Boise, ID

On one of those spring mornings that look much warmer than it actually is, my boyfriend and I headed out Highway 21 to the trailhead for Shaw Mountain. I was excited to hike to the top of Shaw because you can see it from anywhere in Boise, marked by the large cell tower at its peak, and it’s a short drive. One of the trails starts just off of Warm Springs Blvd., but we drove out past Lucky Peak Reservoir to East Highland Valley Road. A short way up the road is a small parking area and sign just outside a cattle guard.

Ahhh, the cattle guard. Apparently its presence indicates cattle . . . roaming free. Funny how that thought didn’t cross my mind until I saw the cattle, roaming free. But they kept their distance as we headed through a small gulley and up, up, up. We had the dogs with us and kept them on their leashes when we thought they might spot the cows, but they were so happy to be out gallivanting around that they didn’t even seem to notice. The “trail” is actually a dirt road all the way up to the top, so it’s great for groups of people, kids, dogs, bikes, and just about anything else that might help you get up the mountain. The road is in the Cooperative Wildlife Management Area and is closed to motorized use November 16–April 31. There is nothing technical about the hike; it is just a nice walk. Well, a nice walk uphill, that is. But the views of the city on one side, the reservoir on another, and the still snow-capped mountains beyond are likely to keep you pleasantly distracted.

As with most peaks, the view at the top is much like the view a few ridges down, but it was still an exhilarating feeling to reach the top. Later in the week, every time I drove on the Connector into downtown, I looked up at Shaw Mountain with a sense of satisfaction knowing I had been standing up there just a few days ago looking down on the city.

Snow still lingered at the peak, and as we ate our Cliff bars, the dogs rolled in the snow until they were wet and tired and resigned to eating the snow instead of playing in it.

On the way down we saw a mountain biker on the way up, which made me even more thankful to be headed our direction and not his! There are many smaller mountain biking trails that go off the dirt road and some other larger trails as well. The Shaw Mountain trail is part of the Ridge to Rivers system, Boise’s incredible and expansive trail system. Although there are signs at the trail intersections, you will definitely want to look at the trail system map at http://ridgetorivers.org before you head out. You may even get some ideas for your next outing!

On our way down, the cows seem to have multiplied. Cows munched on shrubs along the ravine and made us jump once or twice when we didn’t see them until their large, chewing heads looked up from the bushes. Most simply kept chewing or casually sauntered away from us, but a few brave bovines stood in the middle of the road until we shooed them away. As we approached the car, I cut a handful of lupine stalks to take home. The cheery purple flowers brightened my kitchen table for days and kept the house smelling like we hadn’t ever left the beautiful, blooming spring hills.