August 3rd - A Day in the Sawtooths

Here's the obligatory photo of the ski area. Sun Valley is a place I'd like to ski some day. We may try to ski it sometime during a trip to Big Sky. It's just over 300 miles from Big Sky so it will require some effort. The drive should not be too difficult though as it's mostly on flat straight roads with minimal mountain passes to drive through.

But I digress...


The kids snapped me out of my daydream about skiing and told me that ski season was a long ways away. They were tired as we drove north from Ketchum and both fell asleep as we headed into the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. I didn't feel like pushing them to stay awake so I enjoyed the mountainscapes alone. I was immediately impressed with the abundance of bike paths and hiking trails in the area. This is an area I'd love to spend more time in!!

Colin and Chelsea in the Sawtooths

As anticipated this drive was incredibly scenic. The drive, however, was easier than I had expected. After we passed over Galena Summit at about 8,700 feet we entered a beautiful high elevation valley with mountains all around and many alpine lakes. This was the drainage area for the headwaters of the Salmon River. At one point I just had to stop to try to stitch together a nice panorama. The scenery was screaming for a panorama shot. Click on the photo below to get a better view.

The Mighty Sawtooths of Idaho

I believe this is one of the most visited recreational areas in Idaho and I certainly see why. Little Redfish Lake (below) is one of the most famous alpine views in the state apparently. There were a few prime campsites right on this lake. I was very envious of their good fortune.

Little Redfish Lake