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Approach from Emmett

It never ceases to amaze me the memories I hold onto from childhood. Growing up in Boise, I have seen a lot change in the last 35 years. Urban sprawl has swallowed up so much scenery here in the valley. The Boise Foothills have homes making their way further up and up. Shaffer Butte now has radio antennas visible from Boise with the naked eye.

Long road ahead

One thing hasn’t changed in the landscape, and that’s the view of Squaw Butte from my SW Boise home. Squaw Butte is an 8 mile long ridgeline in the Boise Mountains. What has always intrigued me is its appearance of being an island mountain. It in fact is not, but being able to see the North / South ridge from Boise with its 2500 foot prominance makes it look that way.

View from the top

I chose to carry out this hike after the weather had cooled. November was a great time for this desert mountain hike. The approach I took was from the South, connecting to Butte Road near the base. This provided access entirely along a dirt road. This is open rangeland, so there were plenty of cows watching me as I made my way up. The hike is pretty easy until you make it to the final gulch and the grade jumps to 15-20 percent. Eventually, you make your last turn and reach the top.

Fire Lookout

It was a great view and the snow was quite pretty.

It took a bit longer than I expected to make it up, so I got back to the car just before dark. In all, this hike was around 14 miles out and back. Elevation gain was over 3000 feet. Bring plenty of water, and a good lunch for this hike. You will need a lot of energy and time for this one. Watch for cows (and other critters).

Local wildlife

There were a couple of ATV’s passing by me on the way to the top. I suspect that depending on the time of year, these may turn into snowmobiles. This will even make a pretty decent snowshoe adventure.

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