sunset near dayton

Hikes Near Dayton

Eastern Washington has interesting terrain with rolling hills of canola and garbanzo beans tucked beneath the snowy Blue Mountains.  I experienced a short heat wave while in Dayton with three days of near 90 degree weather in town and snow so deep in some areas of the mountains that the trails were inaccessible.

That said, I still managed to knock out a handful of hikes during the week I visited.  They ranged from easy to hard, and I can’t claim any were spectacular after my recent hikes in Idaho.

HAPPY HIKING!
idaho state sign challenge

State Sign Challenge: Idaho

State Sign of Idaho

After spending two weeks in Arizona, I never found the state sign.  I think the only one might be at the four corners.  Upon entering Idaho, however, I stumbled across it’s state sign after passing through Jackpot, Nevada.  Annie and I dressed up as ketchup and French fries, because of the Idaho potato, the state vegetable.  I probably should have worn my red parka to make my costume better.

VISIT IDAHO!
camas lilites on bear basin grand traverse loop

Five Hikes Near MccAll

McCall is a ski town located two hours North of Boise. Surrounded by national forest, it also offers many outdoor activities in the summer, including hiking. Below is a short list of hikes near McCall.

HAPPY HIKING!
on the way to brundage reservoir

Things to Do in McCall

McCall is a ski resort town two hours north of Boise.  The town of 3,000 is situated on the southern shore of Payette Lake in the Payette National Forest.  Previously a logging town, McCall now quietly caters to tourists providing ample outdoor activities.

Where to Stay in McCall

Camping

When I visited McCall on my road trip, I camped in VANgo. While there are many campgrounds and RV Parks, dispersed camping is a little more difficult to find.  There is only one spot on Payette Lake on Eastside Drive.  It is next to a waterfall and a short trail out to a view, so sightseers might join you.

EXPLORE!

Ponderosa State Park

Dom, Sue and I took the “scenic” drive through Ponderosa State Park one evening while visiting McCall, Idaho.  I put “scenic” in quotes because while the park is located on a peninsula in Payette Lake, all we could see were trees.  There was nothing scenic about it except the plethora of deer.

EXPLORE!
boulder lake

Happy Hiking: Boulder Lake

While in McCall, on two different occasions, the locals mentioned that they hiked to Boulder Lake this week.  They were excited to report there was minimal snow at this juncture, Memorial Day Weekend.  They seemed so enthusiastic, that I added Boulder Lake, located in the Payette National Forest to my hiking list.

Happy Hiking!
bear basin grand traverse loop

Happy Hiking: Bear Basin

Bear Basin Nordic Center

Bear Basin is a Nordic center located in McCall, Idaho.  In the summer, it is a popular mountain biking and hiking area, though more so for mountain biking.  After having driven a decent amount to get to trailheads recently, I decided I wanted a place with an easy hike that was easily reachable.  Bear Basin met both of these objectives.

HAPPY HIKING!

Happy Hiking: Goose Creek Falls

Goose Creek Falls is located in Payette National Forest near McCall, Idaho and the Brundage Mountain Ski Area.  There are a few ways to hike it, one hike is 5.8 miles round-trip and another is 3 miles roundtrip.  We were going to take the longer way, but after seeing a couple of mediocre reviews on AllTrails, we took the shorter route.

After having been there, I’m uncertain how this hike could be called “boring”.   We loved it!  We began on a soggy Wednesday morning around 10:30. Only two others were in the large parking area with a pit toilet when we arrived.  Perhaps the snow/rain mix for the previous five days had something to do with it!  Regardless, it was great to have Dom and Sue join me on my road trip adventure for a few days.

HAPPY HIKING!

Six Places to Go Sandboarding Around the World

Some people in the world just love being on boards: skate boards, surfboards, snow boards, skis, sleds and less common, sand boards.  While I’m not a huge boarder of any kind, I have surprisingly been sandboarding at a handful of places around the world.  Below are a few places for sandboarding:

SLIDE AWAY!