dirt bagging idaho

Thinking about heading up to Ketchum  or maybe Post Falls area for a month or maybe two  if im loving it. Mostly want to climb and mtn bike but wouldn't mind working a bit to keep myself busy. dog friendly and free camping are not necessarity but are the accommodations wanted
Bata, pro's and con's anyone? I've been to post falls a few time on day trip and never been to Ketchum.

Howdy!

I know nothing about Post Falls. However, as the crow flies, Ketchum is closer to eight other Western states than it is to Post Falls.

Were you thinking now, or next spring/summer? It's winter here now. It was forty in Boise yesterday, but we had a snow storm, and there is snow almost down to the deck (Boise is about 2500').

Ketchum is the town where Sun Valley ski resort (up and running since Thanksgiving) is located, and is pretty expensive for normal people to live in. People with money to burn have second, or third, or fourth homes there, so they shoot in on their private jet to ski now and then. It is in the Sawtooths, and probably the main tourist area in Idaho, so service jobs would be plentiful. It's within range of a day trip to City of Rocks, and there is climbing in the Sawtooths also. Lots of other climbing too.

But, unless you are looking for winter mountaineering/ice, for the most part, climbing season is about over for the southern half of the state. We do get out to rock climb in the winter, but it's a rare, sunny, windless day in the 40s, for bare hands to work for long, at least for myself. YMMV.

As far as mountain biking, or anything else outdoorsy, Idaho has a smidge, here and there. Even surfing in downtown Boise. 

Best, Helen

There is basically no climbing in Idaho. You should try Boulder or Salt Lake.

Mason Stone wrote:

The climbing is no good, rabid bats come out of the cracks, all bolts are questionable, and, did I mention crazy lizards?

You forgot to mention potato cannons. We ain't afeared to use em, neither.

;-) OLH

Old lady H wrote:

Howdy!

I know nothing about Post Falls. However, as the crow flies, Ketchum is closer to eight other Western states than it is to Post Falls.

Were you thinking now, or next spring/summer? It's winter here now. It was forty in Boise yesterday, but we had a snow storm, and there is snow almost down to the deck (Boise is about 2500').

Ketchum is the town where Sun Valley ski resort (up and running since Thanksgiving) is located, and is pretty expensive for normal people to live in. People with money to burn have second, or third, or fourth homes there, so they shoot in on their private jet to ski now and then. It is in the Sawtooths, and probably the main tourist area in Idaho, so service jobs would be plentiful. It's within range of a day trip to City of Rocks, and there is climbing in the Sawtooths also. Lots of other climbing too.

But, unless you are looking for winter mountaineering/ice, for the most part, climbing season is about over for the southern half of the state. We do get out to rock climb in the winter, but it's a rare, sunny, windless day in the 40s, for bare hands to work for long, at least for myself. YMMV.

As far as mountain biking, or anything else outdoorsy, Idaho has a smidge, here and there. Even surfing in downtown Boise. 

Best, Helen

just making plans for summer. I work for a s hool district near denver and I'm eat her to get out of the concert jungle. 

thanks

Briggs Lazalde wrote:

Wait til summer though. Hands and toes get too cold to climb outside here now

nice. I'll look those places up on mtn project you mention. I remember lots of mid range long read lines around standpoint and jyst over the border I wanted to do . Will that area still be a sheet of ice in june?

DMarti Marti wrote:

nice. I'll look those places up on mtn project you mention. I remember lots of mid range long read lines around standpoint and jyst over the border I wanted to do . Will that area still be a sheet of ice in june?

Last year, much of the west was a sheet of ice in June, lol! Okay, an exaggeration, but it is hard to predict.

City of Rocks is about 6500', as is the area around the Sawtooths, but in the Idaho desert. So, even with snow on the ground, it can be climbable, depending on what you are comfortable with for temps. The mountains will have snow, but most all of the stuff around 6500 will be reasonably clear in June. Early June, be prepared for coldish nights at that altitude.

But, there are a lot of other options for climbing in the area, some of them pretty unusual.

Most of Idaho is public land, BLM or Forest service, so there is camping galore. Some free, some not. If you are sleeping in a vehicle, you have even more options. 

Very dog friendly, but be aware, there are hazards. Inside the Boise city limits, even, we have mountain lions, and a wolf was spotted. In the Boise foothills, a few times dogs were lost when they jumped into geothermal pools. Yellowstone traveled all the way across southern Idaho on the way to it's current location. Lots of hot springs and nifty geology!

Biking, you can travel to Canada on single track, they say. Fishing is on your page, that's one of the things people fly in for. Lots of whitewater, etc. 

Lots of empty, too. But please don't tell. ;-)

Feel free to pm, if you wish, and enjoy your time off, wherever you go!

Best, Helen

Briggs Lazalde wrote:

I live in CDA which is east postfalls Basicly. Moving into actual post falls next month to be closer to the crag. Its a great crag that's not crowded. I think over 150 bolted routes. Somewhere in there. 2 different towns. Ketchum is more for alpinists, backcountry skiers that sorta thing. Need more money there becausw its a small resort town. Think mini Jackson hole vibe. Post falls can be dingy in lots of spots but there's some good neighbor hoods. Cars that stay at the crag overnight often get ticketed but about 1 mile away is a Wal-Mart where u can park and sleep free and no worries. Just some options. Didn't say they were great ones. Pm me if youbhave more questions. We also have lots of other crags within 20 minutes and rocks of Sharon about 45min-1hr drive away w great climbingm. Selkirks for alpine are 45 minutes from CDA..habent been but central WA ice is about 2 hrs away tops and I hear its good. Soape lake and banks lake areas

Like they said, Idaho is all full. Try Utah. 

Don't know anything about Post Falls, but Ketchum is a good spot to post up for climbing and especially mountain biking. Another big draw of Ketchum is that the City of Rocks is about 2 hours south and east of you. Plenty of free camping in that area. 

I can't vouch for the accuracy of this map, but it's a decent start for dispersed camping around Ketchum. https://freecampsites.net/#!Idaho&query=region

no votes for Stanley!?! just a hop over the pass north from Sun Valley,  free roadside camping along the Salmon upstream from town, and I've heard it from no less an authority than Jim Donini that the Sawtooths are the best alpine rock climbing he's seen anywhere.  Idaho locals, please don't shoot me for posting this -- I've long been gone, but I did grow up in the gem state...

The Sawtooths crumbled in the recent earthquake. Nothing to see here anymore Curt

Nicholas Kozlowski wrote:

The Sawtooths crumbled in the recent earthquake. Nothing to see here anymore Curt

damn, I took a job in sandpoint for no reason. Guess I'll just pick up rollerbladers a hobby

Briggs Lazalde wrote:

I live in CDA which is east postfalls Basicly. Moving into actual post falls next month to be closer to the crag. Its a great crag that's not crowded. I think over 150 bolted routes. Somewhere in there. 2 different towns. Ketchum is more for alpinists, backcountry skiers that sorta thing. Need more money there becausw its a small resort town. Think mini Jackson hole vibe. Post falls can be dingy in lots of spots but there's some good neighbor hoods. Cars that stay at the crag overnight often get ticketed but about 1 mile away is a Wal-Mart where u can park and sleep free and no worries. Just some options. Didn't say they were great ones. Pm me if youbhave more questions. We also have lots of other crags within 20 minutes and rocks of Sharon about 45min-1hr drive away w great climbingm. Selkirks for alpine are 45 minutes from CDA..habent been but central WA ice is about 2 hrs away tops and I hear its good. Soape lake and banks lake areas

Landed a pretty solid gig up in Sandpoint. We'll have to rope up when I get  there in about a month

I'll see if I can find that on mp.i should hit town first few days of may