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Tag: Boise Grand Slam

  • Mount Heinen – Boise Grand Slam Part 4

    Mount Heinen – Boise Grand Slam Part 4

    Years ago, a man named Tom Lopez created what is commonly referred to as the “Boise Grand Slam.”

    Here is our preview video for the Boise Grand Slam:

    Tom created the challenge to help get himself ready for bigger hikes later on in the year. These hikes are recommended to be done in the spring as the summer months in Idaho are brutally warm and can be very dangerous, given the lack of trees for the Grand Slam hikes.

    The fourth hike in the Boise Grand Slam is Mount Heinen.

    • Summit Height: 6,336 feet
    • Approximate Elevation Gain: 3,710 feet
    • Approximate Distance: Approximately 10 miles roundtrip

    We recommend doing this last if you are doing the Grand Slam. The hike, especially in the beginning, is very steep.

    This hike is not as popular as some of the others in the Grand Slam. There are probably several reasons for this.

    It is much more challenging than the other three, although if you are in really good shape, you should be just fine.

    Another reason that Mount Heinen may not be climbed as much is that the “trail” to get there isn’t very clear. At the beginning of the hike, the trail is very obvious. However, once you get higher up, the trail disappears, and you kind of just have to know how to get there.

    We have only done this hike one time, and at the time of this writing, we would not feel comfortable guiding it. We had help on the last hike, and we got off track on the way back because so many of the ridges look the same.

    Be sure you have a map or go with people who know where to go if you attempt this hike.

    Warning: Be extremely careful if you attempt this hike during the summer months when the temperature gets really hot. It is not advised to do this hike in the summer. A woman died a few years ago from a heat stroke trying to attempt this mountain. Not only is shade hard to come by, but the strenuous hike is going to dehydrate you really fast.

    How do you get to Mount Heinen?

    This may be another reason the mountain is a little less climbed than the other mountains. Directions for getting there are harder to come by. Just like going to Cervidae Peak, you are going to turn right after the big bridge over Mores Creek. If you need to know for sure which direction to go, type in “Spring Shores Marina,” and that’ll get you on the right path.

    Once you turn right onto FR-268 (the road to Spring Shores Marina/Cervidae Peak parking lot) you will go 14 miles.

    Warning: The road will become gravel and VERY NARROW. The road completely drops off on one side, and there’s NOT room for 2 vehicles.

    At about 14 miles in, you will find a small parking area on the right-hand side of the road next to Irish Creek Campground. You can type in “Mt. Heinen Trailhead” into Google and you should be able to use that to help find the trailhead.

    How do you find the trail?

    After you park, there is no obvious marking for where it starts exactly but you can cross the road and you will find the trail! See above for more directions.

    Here is our video of Mt. Heinen:

  • Lucky Peak (Shaw Mtn.) – Boise Grand Slam Part 3

    Lucky Peak (Shaw Mtn.) – Boise Grand Slam Part 3

    Years ago, a man named Tom Lopez created what is commonly referred to as the “Boise Grand Slam.”

    Here is our preview video for the Boise Grand Slam:

    Tom created the challenge to help get himself ready for bigger hikes later on in the year. These hikes are recommended to be done in the spring as the summer months in Idaho are brutally warm and can be very dangerous, given the lack of trees for the Grand Slam hikes.

    The third hike in the Boise Grand Slam is Shaw Mountain, more commonly referred to as Lucky Peak.

    • Summit Height: 5,904 feet
    • Approximate Elevation Gain: 3,032 feet
    • Approximate Distance: Approximately 11.4 miles roundtrip (Golden Dawn Route)

    We recommend doing this hike third. If you are able to do Cervidae with its steepness and Kepros with its distance, Lucky Peak is a mixture of both.

    Lucky Peak is a very popular hike, and you will be hard-pressed to find yourself alone on the mountain when there is no snow on it. Even in the snow, it is climbed often.

    The Homestead route is very straightforward. We say straight, but Lucky Peak is a LOT of switchbacks. You’ll wonder at times if you are ever going to get to the top.

    At one point, approximately a mile from the top, you’ll pass right below the peak as the switchback takes you around the backside of the mountain.

    The backside of the mountain is awesome, though, after hiking for a long time. It provides some much-needed shade.

    Depending on the time of year you go, you can also run into various organizations doing bird studies at the resting area near the top. Beartooth got to release a small bird one time when we were hiking in August. It was really cool!

    How do you get to Lucky Peak?

    Google “Council Springs Road” in Boise. There isn’t an exact “starting point,” so to speak. But you will park in a small dirt parking lot next to some houses. You’ll know the spot when you see it.

    How do you find the trail, and how hard is the hike?

    After you park, there is an obvious gate that you will walk around. You will go up Council Springs Road for approximately 3/4 of a mile. Then, you will see the trail off to the right. Just take that trail and you are off and hiking!

    Important Note: Several miles into the hike, you will come to a “fork” in the road. Take the trail that goes to the left. You’ll first cross around a giant gate. Do NOT go to the right.

    Here is our video of Lucky Peak:

  • Cervidae Peak – Boise Grand Slam Part 1 (Video Included)

    Cervidae Peak – Boise Grand Slam Part 1 (Video Included)

    Years ago, a man named Tom Lopez created what is commonly referred to as the “Boise Grand Slam.”

    Here is our preview video for the Grand Slam:

    Tom created the challenge to help get himself ready for bigger hikes later on in the year. These hikes are recommended to be done in the spring as the summer months in Idaho are brutally warm and can be very dangerous given the lack of trees for the Grand Slam hikes.

    The first hike in the Boise Grand Slam is Cervidae Peak.

    • Summit Height: 4,987 feet
    • Elevation Gain: 2,054 feet
    • Distance: Approximately 2.25 miles one way (Southeast Ridge route)

    We recommend doing this hike first in the Grand Slam, although some argue that doing Kepros is easier. However, Kepros is 10 miles long and if you have not hiked before, that distance could be troublesome for some.

    Make no mistake though, Cervidae is no easy hike if you haven’t worked out in a while and even seasoned hikers are going to get a good workout on this one.

    When hiking Cervidae, prepare to do a lot of uphill climbing. Depending on how you count them, you have approximately 12 hills, many of them very steep, before you get to the top.

    Kids in our family as young as six-years-old have done this hike so you can do it. Also, one year, we saw an eight-month pregnant woman doing it!

    If you plan on doing this hike, be sure to start doing some stair masters beforehand.

    There are a number of things to watch out for on this hike.

    First, be sure that you watch out for snakes depending on the time of the year you hike this. We have seen snakes out there, although both of them were bull snakes. There are rattlesnakes out there though so watch out.

    Second, There is one bypass on the trail and it has a rather steep dropoff. Nothing anyone can’t handle but be sure to pay attention. Down below on part of the bypass are huge rocks that are going to stop your fall and it’ won’t be pretty.

    In the wintertime, there is a small chance of cougars being in the area but unlikely.

    Speaking of wintertime, if you decide to try this in snow, bring the proper equipment and enjoy the herds of deer that frequently move through the area.

    How do you get to Cervidae Peak?

    The easiest way to figure out how to get there is to go to Google and type in “Spring Shores Marina.” This will take you up to the Lucky Peak reservoir area. Once you get to Spring Shores Marina, continue approximately 1 mile past Spring Shores Marina. On the right-hand side of the road will be a dirt/gravel parking area. You’ll notice it immediately as it is rather large compared to the rest of the road.

    How do you find the trail?

    After you park your vehicle, you are going to cross the road toward the big metal gate. You can’t miss it. BE CAREFUL crossing the road because some cars come flying down the road.

    Once you have either went under or around the metal gate the dirt path leads up and to the right. You will notice a barb wire fence on the left-hand side of you.

    After less than 1/4 of a mile, you will see a big huge hole in the fence and the trail will be easily recognizable from there. The trail to the top of the Cervidae is very prevalent given its high usage. Even in the dark, it would be hard to get lost on this trail.

    When you are just over half-way done with the hike, you’ll come to a small flat area. Go to the edge of this area and off to the right will be the trail that goes down a big hill and then back up again.

    This is your final push to the top.

    At the top of the trail is a “summit journal” where you can sign your name or whatever you would like to put in it.

    Here is our video of Cervidae Peak: