Great lineup of wild and wacky activities at the McCall Winter Festival in 2016

This was the grand prize in a recent Winter Carnival. Pharoah's Tomb. 

Love this snow sculpture 

Marti Gras Parade ... People in McCall know how to have fun! 

Hi all, 

The McCall Winter Carnival kicks off tomorrow, and the weather forecast is calling for lots of snow this weekend! Perfect! If the forecast holds true, 10-20 inches of snow could fall in the higher elevations tonight, Friday and Saturday. That'll make things feel just right for the Winter Carnival, which runs for the next 10 days in downtown McCall. 

Even if you don't have any lodging lined up for the weekend, it's worth going up to the Winter Carnival as a day trip, especially on Saturday to watch the Marti Gras parade (noon - 1:30 p.m.), view the spectacular ice sculptures (theme is "Beyond Tomorrow"), and work in an activity such as ice skating, snow golf, alpine skiing at Brundage, xc skiing or snowshoeing at Bear Basin or Ponderosa State Park, and much much more. 

Activity Barn tubing hill is great for the whole family. 

Check out the activity schedule -- there's also a fat bike race this weekend, monster dog pull at 11 a.m. Sunday (any dog can enter), great food specials at various restaurants, food vendors on the street, live music, beer garden, and tubing at the Activity Barn. Or, maybe you've been growing a beard to enter in the longest beard contest or you're a woman who's neglected the razor to compete in the hairy legs contest.

I saw that there's a shuttle bus running from Eagle to McCall for $43. 

Quite simply, there's nothing else like the Winter Carnival in Idaho or the Pacific Northwest for that matter. Many thanks to the residents of McCall and the McCall Chamber of Commerce for always putting on a great show! 

Drew and Huck on the Salmon River 

Speaking of snow, I'm already thinking about running rivers next summer. In case you didn't realize it, the deadline for submitting private party permits for running the Selway, Middle Fork of the Salmon, main Salmon River - River of No Return, and Hells Canyon is Jan. 31st. It's called the "Four Rivers Lottery." See Recreation.gov for details on applying. It only costs $6 per application. 

Snowpack looks favorable for a great whitewater season! 

If you are lucky enough to draw a permit, you will be a very special friend to every whitewater boater who knows you, and you can leverage that to invite your friends or loved ones on a trip of a lifetime on any of those four rivers. Good luck! 

Friday also marks the beginning of the Sun Valley Nordic Festival in Ketchum/Sun Valley. They have a lot of fun stuff lined up for that week-long event, leading up to the 30K Boulder Mountain    

Tour on Saturday, Feb. 6th. They've got curling, Dutch oven cooking and skate skiing clinics lined up in Stanley on Feb. 1st, the Banff Film Festival is running on Sunday, Jan. 31st, there's a fat bike race nearly every day. 

Enjoy the snow! 

- SS 

It's always fun to visit Stargaze Yurt, a perfect place to go skiing, sledding with the kids

Quinn at the Stargaze Summit 

Look at all the snow! 

Hardly a human print anywhere after all that new snow! 

Beaver Creek Summit is next to the trailhead 

Almost there ... Stargaze is on top of the mountain directly ahead. 

Hi all,

I went up to Stargaze Yurt last Monday on MLK day with my 18-year-old son Quinn and Wendy. Quinn plays on two hockey teams, Boise High and the Boise Hawks AA U-18 Midget travel team, so it's always challenging to find a free day with that lad when he doesn't have practice, dry-land training, games or tournaments.

Here's my radio segment about this trip on 94.9 The River (9:15 a.m. on Fridays). 

The backcountry around Stargaze Yurt, located 1.2 miles from Idaho 21 at Beaver Creek Summit between Idaho City and Lowman, is a perfect place for playing in the snow, whether you want to take your kids sledding, snowshoeing, xc skiing or backcountry skiing. It's got some rolling terrain near the highway, and steeper slopes directly below the yurt and on a north- and east-facing mountain next to the yurt.

The best part about this area is the accessibility. It takes 1.5+ hours to reach the trailhead from Boise. But once you're there, you park next to the highway, and within an hour, you're on top of the mountain, ready to ski down. Or you can take the kids sledding. Or you can cruise around on snowshoes and make your own adventure.

This is why we took all four of our kids up there about 4 years ago over a long weekend, and we had the yurt booked for the duration. That's definitely the optimum way to go, but as everyone knows, the yurt is popular and hard to book. Check the calendar here.

On Monday, we had a bluebird day after finally driving out of the fog in Idaho City. That was half the reason we wanted to go to the mountains -- to get out of the gray foggy crud layer hanging over Boise for much of last week. We were greeted by warm sunshine at Beaver Creek Summit. What a pleasant afternoon of skiing!

There was a ton of new snow at the trailhead -- at least a foot of new had snowed-in the cars in the pull-out. Fortunately, some snowshoers had broken the trail up to the saddle next to the yurt, making our climb much easier than it could have been. We met some folks staying at Stargaze; they said it snowed 8 inches overnight. Plus in the previous week, it had snowed at least several feet. I poked my pole into the snow about 2-2.5 feet before I hit the next layer. It was pretty much bottomless snow. I was excited to take some turns.

We skied up to the yurt and took off directly below. The deep snow was pretty thick ... but it was still great to cruise through virgin snow to the bottom of the slope. My Solomon Guns cruise on the surface nicely. Skinning back uphill for a second run was very taxing because of the thick snow, but we had Quinn to break trail! Perfect!

The people staying at the hut had some extra PBR's when we got back on top. How sweet to hang out at that beautiful perch looking over at the Sawtooths while munching a sandwich and sipping a beer. Our new friends had a big bunch of kids with them who were sledding up and down a slope next to the yurt. Love it!

Anyway, I highly recommend visiting the Stargaze yurt area for a day trip or overnight experience. Once you've been there, I promise you, you'll go back.

-----------------------------------
Reminder: A couple of big winter events are coming up ...

• The McCall Winter Carnival starts next weekend, Jan. 29 and runs through Feb. 7. I've heard that lodging is filling up fast. Check with InIdaho about getting a cabin or a condo reserved. 
• The Boulder Mountain Tour, a 34K event from Galena Lodge to the Sawtooth NRA headquarters, is Feb. 6th. 
• The Hagerman Bird Festival is coming up on Feb. 12-14. It's a perfect event to learn how to identify birds or expand your birding knowledge.   \

Have fun!
- SS 

Winter birding is a fun activity; Hagerman Bird Festival offers opportunities to learn

Great blue heron along the Boise River (courtesy Ken Miracle)

Juvenile bald eagle on the Boise River (courtesy Ken Miracle)

Merganser on the Boise River (Courtesy Ken Miracle)

Kingfisher (Courtesy Ken Miracle)

Hi all,

To me, it's always a treat to see birds and wildlife as part of an outdoor recreation outing. But every once in a while, I like to make seeing birds or wildlife the central focus of an outdoor adventure. One of my favorite winter bird walks in Boise is along the Boise River, particularly when it's colder outside, with temperatures below freezing. My main objective is to see bald eagles perching on the top of cottonwood trees. But you'll also see a variety of ducks, geese, kingfishers, herons and songbirds. The variety of ducks can be pretty darn cool. I especially like to see the colorful wood ducks.  

About 15-20 bald eagles typically winter along the Boise River urban corridor, between Lucky Peak and Eagle. If you're lucky, you'll see an eagle swoop down to the river to catch a trout or whitefish breakfast with its talons. And that's a beautiful thing to behold. Nature in action.

This week, my outdoor tip is to take a moment to look for birds and learn about them. Consider starting a bird list! According to an article in Audubon, all you need is a pair of binoculars and a basic field guide to birds to get started in birding. I've recently learned about another way you could get into birding -- attend the Hagerman Bird Festival, Feb. 12-14. The Festival provides guided outings to see particular types of birds, such as night walks to see owls and boat tours to see waterfowl on the Snake River. I wrote about the festival for Southern Idaho Tourism, and I thought my readers on Stueby's Outdoor Journal would want to know about it, too.

Mallard ducks on the Snake River (Courtesy SITA)

Here's my blog post:

Maybe you've been wanting to become a "birder" -- a person who goes out to look at birds, learns how to identify them and keeps a list -- or perhaps participate in a bird-watching outing and see if you like it.

The upcoming Hagerman Birding Festival, scheduled for Feb. 12-14, is a perfect event to learn how to get started. Pre-registration is open for the event, which is limited to the first 150 people who sign up. There are classroom sessions where you learn how to identify different kinds of birds and field trips with birding experts. That's where the rubber hits the road. The multiday event costs $80 for adults and $25 for children 16 and younger,  including food and field trips.

Inspiration. Usually, a person's interest in birding is started by an inspirational moment. For me, it was watching bald eagles swoop down and catch crimson kokanee in West Glacier, Montana. Even since then, I've always been interested in birds of prey in particular. I must have taken 300 photos of eagles catching fish on that snowy day in December.

We learn in the Twin Falls Times-News  that Burley High School senior Joseph DeTemple is a budding birder after earning a Boy Scout merit badge through identifying eight species of birds. He's working with veteran birder Wallace Keck, superintendent of City of Rocks National Reserve and Castle Rocks State Park, to learn about birding. DeTemple already has identified more than 130 species. He's off and running!

Sharp-shinned hawk at the City of Rocks
(Courtesy Wallace Keck)

Keck, whose life list hovers near 460 species, was inspired by taking an ornithology class in college at Arkansas State University. Campus was near a number of mountains and rivers that made birding fun and exciting for Keck, who frequently blogs about his birding adventures. Keck recently blogged about "The Big Year" in which he hopes to add more species to his life list and surpass 500 species.

So how about making 2016 a year in which you start birding? The greater Southern Idaho region is a wonderful place to see birds -- from lots of waterfowl, bald eagles, and great blue herons in the Hagerman area along the Snake River, to more waterfowl at Lake Walcott State Park and Minidoka National Wildlife Refuge, songbirds at City of Rocks National Reserve and a variety of species at The Nature Conservancy's Silver Creek Preserve near Picabo. With every stop, you'll pick up more species. 

At City of Rocks, you can see a variety of songbirds such as pinyon jays and scrub jays and a variety of other birds surrounding the feeders they have at the Visitor Center, plus Keck photographed a beautiful Cooper's hawk perched in a tree nearby, looking for a morning meal.

Christine Gertschen, the organizer of the Hagerman Bird Festival this year, lives in Hagerman and enjoys seeing all the birds in that area. "The birds come here because of the open water on the Snake River," she says. "Last night, I was watching a pair of great-horned owls. Birding is just crazy around here in the winter ... it's definitely a hot spot."

How to get started? According to an article in Audubon, all you need is a pair of binoculars and a basic field guide to birds. Perhaps a small pocket notebook would be handy for noting species. My partner Wendy Wilson is an expert birder, and she likes to use the Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America for identifying birds. That guide is very well-done and very detailed. But there are quite a few available.

Audubon suggests thinking about a particular species that you'd like to identify, and then go out and find it. The Hagerman Birding Festival would be a perfect way to learn how to get started birding from the experts and go out in the field and start your own bird list.

To sign up for the festival, visit http://www.hagermanbirdfestival.com. For more information, call 208-352-3175 or email hagermanbirdfestival@gmail.com. See you at the festival!

    

If you plan to be visiting from out of town, look for lodging deals here at the Southern Idaho Tourism web site.

Another resource for learning about birds is to join the Idaho Birding Facebook page. You'll see a lot of birders and photographers posting close up and spectacular bird pics on the page. And you can learn tips about identifying a particular species.

Enjoy the birds!
- SS

Free xc ski, snowshoe day a fantastic opportunity to learn outdoor winter sports

This all happens on Saturday at Ponderosa Park, Lake Cascade State Park,
and the Idaho City Park n' Ski areas in SW Idaho! Just do it! 

Wendy skate skiing at Ponderosa State Park. Did you notice that she's smiling!  

Free xc ski day at Lake Cascade State Park in Cascade 

Fetching views of Payette Lake from the trail leading to Osprey Point

My autistic son Drew loves to snowshoe. He's been doing it since he was 10.
Here, we're doing the Meadow Loop in Ponderosa Park.  

Hi all,

After many snow storms in December and early January, the mountains are chock-full of snow and just about any winter activity that you'd like to do is now in prime-time mode for snow play!

On Saturday, all of the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation Nordic cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and snow-biking destinations are open free of charge in hopes of luring folks to the mountains to try xc skiing and snowshoeing and playing in the snow.

I highly recommend that you go for it. It's great exercise after the holiday season, and the weather looks favorable on Saturday with temperatures in the mid-20s and maybe a little light snow. Anyone who can walk, can snowshoe. Cross-country skiing is a little more challenging, but once you learn how to balance and glide, it's a real joy.

If you go to Lake Cascade State Park in Cascade or Ponderosa State Park in McCall, they've got free gear for people to use along with free lessons (xc skiing or skate skiing). And the trail fees are waived, too! How can you beat that! Free food and hot drinks, too! Try to get there between the hours of 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. for the best shot at the free food and instruction. See more below about the trail systems at both parks.

At the Idaho City Park n' Ski Areas, parking fees are waived on Saturday at all of the Park n' Ski areas. But you'll need to bring your own xc skis or snowshoes. Free hot chocolate and snacks are being served at the Rocky Ridge yurt, accessed from the Whoop-Um-Up parking lot, and at the Whispering Pines yurt, accessed from the Gold Fork parking lot and trail system. These areas are located northeast of Idaho City via Idaho State Highway 21. Travel time is about 1.5 hours from Boise.

XC skiing and snowshoeing should be stellar at all three of these locations. All of the trails are freshly groomed, and there's a huge amount of snow off-trail for adventure-seekers. Make sure you bring a pair of ski poles for the best experience if you plan to do off-trail snowshoeing. In addition, be sure to dress for cold weather (long underwear required) and wear some type of snow pants to stay comfortable. Wear a winter hat and warm gloves/mittens.

Ponderosa State Park has over 12 miles of ultrawide, groomed xc trails and 3.5 miles of marked, super-cool snowshoe trails in a meadow and ridgeline setting.

Lake Cascade State Park has about eight miles of groomed xc trails, starting from the Van Wyck Boat Ramp area in the city of Cascade. You can ski  from Van Wyck to the Ridgeview trail and cross Lake Cascade by the dam to ski or snowshoe on the Crown Point Trail. Parks staff at this location are serving hot dogs and burgers for lunch on Saturday, that's a bonus!

The Idaho City Park n' Ski Areas feature multiple trailheads and an integrated trail system that connects between the Gold Fork/Skyline trailhead and the Banner Ridge trailhead. There's about 40 miles of trail total. Saturday would be a great day to check it out and try one of the trails to see if xc skiing or snowshoeing are your cup of tea.

If you need some inexpensive gear, try to pick up some xc skis, boots and poles or a pair of snowshoes at Backcountry Pursuit in Boise or Eagle.

The new goomer stuck in the ravine

Leo goes to work on a tree with a chainsaw ... 

Realize that it's a small miracle that the Idaho City Park n' Ski Areas are open this weekend, considering the major snow storms in December created a huge amount of wind, and blowing and drifting snow, dropping more than 100 trees across the trails, many of them green trees (harder to cut). And a new groomer slid off the trail into a ravine, forcing Leo Hennessy of IDPR to summon multiple crews of volunteers on multiple days to dig out the groomer and cut trees out of the groomed trails. Happily, all of that has occurred. Thanks to everyone!

"Pretty much the whole trail system is groomed," he said. "The trails are a little soft in the middle for skate skiing and fat biking, but the conditions are excellent for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing."

Don't miss out on this opportunity get into snowshoeing or xc skiing! Thanks to IDPR for putting it on!
----------------------------
- Also, this weekend is the Western Idaho Fly Fishing Expo in Garden City. If you're into fly fishing, this is a great event to attend. Good for newbies, too! There's a casting pond, instruction, videos, fly tying, banquet and more.

10 items for Stueby's annual Christmas gift list for the outdoorsy him & her

Hi all,

Christmas is coming upon us quickly ... it's essentially a week away! Do you have all of your shopping done? I've been doing a little checking around to see what's popular this year with regard to outdoor clothing, outerwear and toys, what's new and different, etc. Remember, buy local as much as possible when you're shopping to support Boise's quality outdoor stores.

Here's my 2015 Christmas outdoor gear list for the outdoorsy him and her:

1. First of all, we have to celebrate all the fresh snow that's fallen across Idaho in the last month or so. All of the Idaho alpine and xc resorts are open and all the tubing hills are open with a solid base of snow -- just in time for everyone to enjoy playing in the snow over the Christmas holidays! Raise your cup to the snow god Ullr and send a happy howl to the stars.

2. Headlamp - You can use them for hiking, reading, camping, cooking ... you name it, headlamps are an essential outdoor item. And they seem to mysteriously disappear around our house all the time. But there's so many brands to choose from ... where do you start? Outdoor Gear Lab recently compared 28 different headlamps and ranked them. Black Diamond headlamps dominated the top 5, and the Coast HL7, came out No. 1. It retails for only $30 online. I think it pays to spend a little more, say $50-$60, and get a brighter lamp.

3. Bike lights - I wrote a blog about biking and hiking lights recently after the time changed in the fall. See my recommendations there. Lights have gotten so much better and brighter for less cost.

"We're selling lights for 1/5th of what they sold for 5 years ago with five times the brightness," says Chris Haunold of Idaho Mountain Touring. A Light and Motion bike light at IMT with 350 lumens sells for $60 with a rechargeable battery. Five years ago, "it would have cost $500," Chris says.

4. Knives - OK, this is more of a "guy" thing than a women's item, but let's face it, a nice sharp folding knife is great to have handy at all times. Wilderness Today ranked 10 pocket knives in their survey. See what kind you want and then head over to Boise Army Navy in Garden City to buy a pocket knife.

5. Gloves - I like to have at least one set of light gloves for xc skiing, a heavier warm glove for alpine skiing, and some medium-weight gloves for other uses. Many outdoor retailers in Boise have a great selection of gloves. Backcountry Pursuit has some screaming deals on gloves and mittens at their store on Capital next to FedEx Kinkos.

Luci lantern

6. Luci Lux Inflatable Lantern - I've seen these in use at friends' houses, and I wish I had one of my own. Retail price is $19.95. How can you go wrong?

7. At Boise REI, Fischer S-Bound Backcountry Skis with the EZ Skin System are proving to be popular this holiday season. The skis have a notch for the skins, and they're easy to take on and off. Check with Boise REI on pricing.

8. Hydro flasks and stainless bottles - These are proving to be a popular low-cost buy ($10-$30) at IMT and Boise REI. Many brands are available, including Hydro Flask, New Wave, and others.

9. Patagonia Black Hole Duffle Bags - These look really nice and durable, and they only cost about $100. I saw these at IMT. They collapse into a small compact bag when empty, nice for travel, and they hold lots of gear. Larger models are in the $130-$160 range. The thing that's nice about buying Patagonia is that if anything falls apart, there's a lifetime guarantee.

10. Snowshoes - OK, maybe you're just breaking into the winter recreation scene, or you prefer to snowshoe vs. xc skiing. Snowshoes are great because if you can walk, you can snowshoe! A pair of poles for balance is a great accessory. There are multiple models and brands available, including Atlas, Tubbs and MSR. Cost is in the $140 range. One other interesting alternative is to buy a pair of Yaktrax for your boots. They're like traction devices you can strap to a pair of hiking boots. Here is Backpacker magazine's list of top snowshoes for 2015. Review the list and buy local!

And last, but certainly not least, there are Steve's outdoor guidebooks! For hikers and trail-runners, Boise Trail Guide: 90 Hiking and Running Routes Close to Home is the ticket. Retails for $19.95. The Owyhee Canyonlands: An Outdoor Adventure Guide is still very popular with hikers, mountain bikers and campers. It has 55 hikes and bike rides in the Owyhees, plus a detailed guide to the 100-mile Owyhee Uplands Backcountry Byway.

The Boise Road Cycling Guide is the only road-biking map available in the Boise Valley. The two-sided, full-color, tear-proof and waterproof map retails for $12.50. Mountain Biking in McCall is the only mountain biking guide for the McCall Area. It features 40 rides, from easy trails to epic day-long journeys and multi-day rides.

In a special book-signing event for the Christmas Holiday, I'll be signing books this Saturday, Dec. 19, at the Capital City Market Holiday Annex in Vista Village, 1036 S. Vista Ave. in Boise, beginning at 11 a.m. The event will run to 1 or 2 p.m., depending on demand.

There you have it! Have a wonderful holiday! As I said, I'm already feeling blessed because of all the powder snow! Count your blessings and hug your loved ones!
- SS

Weather forecast calls for big *pow* in Central Idaho this weekend; 24-36'' expected

Should be tons of fresh *pow* this weekend. Go get it! (Courtesy Brundage Mountain) 

Hi all,

Well, it's been warm and rainy this week, but now the temperatures are beginning to cool down -- just in time to lay down a fresh layer of powder snow for happy skiers this weekend. Indeed, Christmas is coming early for the powder hounds!

Scott Dorval on KIVI-TV has been tracking the storms and predicting 6-12 inches of new snow from the storms on Thursday, more snow Friday and Saturday, and then 10-18 inches on Saturday night and Sunday. Are you getting excited yet? I am! That's 20-37 inches of new snow forecast from Thursday - Sunday. Woo hoo!

The most snow is forecast for Brundage, Tamarack Resort and Bogus Basin. Sun Valley is supposed to get some new snow, but not more than a couple of inches a day. I heard they had 4 inches of new just this morning.

Brundage will be in full operation on Friday, with all chairs running and 100 percent of the terrain open. Tamarack is opening the whole mountain for the first time on Friday, so there will be lots of fresh snow to ski there. It's not clear what slopes will be open specifically, so check their web site for updates. Sun Valley has been open since Thanksgiving It offers top-to-bottom groomed runs that are guaranteed to burn your quads because the slopes are SO long ... more than 3,000 verts!

Personally, I'm going to head up to McCall because I think there will be the most powder there, and I have a place to stay at our Cozy Cabin in McCall. Look for early-season lodging deals in McCall and Sun Valley. You can pick up stay-and-ski packages for great prices! Sometimes you have to pick up the phone to get the best deals ... especially in McCall.

I'm not sure if Bogus Basin will be open this weekend or not. There is no indication on their web site. I couldn't get an answer on the phone this afternoon. So maybe there will be an announcement on Friday ...

If you're interested in going backcountry skiing this weekend, I'd be cautious about that. Check on avalanche conditions before you go ...

The Idaho City Park n' Ski Areas should be fine for snowshoeing this weekend. No grooming is happening yet, so the xc skiing would be marginal, especially after all the rain mid-week. Monitor the snow conditions line for more information: 208-514-2423.
-----------------------------

I've been contacted by quite a few folks who want to buy my outdoor books for Christmas gifts, and they'd like to get their books signed. So, I have set up a special book-signing event on Saturday, Dec. 19th, beginning at 11 a.m. at the Capital City Market Annex in Vista Village. There will be live music and wine-tasting going on at the same time.

I'll have my outdoor guidebooks with me, and I also will have plenty of copies of "Idaho Microbes: How tiny single-celled organisms can harm, or save, our world."

Idaho Microbes is a brand new 268-page full-color book that features 10 chapters, or "eco-adventures," as my editor puts it, taking readers on a virtual journey to learn about a particular big-picture environmental or human health issue, and then learn about how the magical powers of microbes are helping solve the issue or make it worse. The whole project was a really fun learning experience for me.

In the case of the beer chapter, yeast is the magical ingredient that leads to the unique taste of a beer, among other things. In a chapter on "Guzzling Crude," naturally occurring microbes consume an oil spill below a Nampa gas station. In the chapter on white pine blister-rust, I show how the exotic fungus is combining with mountain pine beetles to kill off our whitebark pine trees in the rooftops of the mountains of Idaho. Fortunately, there are solutions to save our whitebark pines.

Anyway, the book is proving to be very popular so far! Idaho Microbes retails for $29.95. It's available at Rediscovered Books, the Boise State bookstore, Discovery Center of Idaho, and SteveStuebner.com,  
-- SS

Choices for skiing, riding in SW Idaho are increasing as snow gets deeper inch by inch

This is why we go to Grand Targhee ... 

Pomerelle earlier this week ... 

Magic Valley skiers were happy at Pomerelle last weekend ... 

Everyone was all smiles at Bogus, too ... 

Easy Street is groomed and ready to roll at Brundage Mountain. 

Gateway Parks in Eagle over Thanksgiving weekend.

Hi all,

Well, we're still in the transition to full-on winter. We need more snow storms to really get all the ski areas running full-bore and provide deep enough snowpack for excellent backcountry skiing in SW Idaho. That said, it's totally possible to plan a skiing, snowboarding, xc skiing, snowshoe or fat biking adventure this weekend.

Don't forget that the closest place to go play in the snow is right here in the valley at Eagle Island State Park. It's called Gateway Parks. They've got tubing, snowboarding, skiing and a terrain park.

Most of the downhill areas will be open open this weekend, and with a new storm moving in on Friday, there should be a few inches of new snow to enjoy. Check the resort web sites for early-season pricing and lodging deals.

Here's the skinny on the alpine areas:

Pomerelle - got 13 inches of snow this week! This is your best pick for *best pow.* They'll be open Friday-Sunday this weekend, with fresh powder for all to enjoy! Plus, more on the way! They're reporting a 21-inch base on the summit, with 13 inches of fresh this week. No one has been skiing there all week!

Bogus Basin - will be open Saturday and Sunday, with the Deer Point and Coach lifts running. 17-inch base as of Thursday. The tubing hill will be open as well. Be sure to make advance reservations for the tubing hill. Nordic ski trails and the Nordic lodge will be open Saturday-Sunday.

Brundage Mountain - is opening Saturday for a sneak peek. 20-inch base. They'll be running the Bluebird quad, Bear and Easy Street lifts on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. I heard the Activity Barn tubing hill just opened for business as well. Three tubing lanes will be open this weekend.   

Sun Valley - has a bunch of groomers open thanks to their robust snow-making capabilities. Go get some thigh-scorching runs on the groomers and get your legs broken in for ski season.

Magic Mountain - yes, Magic Mountain in the South Hills near Twin Falls is opening Saturday. It's a cool little homespun resort with about 750 vertical feet of drop. They're reporting a 22 inch base. Lift tickets are cheap!  

Pomerelle - got 13 inches of snow this week! This is your best pick for *best pow.* They'll be open Friday-Sunday this weekend, with fresh powder for all to enjoy! Plus, more on the way! They're reporting a 21-inch base on the summit, with 13 inches of fresh this week. No one has been skiing there all week!  

Grand Targhee - is a great pick. They're reporting a base depth of 29 inches. Seventy-four of 97 trails are open. A few inches of new snow is predicted over the weekend. It's Global Fat Biking day on Saturday, with free demos. 

As for cross-country and backcountry conditions:

• Mores Creek Summit has 15 inches of snow according to the Snowtel web portal. Backcountry conditions are still brushy, but you could definitely tour up to Pilot Peak or Sunset Mountain on the main roads and then tuck into the backcountry once you reach the higher elevations. After Friday's storm, there could be 4-5 inches of new snow to enjoy.  
• Bear Basin in McCall has excellent cross-country skiing conditions. Wendy and I skate skied there several days last week. They have a foot of snow and 1 inch of new. Right now, they're the only Nordic destination that's open in Valley County. The annual Snow Ball is Saturday night. Great fund-raiser for Bear Basin and the Little Ski Hill.
• Wood River Valley - The Blaine County Recreation District has more K's open than any other area for Nordic skiing. Galena Lodge trails, the Harriman Trail, Prairie Creek are all open.  
• Idaho City Park n' Ski Areas - are reporting 4-8 inches on the lower trails, up to 12 inches at the higher elevations. It's still not enough snow to groom. They've done a little grooming at Gold Fork and on the Banner Ridge Trail. Call the snow line for the latest conditions: 208-514-2423. Might be OK conditions for snow biking, depending on how packed the trails are by human use. 

There you have it on the snow conditions! 

With the weather warming up this weekend, it's likely that the Boise Foothills trails will get muddy and gummy in the lower elevations. Please avoid the trails when they're in that condition. Check with the Ridge to Rivers web site or Facebook page to check on the latest trail conditions. 

Have fun! 

- SS