Unseasonably warm weather has Boise trails in better shape than usual for this time of year despite increased usage over the winter and a problematic new trend from teen users.
David Gordon, director of the Ridge to Rivers trail system in the Boise Foothills, told the Idaho Statesman in an interview that the trails are “about two weeks ahead” of typical late March conditions in terms of dryness and are in better condition than they have been in spring in years past.
Boise’s 200-plus miles of Foothills trails are largely in clay-heavy soils, which means use during wet weather in the winter can leave gouges and erosion that dry and harden into deep ruts. Those ruts become a potential hazard for trail users and are difficult to repair…