Sawtooth Wilderness, Sawtooth National Recreation Area, ID

Dates

Aug 2nd - Aug 8th 2009

Service Project

Trail Maintenance on High Pass on the Little Queens River Trail

Free Days

Dayhiking, fishing, swimming, photography

Accommodations

Backpack Camping

Trip Rating

Challenging : 8-mile backpack with 3200' elevation gain, heavy work with picks, digging tools. Pack animal support

Leaders

Gayle Marechal
Bunny Marechal

Equipment

Central Idaho’s Sawtooth Wilderness and White Cloud Mountains are known for the rugged grandeur of their soaring peaks over 10,000-feet, flowery mountain meadows, crystal lakes, towering alpine forests, and abundant wildlife, including elk, mountain goats, bighorn sheep, black bear, and wolves. Backpacking and hiking are spectacular in this country, and trout fishing is exceptional in backcountry lakes and streams as well as the headwaters of the Salmon River, the fabled “River of No Return”.

This year, for the first time, the trip is on the west side of the Wilderness. We will be working on a pass called “High Pass” about 8 miles from the trailhead on the Little Queen’s River Trail between Browns and Johnson Lakes. We’ll have horsepack support for the Forest Service for the food, commissary and communal gear.

This is a beautiful area and quite different from the east side of the Sawtooths. The Little Queens River is in a lesser used part of the wilderness, and the vegetation and wildlife are richer with wonderful opportunities for fishing and off trail explorations. Bring your camera!

Click on the map below for an article on Liese Dean, the wilderness ranger we will work with.