My 2020 summer plans included two excursions to the Alps in Switzerland’s Berner Oberland, leading group hiking trips. Both were canceled due to Covid-19 and the inability to travel. After the initial disappointment of canceling the second of the two hiking holidays, I realized I needed to pivot, stay positive and focus on something attainable. Then I thought to myself, no problem, I live in Idaho!
I secured some of the last of summer’s available reservable campsites at Redfish Lake and began planning a stateside adventure.
The forecast was fair for our week’s getaway as my husband and I loaded our camp gear and goldendoodle into the Subaru. We drove east to Missoula, then south, where we ultimately followed the Salmon River to the picturesque town of Stanley, Idaho. We stopped in Stanley’s quaint grocery store for ice and essentials and drove the remaining seven miles south to Redfish Lake.
We set up camp in our roomy tent site in the back of C Loop at the Glacier Bay campground. The next few days were spent relaxing at camp, day hiking and perusing gear in the outdoor shops in nearby Stanley.
Our most memorable day hike was to Alpine Lake via the ferry at the Redfish Lodge. The Redfish Lodge is nestled onto the North Shore of Redfish Lake and is surrounded by several campgrounds, including Glacier Bay campground, where we were temporary residents. It’s not quite roughing it when you can wander down the road to hot showers, lattes and the lodge’s restaurant. The Redfish Lodge is a bustling place with children frolicking by the water, families renting powerboats from the marina and teens converging to plan their day’s social activity.
We climbed aboard the hiker shuttle at the Redfish Lake Lodge Marina along with a half dozen other hikers. For a $19 indulgence, we treated ourselves to a round trip ticket for the water shuttle to and from the trailhead at the south end of the lake. It is possible to hike to Alpine Lake from the lodge, but we opted to omit the extra 9-mile round trip walk along the lake’s shore. Besides, our goldendoodle, Tillie, enjoyed the ride immensely! Tillie’s ears flapped enthusiastically in the breeze as we scooted across the lake while our boat mates patted and pampered her.
Story continues after a quick message from our sponsor below.
The first few miles of this hike offered pristine meadows and impressive boulder gardens while it meandered along Redfish Creek, providing many drinking holes for Tillie. Alas, we hoofed it up 22 switchbacks to find Alpine Lake at elevation 8’345. The crystal-clear water and stunning backdrop were more than ample rewards for our effort. We lunched and watched the dog swim for sticks for so long we found ourselves needing to half walk, half run the last few miles back to the boat dock to make the last boat shuttle for the evening.
Over the next few days, with our base camp at Redfish Lake, we hiked to meres with peculiar names such as Yellow Belly and Hell Roaring lakes, enjoyed distant views of the White Cloud Mountains, soaked in the beauty of the Sawtooth Range as our immediate backdrop, and enjoyed the conveniences of having the town of Stanley nearby.
It was time to embark on the piece de resistance of our journey, a three-day backpack on the Alice Lake Toxaway Loop! I love a loop hike or a through-hike and avoid out and back trails whenever other options are available.
We parked at the crowded Tin Cup Trailhead at Petit Lake to embark on the approximately 20-mile Alice Lake – Toxaway Loop hike for our backpacking adventure. The 6-mile hike into Alice Lake was lovely but ascending through the switchbacks in the heat was a bit grueling with the weight of a full pack. As we approached the lake, the view of 9,901-foot El Capitan took our breath away. This craggy peak looms over Alice Lake and is stunningly beautiful and captivating.
As we approached Alice Lake, my focus intensified as I began my essential task of finding the absolute best campsite at the lake. This obsession runs in my family, and I am convinced there are few better at spotting and securing the best sites than my sister or me. Of course, I found it! I deemed the best location to camp was not close to the buggy lakeshore but perched above the lake on a flat-topped rock. I was convinced our camp spot not only had the best views but offered a light breeze that kept the mosquitos at bay (until dusk).
I felt like the luckiest girl in the world, sitting in my camp chair drinking in both the view of Alice Lake and a nip of whiskey before dinner. Nighttime in the Sawtooth Mountains was filled with the magic of stars dancing in the dark sky. That first night of our backpacking trip offered clear skies, which enabled us to skip the rain fly so we could lie in the tent and gaze up at the brilliant display of stars twinkling in the ebony sky. I fell asleep feeling fulfilled and thankful.
After a breakfast of oatmeal and black coffee, we set out again. We shortly came to Twin Lakes, which seemed impossibly even more stunning than Alice Lake. After admiring and photographing the scenery, we ascended up to Snowyside Pass, with an elevation of nearly 9,400 feet. The 360-degree views from above the tree line at the pass were jaw-dropping, despite the rain clouds. We camped that night at Toxaway Lake, a vast lake along our mostly downhill route back to Petit Lake. There were no stars that night, but nature provided a constant rumble of thunder that lasted through the night.
The following day, we hiked the final 8 miles out with ease as our packs were noticeably lighter and we were headed downhill. Our arrival at the Tin Cup Trailhead concluded this hiking adventure in the Sawtooth Range, but not before a refreshing and much-needed swim in Petit Lake.
We were sad to head home but eased our disappointment by spending one night at the Upper O’Brien campground on the Salmon River on our journey home. Campsites were impossible to come by, despite the fact that it was a Wednesday. Luck was on our side as we secured the best site in the campground by pulling in just as a camper vacated it. We set up our tent and headed down to the beach. We spent hours there reading, swimming, chatting it up with other campers, waving to the occasional raft group floating the Salmon and basking in the sun.
We drove down the road to the Sunbeam Hot Springs at dusk, where we had the entire hot springs to ourselves. The hot water is piped under the highway and feeds a series of pools separated by stacked rock alongside the river. I felt like Goldilocks as I approached the pools that were first too cool, then too hot, and alas, settled into the bathing pool that was just right! We lounged in the hot springs, book in hand, reading while listening to the Salmon River whir past.
What a serene and indulgent way to end our holiday in the Sawtooths! We had a successful trip that left us relaxed, refreshed, and of course, wanting more!
Cheers! N
By Denise Lundy
Photography By David Ronalds
