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Silver Mountain, ID, Report: A Very Tall, Long, World-Class Bike Park in the Panhandle of Idaho – SnowBrains

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Silver Mountain, ID, Report: A Very Tall, Long, World-Class Bike Park in the Panhandle of Idaho – SnowBrains


Tyler Mayer getting the goods at Silver Mountain’s bike park in the Idaho Panhandle. | Photo: SnowBrains

Report from June 8-9, 2024

Views of lush green forests and deep blue lakes came more and more into view as we gained elevation on Silver Mountain’s gondola on Saturday morning.

Idaho’s Panhandle is even more gorgeous from the air, I thought as we sailed along America’s longest gondola.

The day was sunny, warm but not too much so, and there was no wind; it was perfect weather to check out Silver’s Mountain Bike Park.

We got to the top of the gondola, hopped onto our bikes, and then took a blue trail called Jack Ass back down to town.

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This was not your regular mountain bike trail; it was eight miles long with a vertical drop of over 3,000 feet and it took over 45 minutes of continuous biking to get down.

I’ve never ridden a trail like that before.

Through the forest. | Photo: SnowBrains

Silver Mountain is known for being one of Idaho’s premiere ski areas but what may not be as known is that it also has the #1 rated mountain bike park in the Pacific Northwest for four years running.

An assortment of green, blue, and black trails are accessible right from the top of the gondola; some are shorter and go straight to Chair 3, where you can hit multiple laps back to back, while others are long and enduring like the ones that go for eight miles down to the town of Kellogg where the gondola terminal is located.

Silver’s Bike Park has a little bit of something for everyone.

Trail map. | Photo: SnowBrains

We started with Jack Ass, a blue trail, then hit another blue called Burro Loco, which was slightly more technical.

That was insanely fun.

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The trails under the gondola start in an open field where some ski runs are then descend into thick forest.

Once in the forest, the trails branch off and you have dozens of options for more trails to hit, from green to blue to black flow and technical trails.

We had to take frequent breaks because our hands got so tired from the epically long downhill trails—a good problem to have.

The trails just went on forever here…

Wildcat, a blue trail, was one of our favorites of the trip.

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We had to stop for lunch at Noah’s canteen to refuel and the food was excellent and not too expensive (go for the chicken sandwich!)

Gondola. | Photo: SnowBrains

After mostly riding blues on the first day we felt ready to take on some black trail on Sunday.

We started with Snake Pit that led to Chair 3, a steep technical trail.

It was exactly that: steep, rocky, technical, and challenging in the best ways.

By the bottom, I was worked but extremely stoked.

More black trails, please.

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Jack Ass trail. | Photo: SnowBrains

Then we hit a couple of black flow trails from the gondola down to town called Hammer and Ghost Pepper.

These were steep trails that cut through the woods with playful jump lines all throughout the trails.

We caught some good air and landed on some very well-constructed landings all while keeping a nice flow through the endless twists and turns of the trails.

The berms were smooth and fast; a couple of them were huge and had you accelerating at uncanny speeds.

The vibes were high and everyone at the bike park we encountered had smiles on their faces.

That’s what a nice bike park does.

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Air time. | Photo: SnowBrains

At one point we hit a technical black trail called Snaggletooth and I biked the rockiest, most technical section of trail I ever have and flowed it.

I only did it because I was following Tyler who was following a local who made it look smooth.

Then a crew of more locals followed us and rode the technical section with ease and we all exchanged stokey high fives at the bottom.

Bike culture is fun.

Ghost Pepper black trail. | Photo: SnowBrains

After miles upon miles of long, tall downhill trails through gorgeous, thick, moss-covered forests, we were officially tired.

Tired, but happy.

We elected for one more ride down Ghost Pepper and after that decided to call it a day.

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Each day we rode last weekend, the weather was beautiful, the dirt was beyond beautiful, the trails were completely uncrowded, and the stoke was high.

Tyler sending. | Photo: SnowBrains

I was thoroughly impressed with Silver Mountain’s bike park and I can see how it’s the top-rated bike park in the PNW.

I could also see myself coming here every summer after the snowmelts and getting my ‘mountain bike’ on.

It’s that good.

Thanks, Silver Mountain!

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To learn more about Silver Mountain’s Bike Park, visit the resort’s website. 

Weather

Screen Shot: NOAA 6/11/24

Photos 

In the woods. | Photo: SnowBrains
We had gorgeous weather on this trip. | Photo: SnowBrains
Taking the trail back to the gondola. | Photo: SnowBrains
Chicken sandwich at Noah’s. | Photo: SnowBrains
Views from the top. | Photo: SnowBrains
Tyler on Burro Loco. | Photo: SnowBrains
Tyler sending through the forest.| Photo: SnowBrains
Wildcat. | Photo: SnowBrains
The forested sections were super fun. Photo: SnowBrains
Wildcat—one of our favorite trails of the trip. | Photo: SnowBrains
Gondola. | Photo: SnowBrains
Tyler coming out of Snake Pit. | Photo: SnowBrains
Picking trails. | Photo: SnowBrains
Uphill Grill in Kellogg—a must try! | Photo: SnowBrains
Coeur D’Alene Bike Co.—the best bike shop in town that helped us out tremendously. | Photo: SnowBrains
Tyler banking a high-speed turn. | Photo: SnowBrains
Outlaw Bar and Grill in Mullan—a classic! | Photo: SnowBrains

 

 

 

 

 

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Gov. Little signs bill ending license plate registration stickers in Idaho

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Gov. Little signs bill ending license plate registration stickers in Idaho


Gov. Brad Little has signed House Bill 533, which would remove the need for license plate stickers on Idaho vehicles.

The legislation, introduced earlier this session by Rep. Jon Weber (R) of Boise, eliminates the requirement for registration stickers on Idaho license plates. Weber stated during the bills intorduction that officers can verify the status of license plates without the stickers, potentially saving the state around $300,000.

During the bill’s introduction, some lawmakers argued that it could increase the workload for law enforcement.

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The new law is set to take effect in July.



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Idaho resolution opposing same-sex marriage advances

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Idaho resolution opposing same-sex marriage advances


For the second year in a row, House lawmakers will consider urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn its ruling legalizing same-sex marriage.

The nonbinding resolution, which carries no legal weight, says the decision in Obergefel v. Hodges violates the longstanding religious definition of marriage between one man and one woman.

“The current definition of marriage that allows for same-sex marriages is a defilement of the word marriage,” said Rep. Tony Wisniewski (R-Post Falls), who sponsors the measure.

The resolution further states that the Obergefel decision “arbitrarily and unjustly” rejects the historical definition of marriage.

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Idaho voters passed a constitution amendment in 2006 that defines marriage as between one man and one woman, which was invalidated by the Obergefel ruling.

Wisniewski said regulating marriages should be a power left to the states.

Rep. Brent Crane (R-Nampa) agrees.

“If you want to get things … closer to the people with respect to some of these more complex social issues, I think the best place for those things to happen is in the states,” Crane said.

Doing so is a risk, he said.

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“You may have states that choose to acknowledge [polyamorous relationships]. You may have states that choose to have relationships between adults and younger children,” Crane said.

Cities in neighboring Oregon and Washington, for example, are considering giving those in polyamorous relationships legal recognition.

But he said that risk is worth it to allow other states that choose to only recognize traditional marriages.

Four lawmakers on the House State Affairs Committee opposed the resolution.

Rep. Erin Bingham (R-Idaho Falls) said she’s tried to balance her own religious beliefs with those of others while considering the measure.

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“I do feel like that it is important for us to work together, to find ways to compromise and to live together in peace and mutual respect,” Bingham said.

The resolution now goes to the House floor for consideration.

House lawmakers last year passed a similar measure, but it never received a hearing in a Senate committee.

Copyright 2026 Boise State Public Radio

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University of Idaho professor awarded $10M after TikTok tarot influencer claimed she ‘ordered’ quadruple murders

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University of Idaho professor awarded M after TikTok tarot influencer claimed she ‘ordered’ quadruple murders


A University of Idaho professor won a $10 million judgment after a tarot TikTok influencer publicly pushed false claims that she was behind the savage quadruple slayings of four college students.

A Boise jury in US District Court ordered fortune-telling Texas TikToker Ashley Guillard on Friday to pay $10 million after concluding she falsely accused professor Rebecca Scofield of having a secret romance with one of the four victims and orchestrating their killings, the Idaho Statesman reported.

Following the verdict, Scofield thanked the jury and said she hopes the case sends a clear warning that making “false statements online have consequences in the real world.”

Ashley Guillard posted TikTok videos falsely linking a University of Idaho professor to the Idaho college murders, leading to a defamation lawsuit. TikTok/ashleyisinthebookoflife4

“The murders of the four students on November 13, 2022, were the darkest chapter in our university’s history,” Scofield told Fox News.

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“Today’s decision shows that respect and care should always be granted to victims during these tragedies. I am hopeful that this difficult chapter in my life is over, and I can return to a more normal life with my family and the wonderful Moscow community.”

Scofield, the university’s history department chair, filed the lawsuit in December 2022 — just weeks after Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were brutally stabbed to death at an off-campus rental home in Moscow, Idaho, on Nov. 13, 2022.

Guillard began uploading videos to her more than 100,000 TikTok followers in late November 2022, accusing Scofield of a secret relationship with one of the students and claiming she had “ordered” the killings, garnering millions of views across the social media platform.

The complaint states that Scofield had never met the victims and was out of state when the murders occurred.

Idaho murder victims Madison Mogen, 21, top left, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, bottom left, Ethan Chapin, 20, center, and Xana Kernodle, 20, right, and their two surviving roommates.

Even after being served with cease-and-desist letters and after police publicly confirmed Scofield had no connection to the murders, the Houston-based tarot reader continued posting videos, the history professor’s legal team argued.

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Guillard doubled down on her accusations against Scofield after being sued, posting a defiant video saying, “I am not stopping,” and challenging why Scofield needed three lawyers to sue her “if she’s so innocent.”

The professor’s legal team argued the defamatory accusations painted her as a criminal and accused her of professional misconduct that could derail her career.

Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty to the savage slayings in July 2025 in a plea deal that took the death penalty off the table. AP

Bryan Kohberger, then studying criminology at Washington State University, pleaded guilty in July 2025 to the quadruple murders in a deal that took the death penalty off the table. He is currently serving four consecutive life sentences in Idaho.

In June 2024, Chief US Magistrate Judge Raymond Patricco found Guillard’s statements legally defamatory, leaving damages to be decided by a jury.

During the damages trial, Scofield described the anguish of seeing her name tied to the murders online, the Idaho Statesman reported.

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The off-campus home where four University of Idaho students were stabbed to death on Nov. 17, 2022, in Moscow, Idaho. James Keivom

However, Guillard, acting as her own attorney, insisted her comments were simply beliefs based on tarot card readings.

She claimed to have psychic powers and testified that she relied on tarot cards to try to solve the shocking homicides that shook the rural college town and sparked global attention.

It took jurors less than two hours to return their verdict, the outlet reported.

The jury awarded Scofield $7.5 million in punitive damages in addition to $2.5 million in compensatory damages.

With Post wires

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