Sawtooth Mtns – June 2021

After visiting my sister, Alison and brother-in-law Joe at their home in Boise, the 3 of us drove to Stanley, ID in the Sawtooth Mtns where we camped for 4 nights along the Salmon River.  It had been many years since I drove through this area and although I remembered it as being pretty, I forgot how absolutely stunning this place is.  The Sawtooths are aptly named as the peaks are very sharp and jagged just like the teeth on a saw. They shoot right up out of the ground without many foothills.  In this respect they remind me of the Grand Tetons in WY.  There are 30 peaks in the Sawtooth range that are over 10,000 ft.  Quite impressive!

The Salmon River flows through the area and many photos can be taken of the mountains with the river in front winding it’s way through the meadows, glittering in the sun.  Just the most beautiful sight for COVID weary eyes!   The meadows go on and on with wildflowers blooming in yellow, purple, and white.  This area would be fabulous in the fall with all of the Aspen trees turning yellow framed by the dark green of the pines and granite gray of the peaks.

It continues to amaze me how clear and clean the rivers and lakes are in Idaho.  Crystal clear!  We took one day trip up Hwy 75 to the Yankee Fork dredge (near the Yankee Fork river) and took a tour of this massive dredge once used to mine gold (super tour volunteers here).  It was super interesting to learn how these dredges worked, an engineering marvel to me!  In the same area are two ghost towns, Bonanza and Custer.  Bonanza is very primitive with falling down log cabins, but Custer has been restored with information plaques explaining what each building was used for.  This was an exceptionally well restored town with so much to see.  Lots of gold mining equipment, town buildings, and the old schoolhouse turned into a museum.  In it’s heyday there were approx. 1800 people living in Custer, ID.

 Down the road from here on the Salmon River we came across some hot springs that come right out of the mountainside!  I put my finger in and it was VERY HOT!  The spring water has been diverted into a pipe which funnels this water into pools at the edge of the Salmon River. The hot spring water mixes with the cold water of the river to provide a nice relaxing hot tub effect.  Due to being unprepared for this, we did not partake in a soak (no naked bodies in my family!)  Next time I will be prepared with a swimsuit!

Another day trip took us to Stanley Lake where the Sawtooths stand tall at the end of the lake.  No motor boats were allowed on this lake and no houses were built along the shore, only tall skinny pines lining this wild lake.  There is a walking trail around the lake but in March 2020 a 6.5 earthquake caused some ‘plates’ to move underground in such a way that soil liquified and sank in some areas.  That part of the trail is now under water.  Now that’s the power of nature!  We also spent some time at Redfish Lake which is much larger than Stanley.  There is a lodge and a very resorty vibe going on here.  It was lively with families and even had a ‘dog’ beach just for canines and their people.  Hey, where’s the Cat beach?  Oh yes, cats HATE water!  But they would LOVE all that sand!  So whatever your preference you can hang at the beaches & marina of Redfish lake, or get your peace and quiet at Stanley Lake.  OR BOTH!  What an incredibly awesome area!

My time with Alison & Joe ended way too soon, and I felt a little pang in my heart as I left my family and the Sawtooths behind!