Stacked Rock and Sweet Connie

"Yes, LT Klein, we can ride our bikes to Stacked Rock" would now be my reply should we again be sitting on the highest rock on Bogus looking down at that noticeable rock formation the mere sight of which brought out the mountain climber in the LT. He wanted to ride down there and climb that rock the first time he saw it, but what I believed was private property put it off limits to us two summers ago.

Chief Winn is home for leave from his Afghanistan tour. He called Friday asking me to join him Saturday on two new trails on Bogus: Stacked Rock and Sweet Connie's. It's drill weekend followed by a Monday off, so I tried to talk him into switching to Monday. Since he's headed back to Afghanistan on Tuesday, that idea failed, so I asked to leave drill early, and much to my surprise, the request was granted.

With only a short time home, the Chief had done some research for his day in the mountains and wanted to try a trail that just opened a couple weeks ago following a land swap and some generous donations. He obtained verbal directions from our bike shop, and his wife dropped us off a couple miles below the lower ski lodge in a parking area with a notched tree- the only instruction we had for the start point. We headed down through the forest on a 6" wide new trail with many right angle turns that forced us to dismount many times to round the sharp corners. We were pretty sure we had the wrong trail, but it allowed all "non-motorized" use and headed generally in our direction. The worst that could happen was we'd enjoy a ride through the forest, turn around, and ride back down Bogus Basin Rd to Boise, so we continued on. After just under a mile, we intersected with a real trail- also new and narrow- but it generally followed a very old overgrown logging road, and it was wide enough to allow turns! New and overgrown meant a couple times there was a tunnel carved thru the vegetation that required ducking pretty low, and added a sense of adventure or novelty. Then we found some uphill- steep granny 1 material that was challenging, and made me feel I was on a bike ride- not just a "down-hill" coast. Then we reached a saddle with a big leaning tree and a big rock with a newly carved dedication for the gifts and land donation that opened the area to the public. Here the Chief matched the area to the verbal instructions he remembered, and identified where we would cross the saddle and begin the descent to Boise, but for now we continued up. It was likely another mile to stacked rock where we took these photos. (Stacked rock behind us is much larger and more distant than it appears in these photos!) Riding time down to Stacked Rock was 1:18.

 

Steve beside Stacked Rock

Chief Winn beside stacked rock

We did a short scramble up the first or lower stack and took the above photos. Although I'd gotten off early, light and time were still issues, and we knew we couldn't attempt climbing the 2nd higher stack of rocks in the background (the ones LT Klein will doubtless have to climb), or even ride the trail below them. We did take the time to enjoy the view of the valley below and enjoy the zucchini bread the Chief had brought. We returned to the saddle and got on the new Sweet Connie trail that goes down almost to the Corrals Trail outside of Boise. It's a different kind of trail, frequently following ruts up to 6" deep, so those sections must be old. Sage brush roots and rocks made it impossible to ride above the rut, but my least favored section was just below that- between 1/2 and 1 mile of very rocky terrain. The only way to know where the trail was- was looking at the narrow band of top soil that had been narrowly scattered on the rocks and sand, and leaving a brown line to follow thru the gray sand/rocks. I had to push through part of this rocky area. The trail remained rough but improved from here with a few neat sections through bigger rocks or boulders that made for a brief pack a bike. Here we saw a 3 to 4' rattler- only the 2nd one of those I've seen in the Boise foothills. I enjoy seeing them so seldom compared to Lewiston area though the Chief likes 'em, and he got a few photos of it!

By the time we rejoined Bogus Basin Highway, dusk was falling. By the time we reached Camel's Back Park on the edge of Boise with 2:54 riding time it was dark, so the Chief called for his wife to come get us though the ride on home is only 30 minutes versus a 20 minute one-way drive. Neither of us was riding with a headlight though we had tail lights. We enjoyed pizza afterward.

Next summer both the Chief and the LT will be back! Both will return in mid-winter which seems like a waste of possible adventures, but the chief's brief visit has me all the more looking forward to the adventures of next summer!

Happy cycling for fun, fitness, and transportation!

Steve