Here are a few pics of the beauty of Idaho from late last month:

Lake above Sandy Lake State Park



The view from the beginning of Chicken Out Ridge



Alpine Lake



Lake Stanley Sawtooth National Forest



View of Lost River Range

Christopher,

Wow, that is range of photos from grass to snow.

What sort of elevation changed did you have and how many miles?

-Tony

I was in Boise for a couple weeks on business. I drove from there to Stanley at the gate of the Sawtooth National Forest. I did a couple day hikes to Alpine Lake and Bridal Veil Falls. The mosquitoes were ferocious in the campground. I have always been affected by altitude in the mountains but the Sawtooths are fairly low. The valleys are in the 7 to 8000 foot range and the peaks go up to the mid 10's.

Then over to Mackay close to Mount Borah. I attempted to go up Mount Borah but was wiped out by the initial climb. I was kind of upset by the whole deal. I stopped in Mackay and asked about camps sites up on Borah's ridge and was told there were not any. There ended up being some great spots, if I would have known I would have carried by bivy gear up high and slept. The first few miles up Borah is a 45 degree slog up dirt. I think I was strong enough to make it up to the peak but with my knee I think my strength would have given out on the trail back down. I will go back, absolutely beautiful. I was up to about 11500 on Borah.

I found an online guide for a traverse of the Lost River range and it describes very little water. I think in the next few years I will give it a go in a mid June time period where there would still be snow to melt.

I was checking out these areas on the way back to north Texas. I had time to do a few day backpacking trip around Santa Fe which I put in the Trip Report forum

Edited by FatTexan on 07/12/2008 12:10:42 MDT.

Great pics! I am sure you found it rather uncrowded here too. That's why you don't see many of these sort of pics posted! :)