Is this the winter of discontent?
We got several calls last week after we ran a feature story on snowshoeing in Idaho Outdoors Magazine and one of the photos had snowshoers in the wrong place on a groomed trail.
When we shoot outdoor feature stories, we shoot the real outdoors. And, that's what people are doing. It's like every time we shoot boating photos at Lucky Peak Reservoir, none of the boaters are wearing life jackets. If we waited around to find someone wearing life jackets, it would take a month to shoot the photos and we'd miss our deadlines.
So, we shoot the real outdoors. The one thing about shooting the real outdoors is that it generates discussion.
The real outdoors is that snowshoers need more trails in the area of Idaho Park N' Ski trails, northeast of Idaho City. The real outdoors world is that cross-country skiers want more dog trails in the area. The real outdoors world is that trail grooming is not paying for itself and is taking money away from improvements to the yurt system. The yurts are making the money up there, not parking passes.
Since last week's feature we have heard mainly from skiers who want snowshoers to walk in single file and off to the edge of the groomed trail. That's OK. That's trail etiquette.
What would be better in the Idaho City area, between Mores Creek Summit and Beaver Creek Summit, would be more parking near logging roads where skiers and snowshoers can enjoy ungroomed or natural backcountry trails.
The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation has discussed the problems at the Idaho City Park N' Ski areas.
Hopefully, there will be some changes made up at the popular cross-country ski area, and yes, snowshoe area.
Speaking of trail groomers, it has been a bad year.
The Idaho City snowmobile trail groomer is down because of engine programs. The Idaho Park N' Ski trail groomer has been down. And we all know that the Valley County snowmobile trail groomer is in Lake Cascade.