Photo Page 4
Day
4
I awoke to a little more rain then quiet. At 8:15 I got up went out and found gray sky with some blue. Perhaps all was not lost. By 9:00 am when I started hiking the sky went to half blue. The bluest spot was in the direction I was headed. Testimony to just how dry it is in the Sawtooths was that the tent was bone dry when I packed it up.
The trail down is more easily graded tread. Four miles to Flatrock Junction near where I would need to cross Redfish Creek. The junction with the trail up to Alpine Lake is just after. The next 3 1/2 miles is pretty flat with some ups and downs before the final drop to Redfish Inlet Camp and the dock for the boat ride back to the lodge.
Part way down to the junction I stopped to talk with a group of three backpackers from North Carolina. They had come a lot farther than me. I felt the 80 degree heat but to them 80 and dry was paradise after the hot wet sticky summer they had back east. We talked for a while and I was back on my way. A minute later I almost stepped on a grouse in the trail. I never saw it and just missed before it flew away. It's partner played the "I'll walk right in front of you" game. It finally flew away. I wonder what those Carolinians thought when they heard me yell in surprise.
To no surprise the crossing of Redfish Creek would not be a rock hop. The creek was a foot or two deep and wide. I did it barefoot and the water was not nearly as cold as I was expecting. The last 3 1/2 miles feel like 6 miles. It just goes on and on. The brightly colored granite spires above are fun to look at. Some of the boulders that have fallen off the cliffs are as big as houses. The trail just weaves between them.
I could time the boat landings by the short waves of hikers heading up then it would grow quiet again. The gray was all gone and blue sky and hot was the order of the day once again. Almost as if I had imagined that rain, lightning, and thunder. I was ready for the trip to end when I reached the dock. Within 15 minutes I could see the boat screaming in. The boat ride is one of the highlights of the trip. Five miles down the lake in eight minutes. Almost 40 miles per hour. Great views back to the peaks above.
I only had to wait for a out 20 minutes and my ride arrived. Chauffeur service is a mighty nice perk. In four days I hiked 35 miles and gained 6200'. Not one of my more strenuous trips in the Sawtooths but definitely one of the most enjoyable. I counted 18 lakes I passed by plus 4 or 5 small ponds or tarns. After Alice Lake I saw very few other people. Finding the short cut to Ten Lakes Basin and spending the afternoon roaming around there was worth the effort all by itself. All the 9250' plus passes provided great views. I'm not sure if this will be my last Sawtooth trip for a while but if so I have really enjoyed them all.
I awoke to a little more rain then quiet. At 8:15 I got up went out and found gray sky with some blue. Perhaps all was not lost. By 9:00 am when I started hiking the sky went to half blue. The bluest spot was in the direction I was headed. Testimony to just how dry it is in the Sawtooths was that the tent was bone dry when I packed it up.
The trail down is more easily graded tread. Four miles to Flatrock Junction near where I would need to cross Redfish Creek. The junction with the trail up to Alpine Lake is just after. The next 3 1/2 miles is pretty flat with some ups and downs before the final drop to Redfish Inlet Camp and the dock for the boat ride back to the lodge.
Part way down to the junction I stopped to talk with a group of three backpackers from North Carolina. They had come a lot farther than me. I felt the 80 degree heat but to them 80 and dry was paradise after the hot wet sticky summer they had back east. We talked for a while and I was back on my way. A minute later I almost stepped on a grouse in the trail. I never saw it and just missed before it flew away. It's partner played the "I'll walk right in front of you" game. It finally flew away. I wonder what those Carolinians thought when they heard me yell in surprise.
To no surprise the crossing of Redfish Creek would not be a rock hop. The creek was a foot or two deep and wide. I did it barefoot and the water was not nearly as cold as I was expecting. The last 3 1/2 miles feel like 6 miles. It just goes on and on. The brightly colored granite spires above are fun to look at. Some of the boulders that have fallen off the cliffs are as big as houses. The trail just weaves between them.
I could time the boat landings by the short waves of hikers heading up then it would grow quiet again. The gray was all gone and blue sky and hot was the order of the day once again. Almost as if I had imagined that rain, lightning, and thunder. I was ready for the trip to end when I reached the dock. Within 15 minutes I could see the boat screaming in. The boat ride is one of the highlights of the trip. Five miles down the lake in eight minutes. Almost 40 miles per hour. Great views back to the peaks above.
I only had to wait for a out 20 minutes and my ride arrived. Chauffeur service is a mighty nice perk. In four days I hiked 35 miles and gained 6200'. Not one of my more strenuous trips in the Sawtooths but definitely one of the most enjoyable. I counted 18 lakes I passed by plus 4 or 5 small ponds or tarns. After Alice Lake I saw very few other people. Finding the short cut to Ten Lakes Basin and spending the afternoon roaming around there was worth the effort all by itself. All the 9250' plus passes provided great views. I'm not sure if this will be my last Sawtooth trip for a while but if so I have really enjoyed them all.
 Morning Reflection |
 Falls in Middle Cramer |
 More Snowy Peaks |
 More Down Trees |
 Mama Grouse |
 Widest Creek Crossing |
 The Dinosaur |
 Non Zoomded View |
 Boulder In The Forest |
 Loud Cascade |
 White Water |
 Granite Ridges |
 Endless Granite |
 Interesting Spire |
 More Cascades |
 Information Boards |
 Now I'm Flying |
 Last Granite Shot |
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Trips - 2011
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