Idaho Adventure News

By Steve Stuebner If you’re a procrastinator and a hunter, and you’re planning on buying an elk or deer tag on the opening day of big game season, you might think twice about waiting that long to buy a tag. Sales of big game hunting tags, especially elk tags in “capped” elk zones where the Idaho Department of Fish and Game limits the number of tags available for resident and non-resident hunters, are moving along at a brisk pace. A few surplus tags from controlled hunts are available, and more will be released on Sept. 7. If you had hoped to book a trip with an Idaho outfitter, many of them ar...

A Mystic Saddle Ranch horseback guide packs in a load of gear into the Sawtooth Wilderness for a group of hikers. (Courtesy Mystic Saddle Ranch) In the 1970s, backpacking was all the rage in the West. As a student at the University of Montana in Missoula, I was among thousands of Americans who absolutely loved the freedom of exploring our national forests and parks to see new country, visit a high mountain lake, go fishing for trout, maybe climb a peak nearby. It was all part of the “1970s” back-to-nature experience coinciding with the Hippie era, Rock and Roll, the anti-war and civil rights m...

Experts discuss latest outdoor trends, innovative solutions at Andrus Conference By Steve Stuebner Remember the international best-selling book, “Last Child in the Woods – Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder,” by Richard Louv? Published originally in 2005, the book predicted there would be a huge drop-off in outdoor recreation use in America because children were far more interested in watching TV and playing video games. Studies showed the children spent less than 7 minutes a day outdoors, while they watched TV and played video games for over 7 hours a day. Almost 20 years ...

BOISE – (April 21, 2023) – A long, cold winter with above-average mountain snowpack is expected to create an ideal whitewater rafting and jet boating season on Idaho’s world-class rivers statewide. Snowpack levels range from about 110 percent of the 30-year average in the Clearwater River Basin to 120 percent in the Salmon River Basin, 135 percent in the Payette River Basin, to an impressive 285 percent of normal in the Owyhee River Basin, 265 percent in the Bruneau River Basin and more than 120 percent in the Snake River Basin, according to Natural Resources Conservation Service Snow Survey m...

As many of you may already know, the last couple years have brought some big news regarding Idaho’s salmon and steelhead, and the main challenges they contend with for survival and stock recovery.  A little under two years ago, Representative Mike Simpson of Idaho’s second district unveiled his Northwest in Transition Columbia Basin Initiative plan that proposed a retirement of the four Lower Snake River dams, along with significant investments in power systems, river communities, industry infrastructure, and more.  Again, this is a recap for most, but the retirement and breaching of these fou...

By Steve Stuebner With every snowflake that falls in the Idaho mountains from this amazing series of April snow storms, the stoke level for the summer rafting and jet boat season for Idaho rivers is rising rapidly! More than 2 feet new snow has fallen in the Idaho high country just in the last week, increasing snowpack levels in all of the key river basins that count for whitewater rafting and jet boat trips – the Salmon, Snake, Middle Fork Salmon, Payette, Lochsa and more. “I’m optimistic, with these spring storms we’re getting right now, it’s not nearly as dire as last year,” said Jared Hopk...

Discover an eclectic mix of world-class recreation activities in these quaint mountain communities  By Steve Stuebner It’s summertime in Idaho, and the recreation season is in full swing in our mountains, lakes and rivers. In this segment on Exploring Idaho, we’re spotlighting some of the lesser-known, unsung recreation meccas in the state, anchored in quaint, friendly small towns. Visitors will be delighted to learn about them, and ...

Wilderness hunt in the Sawtooths (courtesy Mystic Saddle Ranch) By Steve Stuebner As we’ve turned the corner from spring to summer in June, the weather is warming up into the 80s, the wildflowers are popping in the mountains, and the fish are biting on lakes and rivers in the great state of Idaho. Now is a great time to reserve dates for an unforgettable horseback ride into the Idaho wilderness. Ride in a small grou...

BOISE -- (April 2, 2019) – Idaho outfitters are excited about mountain snowpack levels across Idaho because the abundant snow provides a strong indication of a promising whitewater rafting and jet boating season on rivers in the spring and summer of 2019.  Idaho snowpack levels are above-average in the river basins that count the most for whitewater rafting and jet boating statewide. Snowpack levels are particularly strong in the Owyhee (130 percent of normal) and Bruneau river basins (121 percent of normal), where desert riv...

18 Summers Mini Film https://youtu.be/_XLCGSSSk8w Chad Suter started sharing weekly videos of his family on YouTube 4-years ago to help others feel empowered to spend more time together and travel. Even though Chad and Sweet Pea call San Diego home, they’re always on the lookout for unique getaways. So when they heard about Idaho’s mountainous, lake-covered...

Maybe you have been living out in the backcountry under a rock, or dealing with the most recent Steelhead closure, or maybe you are just enjoying a slow wrap up to the busy holiday season. Whatever the case, there are a couple of things that you should know. Most of them are about digging deep into our carefully cultivated roots to start some new action-packed beginnings.   First and foremost-- IOGA is welcoming in some new leadership. If you weren't able to attend our recent annual December meeting we introduced our new Executive Director, Aaron Lieberman. We voted in a new President, Jeff B...

For years the United States Forest Service has struggled maintaining our trail systems in central Idaho.  Lowering budgets have caused reduced manpower to get the job done.  It seems volunteer work is being relied upon more and more. Last spring I had talked to my interim permit administrator Phil McNeal and asked him if there was any way of clearing 3 or 4 trails in the Yankee Fork of the Salmon.  They had not been cleared since I bought the business 10 years ago.  Fortunately, these trails were not in the Frank Church Wilderness but they bordered it.  Since we were not relegated to using ...