If I had a dollar every time I heard someone voice confusion over Idaho versus Iowa, I’d have enough money for another backpack. Indeed, Idaho is not Iowa. But don’t tell anyone.
In the south central portion of the state rise the glacial carved, granite batholith of the Sawtooth Mountains. They are not exceptionally tall by Rocky Mountain standards. The highest peak in the Sawtooth Range is Thompson Peak at 10,756 ft (3,278 m). These mountains were once covered with glaciers. The glaciers left their mark with large moraines, most notably visible on the east side of the Sawtooth Mountains where large moraines are found adjacent to all of the larger lakes such as Redfish Lake. The glaciers also left their mark in the high mountains in the form of glacially polished granite and small lakes (tarns), hundreds of them.
So where have I gone in the Sawtooth Mountains? I have done several trips into the Sawtooth Mountains but have only traversed three routes. There was a multi day trip from Stanley Lake, past Sawtooth Lake, Baron Lakes Basin, to Redfish Lake. Several times I have been up the Hell Roaring watershed. And once I did a quick overnight to Alice Lake where I took my first Milky Way photo.
The above photo was taken at Hell Roaring Lake with the Finger of Fate (9774 ft, 2979 m) visible along the skyline on the right. This is an early July scene from 2016. I fell in love with this spot. This is the hike I’ve taken my grandson and one of my grand daughters on. Every time I get to this spot on Hell Roaring Lake, I look up at the Finger of Fate and think that I really want to get to one of the lakes just to the left (or south) of the Finger of Fate. My goal was a sunrise photo at one of the higher lakes where there is an unobstructed view to the east and the rising sun.
Indeed I tried this on one occasion in mid October. Traversing cross country from Hell Roaring Lake (7415 ft, 2260 m) I ascended to an unnamed lake (8165 ft, 2489 m) just above Hell Roaring Lake. This ascent, steep at times, is relatively short at just over one mile (1.6 km), and an elevation gain of 700 ft (213 m). A fairly easy to follow trail climbs through pine trees to a small unnamed lake just above and west of Hell Roaring Lake. From this lake I traversed to the left (south) and found myself in a unique spot that is etched in my mind. I took no pictures at this spot so imagine, the ground is fairly flat, covering an area only a hundred or two hundred feet (30 to 60 m) across. And in this spot are giant boulders and a few pine trees scattered about. And by giant boulders, I mean giant. These rocks had sharp square edges and were 20 to 40 feet (6 to 12 m) in diameter. They had clearly fallen from the side of the mountain which rose steeply on the south side of this little glen. From this spot I climbed a steep talus slope towards the Finger of Fate where I arrived at another higher lake at 9472 ft (2887 m). Reaching this lake in the late afternoon (remember, it is mid October so the days are fairly short) after climbing over 1,200 ft (366 m) in less than half a mile (.8 km). The climb had drained my energy so the idea of climbing another 300 ft (91 m) over another half mile (.8 km) just wasn’t worth it. So I made camp at this small unnamed lake. And by small, I mean small at only 200 ft wide by 450 ft long (61 m x 137 m). The morning sunrise was indeed brilliant. 90 minutes before sunrise the eastern horizon was starting to lighten. 30 minutes before sunrise the colors in the sky were, well, the only place I’ve seen colors like that are when I have been camping at high altitude. It’s moments like this that, for me, makes all the effort worthwhile. Quiet, awesome views, The world seems at peace in moments like this.
And then the sun crossed above the horizon lighting up the wall behind the lake. But I had one minor problem for the picture that was in my mind before my arrival. I did not know there was a low ridge east of the lake that rose about 20 ft (6 m) above the lake level. While it wasn’t much, it was just enough to keep the sun from shining on the lake. Disappointing as it was that the sun did not shine on the lake, the morning was incredible, the climb to this rarely visited spot, well worth the effort. The view of the White Cloud Mountains to the east, stunning.
The views in the Sawtooth Mountains are unrivaled by any mountains in the Rockies. The Rocky Mountains have their National Parks in Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana. And indeed these are special places. The National Parks in the California Sierra Nevada are truly stunning. The Cascades have several National Parks, all well worth a visit. Idaho Mountains? No National Parks, but scenery that is unrivaled.
Below is a map of the Sawtooth Mountains with my tracks from various hikes I’ve taken over the years. May you find solitude and peace, wherever your feet take you.