise Trail Guide: 75 Hiking and Running Routes Close to Home.

A third hike that Kirk discussed is Daniels Creek, a trail that winds up a draw just past the turnoff to Dry Creek on Bogus Basin Road. See the map above.

3. Try some hikes within an hour's drive of Boise.

• Celebration Park. I've written about this before, and it's in Boise Trail Guide. Great winter, spring and fall destination. Excellent for families and kids because of rock petroglyphs viewable from the parking lot.
• Bruneau Dunes State Park. Fun destination for kids and families. The main dunes are 470 feet tall ... plenty high to climb around on for all ages and abilities.
• Reynolds Creek Loop near Walter's Ferry, south of Nampa. This hike is featured in the Boise Trail Guide. Great winter, spring and fall destination.
• Snake River Petroglyph Tour. This is a 12-mile hike on the south side of the Snake River starting from Swan Falls and hiking down to Wees Bar. It's also featured in the Boise Trail Guide.

4. Try some hikes a little farther out of town. One that Kirk suggested is Rapid River Trail, a very cool trail that can be accessed easily from U.S. 95 just south of Riggins. It's an out-and-back hike. Go to the fish hatchery and pick up the trail in that area and hike upstream as long as you want! The trail gets much steeper after it crosses the river 3+ miles up the trail.

Another dandy in the Riggins area is the Wind River Trail heading into the Gospel Hump Wilderness. Access is from the Wind River Pack Bridge, about 25 miles up the Salmon River Road from Riggins. I've skied Brundage on one day, and then gone for this hike the day after. This hike is especially nice in April when the grass is beginning to green up a low elevations.

Have fun!
- SS

Try visiting Lick Cr. yurt in McCall to ski/ride fabulous big mountain wonderland in Idaho

Marianne Nelson, our trip leader

Laura floats through the sugar-like powder snow

Payette Powder Guides yurts at Lick Creek Summit

Eric Young and Eric Schneider take us and our gear to Lick Creek with their sleds

Typical powder field scene ... quite nice!

Hi all,

I felt like a lucky guy last weekend. It was one of those rare times when the combination of impeccable weather, luscious powder, great people, smooth logistics and fine backcountry accommodations all blended together into an awesome three-day trip near McCall, Idaho.

Après ski, sitting in the afternoon sunshine on the wooden deck of a fine yurt provided by Payette Powder Guides, and sipping on a beer, I felt my cheeks radiating the feeling of good times all around.

Three days previous, I was doing logistical backflips getting my kids situated at my moms for the weekend, finding a baby sitter for our new puppy, and getting all of my business affairs squared away so I could leave town. Now I can say it was all well-worth the hassle.

We had a nice party of 7 for the trip. My friend Marianne Nelson, with whom I backcountry ski and mountain bike with a fair bit, was our trip leader. Her son, Tim, a 20-something hard-bodied ski-flier, came along with us. A recent hire at Hewlett Packard, Tim had met Eric Schneider, an HP engineer who happens to be an avid backcountry skier and an experienced hand with the whole snowmobile-supported backcountry skiing routine. Eric has a partner in crime, another HP engineer named Eric Young, who has two snowmobiles and not only rips it up on skis, but also climbs with a splitboard and snowboards for variety.

So we had a great crew, and with the participation of the two Erics, we avoided paying $160/person for a snowcat or snowmobile ride 11 miles from McCall to Lick Creek summit. Instead, we loaded our packs and food into snowmobile sleds, and rode on the snowmobiles (well, three of us got towed) up the hill. And paid the Erics gas money. Lucky!

It took us less than an hour to reach Lick Creek Summit. Once on top, the scene is truly magnificent. Big mountain peaks surround the summit area, and you can see beautiful ski slopes for miles in every direction. So then it's a question of hummm, where to go first?

The Erics took us over to Hum Lake the first afternoon. We skinned up to the Hum Lake saddle, and then to the peak above. From the bottom, the climb involved 1,800 vertical feet of zig-zagging up the mountain in full sun. We all had to strip down to minimum layers to avoid sweating buckets. Just a gorgeous afternoon. The southwest slope skied beautifully, being near 8,000 feet, the snow was plenty cold and nice and fluffy. Wendy and I did two runs there.

Part of the group skied into Hum Lake on a northeast slope, and they said it was like skiing super-light sugar.

The snow was fantastic everywhere in all three days of our trip. Marianne Nelson was whooping it up while carving perfect signatures in the snow, and her cheeks were positively glowing in the yurt in the evenings. "I thought it was the best backcountry ski trip ever," she says. "It was my Canada."

Marianne hasn't been backcountry skiing in Canada yet, but I have, and I would say that the skiing terrain around the Lick Creek area is positively world-class. If you skied with Payette Powder Guides or other people who know the area well, they could take you out for a week and never cross your tracks twice.

PPG has two yurts at the summit -- a primary yurt with all of the kitchen and cooking stuff in it, plus enough bunks to sleep 6 or more. The second yurt is a sleeping yurt, also capable of sleeping at least 6. PPG says groups of 10-12 are probably as large as you want to get. So we had plenty of extra elbow room with a smaller group of 7. The cost to stay in the yurts is $40/person/night, 6-person minimum on weekends. Very reasonable! Here are PPG's prices for guide service and snowmobile support, etc.

The yurt set up at Lick Creek is pretty similar to all the yurts in SW Idaho (meaning deluxe), but PPG also has a first-class sauna. And that's a bonus! It really makes it nice to do a sauna after dinner or after the ski day and clean out the pores. You don't need a suit, but remember to bring a towel! I had to use a long-sleeved T-shirt. Guys will be guys.

Plus ... PPG has an outside propane BBQ grill. We brought salmon fillets for one night, and flank steak (marinated for 4 days ... thanks Marianne!), which were cooked to perfection by Eric Young.

To set expectations appropriately, skiing in the Payette National Forest around Lick Creek seems like you're in the wilderness, similar to being in the Sawtooths. But the area is managed as a multiple use area -- that's why we're able to snowmobile into the yurt. The country to the north of Lick Creek Road is open to backcountry snowmobiling, so you may hear sleds out there high-marking in the high peaks while you're skiing. There are a bunch of very-skilled riders from McCall. Once you're away from the road, however, and skiing behind the yurt, you can't hear a thing.

If skiing/riding in the Lick Creek area sounds appealing, PPG has a couple openings on a guided trip coming right up over President's Day weekend in the Feb. 17-20 time frame, and they've got some spots available on a guided trip March 16-18, and there's a private yurt rental opportunity on March 24-25.

Check with PPG for details. You can reach co-owners Marty Rood at 208-634-3189 or Chuck Rea at 208-634-4263.

I took an Avalanche Level 1 class from Marty and Chuck a number of years ago, plus I worked with them at Tamarack Resort. They're both extremely competent backcountry skiers and avalanche safety experts, but most of all, they know how to find great snow and big fun!

Enjoy!

- SS