New path will connect 2 McCall trail systems; Idaho ski area’s expansion plan moves ahead
A McCall-area trail more than a decade in the making will be open to hikers and mountain bikers next spring, connecting two larger trail systems in the area.
In a news release from Brundage Mountain Resort, the Central Idaho Mountain Bike Association and One Track Mind Foundation, officials said the new 8.4-mile trail will connect Brundage’s trail system with the Payette National Forest’s Bear Basin trails. Brundage has more than 30 miles of trails, while the Bear Basin area has about 15 miles of trails.
The trail connector was first proposed by Payette National Forest recreation staff in 2009, according to the news release. The project was shelved for several years due to a lack of funding, but was reinvigorated in 2019 with grant funding and financial partnerships. Officials said the trail received support from the J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation, the Idaho Community Foundation, the Richard J. Sabala Foundation, the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, the IMBA Dig-In Program and the city of McCall.
Trail construction is set to begin in June and work from both ends to meet in the middle. Construction is expected to wrap up in October, with the trail opening to users by spring of 2023. The trail will gain 1,700 feet of elevation between Bear Basin and Brundage.
“This trail will be an amazing link between two of our major trail systems and will also provide opportunities to connect bigger loops that include the Payette Lake and Payette Rim trails for some calf-burning climbs and some epic downhills,” CIMBA trails coordinator Dave Bingaman said in the news release.
Tamarack expansion plans will move forward
The Boise National Forest announced Wednesday that it had reviewed and accepted a proposal from Tamarack Resort that would nearly double the ski area’s size. The acceptance is the next step toward potential approval of Tamarack’s plan, though U.S. Forest Service officials emphasized that this is not an approval.
In a post on Facebook, national forest officials said Tamarack has shown it has resources to move forward with its proposal, and the Forest Service will begin following National Environmental Policy Act processes, which look at potential effects of the project and allow for public input. The Forest Service will also do an Environmental Impact Study.
Tamarack, which is on 3,500 acres of private property and Idaho endowment lands, wants to add about 3,300 acres, according to its plans filed with the Forest Service last year. About 2,100 acres of the expansion would be on Forest Service land.
Tamarack’s expansion plans six new ski lifts and a 10-passenger gondola, as well as new hiking and mountain biking trails, a mountain coaster and more.
“With the increase in outdoor recreation in the intermountain region, we recognize the need to expand the recreation opportunities to meet public needs,” said Tawnya Brummett, Boise National Forest Supervisor.
