On the plains of Oklahoma
With a windshield sunset in your eyes
Like a watercolor painted sky
You’ll think heaven’s doors have opened
You’ll understand why God made
Those fly over states
– Jason Aldean
Sunday 28 August
A cool change swept through Treasure Valley overnight. It was actually a little cool out of the sun when I went out for a morning walk, but I’m not complaining – the weather has so far been too much on the hot side for my liking. The respite is very much welcomed.
Up to Bogus Basin today, a ski resort that is only about thirteen steep and winding miles from downtown Boise, passing a lot of mountain bike and hiking trailheads along the way. The road takes you through the foothills and up into the forest, ending at the skin resort that, like Perisher and Thredbo back home, has discovered a very nice income stream from mountain biking. It was significantly cooler up there, and a perfectly sunny day.
Bogus is also home to Idaho’s only mountain coaster. If you know the alpine slides at Corin Forest, Jamberoo and Thredbo where you’re on a sled that goes down a silver chute, this is that, but on steroids. For starters, you’re in a proper upright seat, belted in very tightly due to the speeds achieved, and instead of pushing forward on a joystick at your feet to go faster, the controls are by your hips.
Similarly to the alpine slides back home, you go up the hill on a conveyor and are released from it at the top for a 0.9mi/1.44km run back down to the base, going around big sweeping corners, over little peaks and through some pretty fun chicanes as well. All at somewhere approaching 35mi/56km if you don’t use the brakes, which I didn’t after the first time. It’s a lot of fun hurtling through the trees and down the mountain.
Bogus Basin also had a couple of chairlifts open, which took us up out of the valley where the main lodge is for views of the forest and foothills, all the way back out to Boise. It really gives you an idea of why it’s known as the City of Trees – everywhere around it is mostly bare foothills, but the expanse of green in Treasure Valley pinpoints where the city is.
We headed back to Boise in the afternoon and Dave came over with a six pack of beer that he owed me as the result of a bet we had on the Swans/Collingwood game the other week, where the Swans ended the long and largely-improbable Pies win streak. Nothing better than getting free beer for your team knocking off Collingwood. We drank the entire six pack between the three of us on our back deck, giving Nathan a crash course in Boise State football.
Great BBQ for dinner at the restaurant which did the catering for Dave and Lisa’s wedding. Early to bed tonight. Unfortunately, I have my alarm set for 4:45am as we need to drop the hire car back at 6:00am so we can make our 8:30am flight through to Chicago.
I’m going to miss Boise, but pretty sure it won’t be another dozen years between visits.
kitchtrips 