BOISE, Idaho — Incredible snow in the 2022-2023 winter season provided paradise for skiers and snowboarders with resorts staying open longer, but all that snow also led to a big water year for river runners and kept things green well into summer.
This year, in our Idaho Backroads series, we visited Bogus Basin, Tamarack Resort, Brundage Mountain Resort, Soldier Mountain, Sun Valley, we enjoyed our first trip to Pomerelle and we even showed you what skiing looks like in Montana where I (Steve Dent) grew up.
The snow brought so many more activities as we highlighted the Idaho Sled Dog Challenge, nordic skiing and one of my favorite stories: when I got rescued by Diesel in a mock avalanche drill at Sun Valley.
The snow did create some challenges for runners during the Race to Robie Creek, kept the crew at Ridge to Rivers busy repairing trails, and led to some flooding on the Greenbelt and in Sun Valley.
However, as the snow melted, the rivers roared to life as kayakers and rafters got to enjoy a big water season which included months of high water on the Payette River system. April ended up being one of my best months ever as all the activities I enjoy came together in one month.
I injured my ankle on about my tenth South Fork of the Payette River lap ending my whitewater season so I used that setback to explore some new opportunities in Idaho.
Kayaking to the base of Shoshone Falls was incredible, we checked out the lava tubes at Craters of the Moon National Monument, went backpacking in the Sawtooths, and checked out a new trail that connects the top of Brundage to Bear Basin near McCall.
Fall brought my favorite moment of the year as Canyon County's Savannah Bitz and Teton Valley's Ella Voigt raced up and down Bogus Basin during the mountain bike state championship. Voigt had a wicked crash at the finish line but ran her bike across the finish line to stay on the podium.
Fall brought more activities and a new friend as I got a chocolate lab puppy named Chief. We explored Juniper Gulch in the Owyhees, made a trip out to the City of Rocks to find out why rock climbers call this place a mecca and we went hunting for chukars with Scott Kragerud and his German shorthaired pointer Belle.
So far, winter has not brought the snow skiers and snowboarders were hoping for and as you can see from our recap, winter storms fuel recreation throughout the year.
No matter what 2024 brings we will be out there in the backroads discovering new places and finding new adventures.
If you have an idea or would like to be profiled for your outdoor activities send me an email at steve.dent@kivitv.com. Happy New Year!
