Adventures with Wandering Idahoan

Halverson Lake is a small body of water located near the Snake River in Owyhee county, just south of Marsing, Idaho. It can be reached by foot from Celebration Park. The park is home to several Petroglyphs, and if you go during the Visitor Center hours you can try your ancient hunting skills on the Atlatl range. The hike to the lake is mostly flat and is easy for even small children. The hike provides views of the canyon walls, snake river, and the distant Owyhee mountains. I recommend good hiking shoes or boots, but the 3-mile trip can be made with such ease that water and snacks aren't necessary unless you go during the summer heat, then water is highly recommended, along with sunscreen and a hat.

A long name for a somewhat short hike. Coming in at under 5 miles this hike was gorgeous. There was a wide variety of features along this trail, from wooded areas with meadows filled with wildflowers to a bike trail with a winding downhill trek. You get some views at some locations but feel isolated in others. This was one of my favorite trails in McCall. I highly recommend it.

During our family reunion, we all went on a whitewater rafting trip down the Payette River. We went down the Cabarton Run with several mild rapids and a few that are big enough to make you worry about being swept or thrown out of the raft. The Cabarton is a 9.6 mile stretch of the Payette River. It is a very popular whitewater rafting and kayaking location. If you're ever in the area in the Summer, you should look into hiring a rafting company to take you down this river. It will be memories for a lifetime.

During our family reunion, we all took a trip to Boulder Lake. The 3.5 mile there-and-back hike is filled with beautiful views and fun things to see and explore. The hike can be difficult at times, especially if you have difficulty in rough terrain, but if you can reach the lake it is quite extraordinary. We spent a couple hours enjoying the lake, once we reached it. I did some fishing and was able to catch two Westslope Cutthroat Trout. Neither was very large but it was fun to catch this species of trout for the first time. The first fish was quite spectacular. For that fishing video go here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5W3W5poYMM For everything Wandering Idahoan, check out: https://wanderingidahoan.com

It was our first time visiting Three Island Crossing State Park. It was a delightful park with clean bathrooms, showers, camping spots, and an Interpretive Center that hit well above its weight. Resting just south of Glenns Ferry, ID, right along the Snake River, this state park has a lot going for it. Glenns Ferry is a quaint little town yielding stunning views of the Snake River along the road that leads to Three Island Crossing State Park. Named for the three islands used by settlers heading west as they crossed the Snake River, this state park has a gorgeous interpretive center. It outlines, in story form, the history of the area from past to present. It is certainly the highlight of the location. The park also has a frisbee golf course and access to fishing on the Snake River. If you like wine, there is a Winery within walking distance. Or, you can head into town to try a local restaurant. There are only two drawbacks. One, the wind blows hard more than it doesn't. Two, the trains and their horns never stop rolling, even through the night. For everything Wandering Idahoan, check out: https://wanderingidahoan.com

This is a favorite destination for a couple of reasons. One, the waterfall is easy to access. Two, It is a neat short hike with lots of detours possible if you want. Three, there are native redband trout in the pool at the base of the waterfall. Four, we always go to The Orchard House after for some incredible food and desserts. If you happen to be in the area I highly recommend this hike. The drive to it takes longer than the hike, but it is a neat little place that you will fondly remember long after, especially if you include a visit to The Orchard House.

Back to our Idaho adventures. This time around we check out a new trail in the foothills, well, new to me. Summer hiked it a month earlier, and she wanted me to also experience it. The hike was incredible. Longer than our usual foothills hikes, but worth every mile. If you go from late April to early May, the hills are covered in yellow flowers. If you go in late May to early June as we did on this hike, the yellow flowers have faded but lots of pink, purple, white, and smaller yellow flowers are in full bloom. It was gorgeous. Read all about the adventure on our blog: https://wanderingidahoan.com.

We were spending so much time in the geothermal pool we didn't do much more. The rain that last most of our trip didn't help our plans to explore either, but it sure did make the geothermal pool extra nice. Read all about our adventure on our Wandering Idahoan blog at: https://wanderingidahoan.com Check out the gear we use on our adventure here: https://wanderingidahoan.com/gear-and-such/adventure-gear/

We broke out the SUPs and Kayak for another water-based adventure. This time we paddled down the Snake River to Blue Heart Springs. This tiny alcove off the river has crystal blue water which is fed by a natural spring. It is an incredible location, but also very crowded. Still worth it despite the crowds and interesting odors encountered along the slow moving Snake River. Read all about our adventure on our Wandering Idahoan blog at: https://wanderingidahoan.com Check out the gear we use on our adventure here: https://wanderingidahoan.com/gear-and-such/adventure-gear/

While visiting the Oregon Coast, we hiked along Cape Falcon Trail. The hike was cut short due to a narrow section that was blocked by a dead deer. It was a blessing in disguise since we were able to hike back part of the way and then take a secondary trail down to Short Sands Beach. This was important because we arrive during low tide. This allowed us to walk to the base of Blumenthal Falls and explore the small area of tide pools surrounding the falls. Read all about the adventure on our blog: https://wanderingidahoan.com.

While visiting the Oregon Coast, we took the family on a guided horseback ride along the beach with Green Acres Beach & Trail Rides. Read all about the adventure on our blog: https://wanderingidahoan.com.

While visiting the Oregon Coast, we took a ride on the Oregon Coast Scenic Railway. It is an incredible activity, and I highly recommend it. Read all about the adventure on our blog: https://wanderingidahoan.com.

While visiting the Oregon Coast, we visited Bayocean Peninsula Park. This is the second time we visited this park. Both times we enjoyed our time in this beautiful location. Read all about the adventure on our blog: https://wanderingidahoan.com.

Stack Rock Trail. A popular hiking, biking, and horseback riding trail in the Boise National Forest near Bogus Basin Ski Resort. This time we hiked it in snowshoes. Watch the recap here and then head on over to the Wandering Idahoan blog to read more details about the hike, see the gear we use, and find all of our many adventures. https://wanderingidahoan.com/ Check out our gear here: https://wanderingidahoan.com/gear-and-such/adventure-gear/

Hiked the Upper Dry Creek Trail. Watch the recap here and then head on over to the Wandering Idahoan blog to read more details about the hike, see the gear we use, and find all of our many adventures. https://wanderingidahoan.com/

Stack Rock Trail. A popular hiking, biking, and horseback riding trail in the Boise National Forest near Bogus Basin Ski Resort. We didn't get through the whole trail, due to a late start and setting sun. The part we were able to do was spectacular. Watch the recap here and then head on over to the Wandering Idahoan blog to read more details about the hike, see the gear we use, and find all of our many adventures. https://wanderingidahoan.com/

We broke out the inflatable kayak and SUPs to head into the North Fork of the Payette River. This is the river section that starts next to the North Shore beach area. You head north up into the river which is a gentle meandering river where you can often see moose, a variety of birds, and butterflies. See our blog about this adventure here: https://wanderingidahoan.com/2021/12/01/north-fork-payette-river/

This is a 3.5 mile (5.63 kilometers) there and back hike, which is almost entirely downhill to the falls and uphill back to the parking area. The elevation is pretty steady throughout, with the steepest areas at the beginning and especially at the very end where you reach the falls. The area is beautiful with lots of butterflies in the early-mid Summer period. See our blog post about this hike here: https://wanderingidahoan.com/2021/12/02/goose-creek-falls/

Oli finished his off leash training, and as a reward, we took him on his first hike at Swan Falls Dam. We were familiar with the area, knew there was lots of space and fewer people. This made it an ideal spot to take him on his first off-leash hike. He did awesome. My most favorite thing ever happens when we near the end of the hike. You'll know what it is when you see it.

Today we hiked this 2.7 mile loop located in the Boise foothills.

We hiked to Auger Falls with the Hiking Idaho group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/121140615169858). It was an incredible hike with multiple waterfalls both near and far.

Hiked to Sinker Butte today with the Hiking Idaho group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/121140615169858). The hike was moderately difficult, but the views were worth every foot of elevation gain.