We did a day hike in the Sawtooth Wilderness up to the picturesque, alpine lake, Sawtooth Lake. There was still too much snow to do an overnight backpacking trip but we wanted to see some of the sights in the wilderness. We drove north from Ketchum to the quaint town of Stanley, “Trailhead to Idaho Adventure”. Stanley is unaffected, pristine, and planted at the foot of the Sawtooth Mountains on the banks of the Salmon River. We drove around the town in a second and then went to the Iron Creek Trailhead to hike the 8.9 mile trail to Sawtooth Lake, where we can be up close and personal with some of the most dramatic peaks in the Sawtooth Wilderness. We took the quick side-trip to Alpine Lake on our way up the trail. Finally we arrived at a small tarn just before we climbed up to see the beautiful, relatively large Sawtooth Lake. It is nestled in a bare, rocky bowl at the base of Mt Regan. The scenery is breathtakingly beautiful and we couldn’t stay here long enough as we soaked up the magnificence of this lake and the surrounding jagged teeth of the Sawtooth Mountains. It is definitely a place to put on the backpacking bucket list. When we return we can stay at the RV park in Stanley, Mountain Village Resort Campground with 6 sites, to be closer to the trailheads and the pristine beauty of the area. Stanley will be in the direct path of the total solar eclipse of Aug 21, 2017, wish we could be here. Click on thumbnail to view images
