Review Date
October 15, 2009

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Aerobic Difficulty
 5 of 5

Technical Difficulty
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a week

Reviewed by: icuski2 ,  Cross Country Rider

Summary:
Great training ride since alternates from steep to flats several times. Use it as starting point to get to several other trails that connect off it.

Recommended Route:
as described.

Review Date
May 27, 2002

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a week

Reviewed by: Gregory Laprade , from Boise, Idaho

Summary:
This is a Jeep trail that eventually ends up on the Boise "Ridge Road" at the top of Shaw Mountain (Lucky Peak). It's not normally technical as it's double track all the way to the top, however, it's very steep and can get very sandy and rock, which make picking a good line critical on some of the steep climbs. There are actually 2 different ways to get up to the Shaw summit. The first part of the trail is trail 12, and it's approx. 4k. At the 12 gate you can take a right for a longer/less steep route on trail 8 and then a left on trail E to the top, otherwise you can take a left at the 12 gate and grind out the steep, more direct route to the top. The steeper route is about 10.5k/6.5mi with a total elevation gain of ~3100'. It's a haul!

Recommended Route:
East on Warm Springs road, past Table Rock about 2 miles, one street past 4-way stop (Ekart and Millspur), left on Squaw Creek road. Park on street and start riding into the hills!

Comments

Stricken (06/20/2011)

I don't understand how Boise has "famous" bike trails, I see a good deal of 4/5's with almost all of them having the word "sandy" in them... sand sucks, that's why nevada isn't a biking playground.

Would you like to Comment?
Join MTBR for a free account, or Login if you are already a member.

Review Date
June 6, 2001

Overall Rating
 3 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Please Select

Reviewed by: Paladin (CDBrown) , from Boise

Summary:
This is just a long, gutbuster. Lots of climbing no mater how you slice it. But if you cut down at the 2nd summit, there's a sweet stretch of singletrack down to Hiway 21. Not recoommende for recreational riders unless they really want to push themselves.

Recommended Route:
From the trailhead as described.

Review Date
April 1, 2001

Overall Rating
 2 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a week

Reviewed by: Lloyd! , from Boise

Summary:
I wouldn't really call this a "trail." This is a dirt road. A challenging dirt road, but a road nonetheless. About the only good thing about this road is that it takes you to some pretty decent singletrack - Roger's trail, Trail 13, and trail 11. However, unless you live in SE Boise or drive to all your rides, you gotta ride 5 miles from the east side of downtown on the greenbelt to even get to the trailhead. This is a good early or late season road - no shade and no air movement in mid-summer.

Recommended Route:
Wheel side down.

Other recommended trails in the same area:
Roger's trail, trail 13, and trail 11 are all accessable from this road. However, 11 kind of sucks since some brain surgeon took a cat to it last summer.

Review Date
June 8, 2000

Overall Rating
 4 of 5

Ridden Trail:
Once a month

Reviewed by: Mike Reineck , from Boise ID

Summary:
No shade in the summer until in the tree line. Other options - come down 11 or 13 for the change in scenery and single track. There is also a unmarked single track though a gate (immediate right) at where trail 9 turns off. Take the single track to Highland Valley road and turn right to return across from Ben's Crowe Inn. Intermediate, good climbing skills.

Recommended Route:
Short time: At the first gate (2.1 mi) (950 ft vert) go left for 4.0 miles to the Lucky Peak (total 3,100') That's a good 500' avg/mile climb which will whip or whoop you.
Longer: Go right for 6 mile climb to Lucky Peak with possible side trips to an old mine (trail 9). Longer but still has its steep.