Four Days in the Sawtooth Wilderness

A quick narrative and a handful of photos from our late August trip to the Sawtooth Wilderness in Idaho.

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In late August, Mike and I spent four days backpacking in the Sawtooth Wilderness in Idaho. While I had been through the area several times during biking and road trips, this was the first time I spent several days there. I had long been captivated with the area and after each previous visit I told myself I'd return to explore more thoroughly.

With the jagged Sawtooth mountains as a backdrop, Stanley, Idaho always stuck me like a unique small town with a palpable middle-of-no-where feel. Many days of the year it ranks as the coldest spot in the lower 48 states and for some reason that appeals to me. I am glad we found time to explore the area for a few days.

Day One - Petit Lake to Alice Lake, over a small pass and down to Toxaway Lake

From the start, the scenery was spectacular despite hazy skies from the fires. Along the trail, bushes on the mountainsides were turning red, a sign that fall was on its way. It was an easy hike to Alice Lake, a very popular destination. 

The pointy spires of El Capital (9,901 feet) rose above Alice Lake and from the lake we climbed 1,000 feet to a pass. As we descended from the pass, we caught views of Twin Lakes - vivid blue-green water and big rock walls sticking up from the lakes. 

Beyond Twin Lakes, Snowyside Peak (10,651 feet) loomed skyward. A small patch of snow lingered just below the summit and it got me wondering about glaciers in the Sawtooths. We had stayed at the Glacier View campground the night prior and I made a note in my journal to do a web search for "Glaciers Sawtooth Mountains." 

We arrived at Toxaway Lake late in afternoon and many of the good spots by the lake were taken but we were able to find a nice spot nearby with easy lake access. We had dinner and lounged by the lake before heading into the tent to read. At twilight, our campsite was visited by a few deer munching on bushes, unconcerned with our presence.

Day Two - Toxaway Lake to Sand Mountain Pass to Edna Lake, another small divide and down to Ardeth Lake

The day started off chilly, maybe 40 degrees or so, and I wore my jacket for most of the morning. We began with the wonderful like up Sand Mountain Pass. The trail gained elevation steadily making the elevation pass quickly. At the pass, we chatted with a few people before heading towards Edna Lake. A few parties were heading up as we were heading down the pass, but we didn't see anyone between Edna Lake and Ardeth Lake. After setting up camp, we made a short trip to a divide with views down to Spangle Lake.

It was a perfect weather day- it was never too hot or windy and there were some periods of blue skies peaked out of the haze from time to time. 

Day Three - Ardeth Lake to Smith Falls to Hidden Lake, over Cramer Divide to Upper Cramer Lake

Cramer Divide

Skies were back to a normal cobalt blue today with only a faint whiff of smoke for a short bit of time. More spectacular mountains and lakes. Lots of huge rocks including some smooth white slabs near a creek where we lounged for a snack. 

Before heading towards Cramer Divide, we took a side trip to Smith Falls. If my ego were bigger, I'd tell you that was our intention, but a wrong turn took us out of the way and by the time we realized our mistake, we were very close to Smith Falls. It was nice to check out the falls since we weren't far but I'm not sure it would be worth the side-trip otherwise.

The mountains above Mount Cramer were stunning - craggy, pointy formations that give the mountain
range its name. We worked our way up Cramer Divide with red rocks and lichen-covered green rocks making the backdrop.

 

On the other side of the divide we switchbacked down a huge rock-covered slope. It was steep, but the trail was wide and the skittery parts were short and not very pounding. Here, we wondered about the potential for dangerous rockfall. Climbing the peaks seemed daunting and we hadn't seen anyone with climbing gear.

That evening we found a nice camp spot at Upper Cramer Lake. There were several tents scattered around the lake but we had only seen a handful of groups on the trail throughout the day.

Day Four - Upper Cramer Lake to Alpine Lake, down to Red Fish Lake

We woke up to our coldest morning of the trip but Upper Cramer Lake sat still and perfect in the early morning light. We had an 8 a.m. start, which is early for us, and we were pleased that the smoke-free cobalt blue skies continued for a second day. 

There's not a ton to say that hasn't already been said - more lakes, craggy peaks, creeks. After several miles and a creek crossing, we dropped our packs and took a side-trip up Alpine Lake, which was wonderful. Once again, the trail was in great shape and climbed steadily. Clumps of red bushes dotted the landscape and big rocks were strewn throughout the slopes. We shared the trail with a lot of people, but folks were mellow and friendly, which made the morning festive.

Upon returning to our packs we headed out towards Redfish Lake. During the last three miles of our trip, we noticed a lot of remnants from the March 2020 earthquake. Tons of downed trees, a swath of the mountainside was missing, huge boulders littered the forest. It was amazing that the trail was able to be cleared after such massive destruction not that long ago.  

A boat ride brought us back to the other side of Redfish Lake and the end of a wonderful four days.

If You Go...

I would highly recommend the Sawtooths for the keen backpacker. The trails are in great shape - they are well-maintained, climb steadily, and the rocky, skittery parts don't last long. 

Although this is wilderness and in a part of Idaho that has a middle-of-nowhere feel, backpacking is a popular activity and you'll see many people throughout the day. Many of the lakes are very popular spots for camping so you'll see a lot of people most nights. But people tend to spread out nicely and there was a good part of each day where we didn't run into other parties. During our four days, we passed groups of all ages and fitness levels, and it's nice to see so many people out backpacking. 

Water is easy throughout the trip, which was a nice change of pace from last year's thru-hike in the Black Hills. And if you're afraid of bears, there is little to worry about in the Sawtooths. (But it's still advisable that you hang your food and keep it out of your tent.)

Redfish Lake is a convenient place to start and end your trip, especially if you have a long travel day to get there as we did. There are several campgrounds throughout the area (We stayed at Glacier View) as well as a lodge rooms and cabins. There's a restaurant, a grill, and a small grocery store so there are convenient spots for last minute supplies and reasonably priced post-hike food and libations. The staff at the lodge was very knowledgeable and we had no trouble setting up our shuttle for the beginning of the trip. 

Redfish Lake is a popular area filled with people who come to hike, bike, boat, and just hang out. But despite this, it didn't have weird energy like you sometimes find a popular tourist destinations. Perhaps the cold weather and out-of-the-way location keep the vibe chill.

The A-List gives the Sawtooth Wilderness five stars.

Love Abounds in the Sawtooth Wilderness

On the way to Alpine Lake

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Other backpacking posts

• 2020 backpacking stats - https://annvinciguerra.blogspot.com/2020/11/summer-2020-backpacking-stats.html
• Exploring Cedar Lake - https://annvinciguerra.blogspot.com/2020/09/exploring-cedar-laks.html
• Crazy Mountains - https://annvinciguerra.blogspot.com/2016/07/independence-day-crazy-mountains.html
• Last summer's thru-hike: http://annvinciguerra.blogspot.com/2020/09/thru-hiking-centennial-trail.html