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New Book Travels The White Clouds One Trail At A Time

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Matt Leidecker
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Big Boulder Lakes: Looking across the alpine lakes at the head of Big Boulder Creek.

It’s been almost a year since President Obama signed a bill establishing three new Wilderness areas in Idaho’s Boulder-White Cloud Mountains. With the designation comes tourism, and one writer wants to help more people explore the landscape.

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Credit Matt Leidecker
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East Pass Falls: This remote and little-known waterfall graces East Pass Creek in the new Jerry Peak Wilderness.

Matt Leidecker has written five guidebooks, including one on Sun Valley and one on the Sawtooths. His fifth book, “Exploring the Boulder-White Clouds - A Comprehensive Guide,” comes out this month.

For the book, Leidecker traveled every mile of trail, covering 530 miles on foot and by mountain bike. His book breaks down every hike in the mountains, along with some history and even a wildflower guide. He’s heard from folks who are pleased with the Wilderness protection and from mountain bikers who aren’t, since the designation means bikes won’t be allowed in the area.

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Credit Matt Leidecker
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Author Matt Leidecker contemplates the view of the high White Cloud peaks from Strawberry Point.

Hiking all the trails in the Boulder-White Cloud Mountains is no easy task, whether you go by foot or by mountain bike.

"So there’s the granite basins with the alpine lakes, there’s big sedimentary walls with folded rock and crumbling volcanic rock in the boulders, so a huge variety in the landscape," says Leidecker.

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Credit Matt Leidecker
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A passing storm on the summit of Jerry Peak.

Leidecker is hosting a Kickstarter campaign through the end of the week to help cover printing costs for his guidebook “Exploring the Boulder-White Clouds.” It comes out this week.

Find Samantha Wright on Twitter @samwrightradio

Copyright 2016 Boise State Public Radio

As Senior Producer of our live daily talk show Idaho Matters, I’m able to indulge my love of storytelling and share all kinds of information (I was probably a Town Crier in a past life!). My career has allowed me to learn something new everyday and to share that knowledge with all my friends on the radio.