The big buzz in the mountains is the mosquitoes. It's pretty bad.

We were camped up by Stanley over the weekend and you couldn't sit in one spot before you'd be covered in bugs. I have the bites to prove it.

We camped by the Salmon River the first night and the buzzing would drive you crazy. Another night we moved up away from the river and meadows on to drier ground but still had the same problem.

Other campers found the same thing and everybody agreed the wet spring probably brought on a big crop of the pests. It is the worst I've seen it in a few years.

If you want to catch a salmon some place other than the Boise River, better head to the Upper Salmon River this weekend because it could be your last chance.

Fish and Game reported salmon fishing season will continue upstream of the city of Salmon through the weekend, but don't be surprised if it closes shortly after that.

F&G officials will assess the fishery on Friday for the likelihood of additional fishing days next week. Anglers already have taken a total of 1,463 adult chinook, which is more than half the state’s nontribal harvest share in the upper Salmon River.

If you've ever seen the bike rack at the post office on the corner of 8th and Bannock streets in Boise on a Saturday morning, it's a jumbled mess with bikes all over the place. That's good. People are riding bikes instead of driving cars.

That's why it was a pleasant surprise to see a new bike corral on the other side of the street in front of Thomas Hammer Coffee.

It looks like construction is going strong on what is being billed as North America's largest gondola project on Bald Mountain at Sun Valley Resort.

I've ridden the gondola at Silver Mountain at Kellogg and it's one cool way of getting to the top of the mountain. Even if you're not a skier or boarder, a gondola lets you see the mountain surroundings in enclosed comfort.

The waves in Mixmaster Rapids on the Main Payette were huge and splashy. What a hoot.

The river is running at about 4,300 cfs, which is an ideal flow. It has come down in the last few weeks and we're getting into nice, splashy summer flows.

We were biking down the Greenbelt early Saturday morning when we spotted a spotted fawn just outside the fence of the MK Nature Center. What a pleasant surprise.

The fawn was alert and didn't stick around a second when it saw us. It disappeared into the brush at the Nature Center.

I just got done with a hike in the Boise Foothills with the dog and the cheatgrass and foxtails are prime for causing problems.

Both plants have sharp seed pods that can get stuck in a dog's eyes, nose, ears and skin and between its toes.

The sharp, stickery objects can work their way into the skin and cause serious medical problems.

Almost all trails have the grasses lining them. You can't avoid it.

The best thing to do is to check over your dog after each hike. If your dog is sneezing, chances are it got something up its nose.

Surf's up.

The Warm Springs Weir is surfing just great as can be seen by the photo.

As many as seven or eight kayakers are waiting in line on the Weir for their chance to take on the foam and wave created by 1,350 cfs on the Boise River.

Not for me, especially when there's a good nesting season that boosts duck populations.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released its preliminary report today on mid-continent breeding ducks and habitats, based on surveys conducted in May and early June. Total duck populations were estimated at 42 million breeding ducks on the surveyed area. The estimate represents a 13 percent increase over last year's estimate of 37.3 million birds and is 25 percent above the 1955-2008 long-term average.
 

The three peregrine falcon chicks that bailed out of their nest last weekend atop a building in Downtown Boise have been causing quite a stir.

The nest box is on the 14th floor of One Capital Center, at 10th and Main streets.

It has been a cool story since the first of the four eggs was laid in April 10. The young birds are doing OK, but there have been a couple of mishaps.