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The Two Passes

Approaching Snowyside Pass

Approaching Snowyside Pass

The fourth day of backpacking in the Sawtooths required me to traverse two high mountain passes, as I moved from the “main loop” as I called it to the Pettit-Toxaway Loop, where my resupply awaited near the shore of Pettit Lake (Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3). Previous blog entries cover much of the hiking to and over Sand Mountain Pass and Snowyside Pass, so this entry will cover the rest of the day and put the passes in context. It is August 15, my fourth day on the trail.

I awoke to a cold, clear morning. The rain and clouds of the previous day were gone. It was 32 degrees at sunrise. The plants on the ground were covered in frost, but the air was dry. It was a very cold start to the day, and I didn’t get off to a particularly quick start. My campsite was located on a high mound separating Vernon and Edna Lakes, a site chosen in a successful attempt to thwart the mosquito hordes. I packed up and hit the trail about 8:15 a.m. Well, I picked my way down the mound’s steep back side until reaching the trail, which I followed past the horse train’s camp and on to the glorious shore of Edna Lake.
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by Jeff on December 15, 2009  •  Permalink
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Posted by Jeff on December 15, 2009

https://thesouthrim.wordpress.com/2009/12/15/the-two-passes/

Snowyside Pass

Twin Lakes from Snowyside Pass

Twin Lakes from Snowyside Pass

The fourth day of my 10-day backpacking trek saw me hike over a pair of mountain passes, 9,303-foot Sand Mountain Pass and 9,435-foot Snowyside Pass, in order to cross the Sawtooths and reach the canyon where my resupply waited. The day began at Edna Lake, gained 900 feet to Sand Mountain Pass, lost 700 feet to Toxaway Lake, gained 1,100 feet to Snowyside Pass, and finally lost 900 feet to Alice Lake over about 9 miles.

This post picks up the trail from my lunch spot on the shore of Toxaway Lake, a breathtaking place where I wished I could have spent a night (or longer) during the trip. From the rocky ledge where I sat for a long lunch, I could see the three-headed crown of Snowyside Peak.
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by Jeff on December 9, 2009  •  Permalink
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Posted by Jeff on December 9, 2009

https://thesouthrim.wordpress.com/2009/12/09/snowyside-pass/

Rainy Hike to Tenlake Basin

Sand Mountain rises above an unnamed lake in Tenlake Basin.

Sand Mountain rises above an unnamed lake in Tenlake Basin.

My third day in the Sawtooth Wilderness was a wet one. Rain started falling at my campsite beside Rock Slide Lake around 2 a.m. Thunder woke me around 4:30, and it rained heavily for an hour or so with occasional rumbles of thunder echoing off the mountainsides. My hammock and all my gear stayed dry under my new canopy, a significant improvement over the hammock’s original tarp.

It was probably 40 degrees when I decided to exit the hammock, hopeful the mosquitoes were not out in force in the early morning. That was wishful thinking. At least shafts of light from the rising sun were finding gaps in the clouds to light the fallen face of the unnamed peak across the lake, and it appeared the rain might be moving out of the area.

Rock Slide Lake between rains.

Rock Slide Lake between rains.

The clouds returned as I was breaking camp. Three times that morning, I retreated under the canopy with my gear to wait out a rain shower … and hail. Pea-sized hailstones pelted the canopy twice. But there was no thunder or lightning, and no significant wind, so it was simply a pleasant, though inconvenient, diversion. I could see the rain hitting the lake, and the chilly air smelled fresh and clean.
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by Jeff on December 4, 2009  •  Permalink
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Posted by Jeff on December 4, 2009

https://thesouthrim.wordpress.com/2009/12/04/rainy-hike-to-tenlake-basin/

Coral Pink Sand Dunes

Coral Pink Sand Dunes ©2009 Jeff Blaylock

On a whim, I decided to drive down a lonely spur road to Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park in southern Utah on my way back from the Sawtooths. I had spent the previous night on the lofty shoulder of Wheeler Peak in Great Basin National Park and intended to spend the night at a hotel in Kanab. As the sun was getting low in the west, I saw the sign for the state park and, without a moment’s hesitation, turned off the main highway and headed down Yellowjacket Road.
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by Jeff on November 30, 2009  •  Permalink
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Posted by Jeff on November 30, 2009

https://thesouthrim.wordpress.com/2009/11/30/coral-pink-sand-dunes/

Benedict Creek to Mount Everly

Mount Everly looms above a marshy meadow fed by Benedict Creek.

Mount Everly looms above a marshy meadow fed by Benedict Creek.

The second day of my backpacking trek across the Sawtooth Wilderness would get me to the high country and, eventually, out of the long slog through the thick vegetation and fallen trees that marked the previous “forgettable” day. It would also be a day during which I would see more bears than people.

I would start this day — August 13 — about four miles short of the previous day’s goal, Smith Falls. The South Fork Payette River Trail made one of its rare visits to the namesake river at a place I dubbed “Waterfall Bend,” and it was here I had set up camp. In the predawn chill, I returned to the rocks overlooking the dozen-plus cascades to drink a protein shake. As I sat there, listening to the singing waters, a small black bear trotted along the other shore. It glanced in my direction once, then did a double-take before bolting away from the river. I didn’t have my camera handy — and it wouldn’t have mattered as it was still fairly dark — but this was otherwise a perfect bear encounter.
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by Jeff on November 24, 2009  •  Permalink
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Posted by Jeff on November 24, 2009

https://thesouthrim.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/benedict-creek-to-mount-everly/

South Fork Payette River Trail

Typical view of the South Fork Payette River south of Grandjean

Typical view of the South Fork Payette River south of Grandjean

My adventure across the Sawtooths began at the Grandjean trailhead of the range’s western side. The plan was to acclimate to the terrain slowly by taking a long, gradual ascent up the South Fork Payette River to Benedict Creek up to the Tenlake Basin. My goal for that first day, August 12, was 14 miles to Smith Falls, one of two significant waterfalls along the river. But the terrain and trails proved more challenging than I’d imagined, and I barely made 10 miles that first day.

In my notebook, I described that first day as “forgettable.” The South Fork Payette River Trail “is overgrown & frequently impeded with downed trees.” I later noted, “Curious that the SFP and Benedict Creek trails rarely see their namesakes.”
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by Jeff on November 17, 2009  •  Permalink
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Posted by Jeff on November 17, 2009

https://thesouthrim.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/south-fork-payette-river-trail/

Sawtooth Wilderness Waterfalls

Fern Falls, along the South Fork Payette River.

Fern Falls, along the South Fork Payette River.

Despite logging more than 100 miles in the Sawtooth Wilderness, I only saw a handful waterfalls. I suspect there were more, even along the trails I was taking, but terrain and vegetation kept them audible but invisible. Water definitely falls great distances — thousands of feet from snowline to the Salmon River — but big waterfalls are rare. This post highlights six of the significant ones.
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by Jeff on November 12, 2009  •  Permalink
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Posted by Jeff on November 12, 2009

https://thesouthrim.wordpress.com/2009/11/12/sawtooth-wilderness-waterfalls/

Rainy Day in the Tetons

A late summer storm brings rain to Jackson Hole and snow in the Tetons' higher elevations.

A late summer storm brings rain to Jackson Hole and snow in the Tetons' higher elevations.

Three months and a day ago, I visited Grand Teton National Park on my way to the Sawtooths of central Idaho. It rained, and the spectacular peaks of the Teton Range were hidden by thick storm clouds. Though the clouds broke apart now and again on the ground, the sky never cleared, and the rain seldom stopped.

Taking it in stride, I drove to some of the park’s viewpoints and pull-outs, reflecting on what they look like when the weather is gorgeous. I spent some time admiring the view from the overlook of the Snake River, near where Ansel Adams took his famous photo and I witnessed a stunning sunrise. Cascade Canyon’s lower reaches are clearly visible directly behind the bend of the river, but the Grand, Teewie, and the other peaks were lost in the clouds.

Cascade Canyon and the Snake River, under the cloud deck.

Cascade Canyon and the Snake River, under the cloud deck.


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by Jeff on November 9, 2009  •  Permalink
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Posted by Jeff on November 9, 2009

https://thesouthrim.wordpress.com/2009/11/09/rainy-day-in-the-tetons/

Wheeler Peak and Ancient Pines

A stand of ancient bristlecone pines clings to the shoulder of massive Wheeler Peak in Great Basin National Park.

A stand of ancient bristlecone pines clings to the shoulder of massive Wheeler Peak in Great Basin National Park.

Trying to escape the rain and fog which had socked in Lamoille Canyon, I spent an extra day in remote Great Basin National Park. Unfortunately, the rain followed me, but occasional breaks — even a few moments of sunshine — permitted some exploration of this beautiful, largely unknown park.

Great Basin’s most famous feature is actually underground: Lehman Caves. However, the park’s most visible feature can be seen for miles. Wheeler Peak, standing 13,063 feet above sea level, towers above the sagebrush desert and the surrounding mountains. It is the state’s second highest peak, home to the state’s only glacier, and nursery for some of the longest living organisms on earth. Groves of bristlecone pines grow on the rocky slopes between 9,000 and 11,500 feet of elevation.

Wheeler Peak

Wheeler Peak


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by Jeff on October 26, 2009  •  Permalink
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Posted by Jeff on October 26, 2009

https://thesouthrim.wordpress.com/2009/10/26/wheeler-peak-and-ancient-pines/

Sand Mountain Pass

Toxaway Lake and Snowyside Peak

Toxaway Lake and Snowyside Peak

Sand Mountain Pass was the first major pass along my Sawtooth Wilderness backpacking route. It divided the main loop from the resupply loop. It is 4 miles from Edna Lake (8,404 feet) over the pass (9,303 feet) to Toxaway Lake (8,323 feet), one of the most spectacular in the Sawtooths. Indeed, as seen above, the approach to Toxaway from the pass is breathtaking.

I started the day packing up my campsite on a high point between Vernon Lake and Edna Lake. I hit the trail around 8:15 a.m. and quickly reached Edna Lake. I knew I would return to its shore in a few days, so I paused for a quick look and then began an immediate climb. The trail remains about 60 feet above the lake and about 0.1 mile from the shore until it meets the trail to Sand Mountain Pass.

The trail turns away from the lake and climbs gradually, eventually reaching a drainage, which it follows for some distance. The pass is evident on the valley’s steep head wall, a depression straight ahead. It was a pleasant hike in the early morning light, though the sun was in my face (and the camera’s).

Sand Mountain Pass, as seen from its western approach

Sand Mountain Pass, as seen from its western approach


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by Jeff on October 18, 2009  •  Permalink
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Posted by Jeff on October 18, 2009

https://thesouthrim.wordpress.com/2009/10/18/sand-mountain-pass/

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