Ski Touring and Nordic Skiing - Moderate II

Join me Saturday February 20th to ski the Banner Ridge loop, an approximate 7.5 mile loop with 750’ of climb to the top then mostly downhill or flat back to the parking area. The trails were groomed last weekend but were icy under the tree’d areas so be advised that conditions probably won’t be perfect. Bring the 10 IMR essentials plus at least 2 liters of water, lunch, snacks, and dress in layers as the climb can be quite warm but the downhill cool. I would class this as a Moderate II due to the initial climb to the top of Banner Ridge. We’ll leave from an east side Boise location about 9:00 AM with an expected return of around 4:00 PM.

On Saturday we’ll start from the Banner Park and Ski, ski up to the Banner Yurt , continue to the east past the groomed area and snow camp. On Sunday we will ski to the summit of Archie Mountain, break camp and ski out. Total distance ~14 miles and ~2,000 ft elevation gain. Participation open to intermediate skiers who attended the IMR December winter camping meeting and have proper gear (4-season tent, sleeping bag, clothing, transceivers, shovel, probe poles, etc.). This trip is appropriate for backcountry touring skis or lightweight Telemark gear. No dogs.