8/16-19/09
Day Four
All we had to do on our last day was to hike downhill 1800' in 8 miles to the boat at the end of Redfish Lake. I had arranged with my brother and sister in law to meet at Redfish Lake Lodge at around 1:00 pm. The boat comes at several set times (including 12:00 pm) and when folks need to get from the lodge to the end of the lake. In summer there is usually a boat at least once per hour. We broke camp at 8:00 am for our hike down.
The first stop is at Middle Cramer Lake to see the waterfall falling from the upper lake. It is not all that tall but is still quite impressive. We did not see anyone camping at Upper or Middle Cramer. It was chilly in the early morning and we set a good pace to keep warm. It was another morning with no clouds. This day was supposed to be back to the normal mid 80s. It is an easy trail as the grade is once again very gentle. As we descended the forest thickened and the plants changed.
There were more pockets of wildflowers including the lily I had seen for the first time at High Ridge a few days earlier. We slowed as little as it warmed. There are a few views out to the peaks on the south side of Redfish Creek. The ridge from near Redfish Lake to the Alpine Lake - Baron Divide area is full of colors and spires. After 4 1/2 miles of downhill hiking we reached the ford of the creek. On my two previous September trips this wide ford was an easy rock hop. This time the water was higher than our boots. With 3 1/2 miles to go we elected to take off our boots and cross barefoot.
The water was cold but it actually felt good as the air temperature had been steadily rising. A few minutes later we reached the junction with the trail to Alpine and Baron Lakes. I went up there on my last trip. We were heading straight back to Redfish Lake. There were a few huckleberries that were just a little tart still but worth the effort to pick. We made one more stop. There is a short trail over to the creek. The creek has a small falls and makes a 90 degree turn here. If the water were not so cold a natural pool below the falls would be inviting. The water was significantly higher than I had seen before.
The last few miles seem to drag on. The lake is not visible until you are nearly there. We did hear several rock climber above us but could not see them. With a mile to go we met a group of day hikers and soon another one. The boat was busy bring hikers across the lake. Just after 11:00 am we dropped down to the trailhead and boat dock. No sooner were we on the dock than a boat came into sight. A minute later it was unloading a dozen or so folks. That was a real crowd on the small 20' or so boat.
There were only three of us for the ride back to the lodge. Gary had his GPS out and we were able to monitor the distance and average speed of our boat trip. I recalled it was very fast from my previous rides. I found out just how fast. It was about 4 miles down the lake and we averaged 40 mph. It took all of 6 minutes. There are great views from the boat back to the Grand Mogul and peaks around Redfish Lake. By 11:30 we were back in civilization. We had about an hour to relax before our pick up. There was a good crowd at the lodge but nothing like on a weekend.
A quick drive back to Gary's car and we were on our way back to Sun Valley. I have really enjoyed all my day hikes and backpacking trips to the Sun Valley - Sawtooths - White Clouds area. The granite, high elevations, and numerous lakes make for great trips. This one may have been the best of them all. Including the day hike the next day to Norton Lakes we hiked for six days in a row covering 59 miles and gaining 14,200'. On the last day of the Sawtooth Traverse we hiked 8 miles with 2100' of loss and 300' of gain. This backpacking trip had many lakes, One high scramble and one lower one. It had two camps at lakes above 8700'. It had great views and even some wildflowers. If all goes well I hope I can return next summer for another great trip.
All we had to do on our last day was to hike downhill 1800' in 8 miles to the boat at the end of Redfish Lake. I had arranged with my brother and sister in law to meet at Redfish Lake Lodge at around 1:00 pm. The boat comes at several set times (including 12:00 pm) and when folks need to get from the lodge to the end of the lake. In summer there is usually a boat at least once per hour. We broke camp at 8:00 am for our hike down.
The first stop is at Middle Cramer Lake to see the waterfall falling from the upper lake. It is not all that tall but is still quite impressive. We did not see anyone camping at Upper or Middle Cramer. It was chilly in the early morning and we set a good pace to keep warm. It was another morning with no clouds. This day was supposed to be back to the normal mid 80s. It is an easy trail as the grade is once again very gentle. As we descended the forest thickened and the plants changed.
There were more pockets of wildflowers including the lily I had seen for the first time at High Ridge a few days earlier. We slowed as little as it warmed. There are a few views out to the peaks on the south side of Redfish Creek. The ridge from near Redfish Lake to the Alpine Lake - Baron Divide area is full of colors and spires. After 4 1/2 miles of downhill hiking we reached the ford of the creek. On my two previous September trips this wide ford was an easy rock hop. This time the water was higher than our boots. With 3 1/2 miles to go we elected to take off our boots and cross barefoot.
The water was cold but it actually felt good as the air temperature had been steadily rising. A few minutes later we reached the junction with the trail to Alpine and Baron Lakes. I went up there on my last trip. We were heading straight back to Redfish Lake. There were a few huckleberries that were just a little tart still but worth the effort to pick. We made one more stop. There is a short trail over to the creek. The creek has a small falls and makes a 90 degree turn here. If the water were not so cold a natural pool below the falls would be inviting. The water was significantly higher than I had seen before.
The last few miles seem to drag on. The lake is not visible until you are nearly there. We did hear several rock climber above us but could not see them. With a mile to go we met a group of day hikers and soon another one. The boat was busy bring hikers across the lake. Just after 11:00 am we dropped down to the trailhead and boat dock. No sooner were we on the dock than a boat came into sight. A minute later it was unloading a dozen or so folks. That was a real crowd on the small 20' or so boat.
There were only three of us for the ride back to the lodge. Gary had his GPS out and we were able to monitor the distance and average speed of our boat trip. I recalled it was very fast from my previous rides. I found out just how fast. It was about 4 miles down the lake and we averaged 40 mph. It took all of 6 minutes. There are great views from the boat back to the Grand Mogul and peaks around Redfish Lake. By 11:30 we were back in civilization. We had about an hour to relax before our pick up. There was a good crowd at the lodge but nothing like on a weekend.
A quick drive back to Gary's car and we were on our way back to Sun Valley. I have really enjoyed all my day hikes and backpacking trips to the Sun Valley - Sawtooths - White Clouds area. The granite, high elevations, and numerous lakes make for great trips. This one may have been the best of them all. Including the day hike the next day to Norton Lakes we hiked for six days in a row covering 59 miles and gaining 14,200'. On the last day of the Sawtooth Traverse we hiked 8 miles with 2100' of loss and 300' of gain. This backpacking trip had many lakes, One high scramble and one lower one. It had two camps at lakes above 8700'. It had great views and even some wildflowers. If all goes well I hope I can return next summer for another great trip.
 Morning Light |
 Different Light |
 Mountain Reflection |
 Cramer Falls |
 Waterfall Close Up |
 Light On Peak |
 Across Redfish Creek |
 Granite Peaks |
 Redfish Creek Crossing |
 The Dragon |
 Dragon Close Up |
 Granite Slab Cascades |
 Peaks Across Valley |
 More Peaks |
 Rock Climbers Above |
 View Up Valley |
 Redfish Inlet Trailhead |
 Boat Ride View |
 Redfish Beach & Dock |
 Redfish Lodge |
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Trips - 2009
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