I can’t remember exactly when I first heard about the “Sawtooth Mountains,” but the name alone – evoking serrated mountain ridges, immediately earned it a spot in my ever-growing google docs bucket list. This summer, I got to spend 5 days and 4 nights backpacking about 40 miles the Sawtooth Wilderness of Idaho with my dad and a friend.
Day 1. Redfish Lake to Baron Lake. 8.5 mi, +2,700 ft
We started at Redfish Lake, took the hiker shuttle across the lake, turned northwest at Flat Rock Junction, passed Alpine Lake, then crossed the Baron Divide and camped at Baron Lake.
Sunrise at the lake the next day may have been the highlight of the trip. It was a cloudy morning and it wasn’t clear that the sun would be able to shine through, but for a few seconds, the early light kissed the ridgeline of Monte Verita with a warm glow, surrounded by pink and blue clouds, mirrored in the still waters of Baron Lake.
Day 2. Baron Lake to Upper Cramer Basin (Laury Tarn). 9.6 mi, +2,450 ft
After a beautiful sunrise, we retraced our steps and climbed back over the Baron Divide, turned south at Flat Rock Junction, and after a long climb through forest, passed the Lower, Middle, and Upper Cramer Lakes. Unlike many hikers who spend a night at these popular camp spots, we pressed on.
Sadly, we passed two chicks on the side of the trail that may have fallen out of a nest and appeared to be calling out to a parent.
After a very steep ascent, we reached a heart-shaped lake – unnamed on maps but possibly called Laury Tarn – in the heart of the upper Cramer Basin about a half mile as the crow flies from the Cramer Divide. Just above the lake are some camp sites among some of the last trees you’ll find before the divide and next to another smaller pond. We had the place to ourselves.
At sunset, we hiked up the trail a bit and then followed a steep path up the ridge to increasingly-better views of the lake and the upper Cramer Basin. Sunrise the next morning was also lovely.
Day 3 – Laury Tarn to Rendezvous Lake. 6.3 mi, +1,400 ft
From our camp site above Laury Tarn, we finished the climb over the Cramer Divide, surrounded by ominous clouds above a serrated ridge. It rained on the way down the other side of the divide, and we passed Hidden Lake, Virginia Lake, and Edna Lake, then began the climb up towards Sand Mountain Pass.
Along the way, we passed a Golden-mantled ground squirrel on high alert.
About half way up the pass, we turned off trail and made our way towards Rendezvous Lake (Lake 8861). Other than an abundance of wildlife, we had Rendezvous Lake to ourselves.
Day 4 – Rendezvous Lake to Alice Lake. 7.6 mi, +1,650 ft
We finished the climb up towards Sand Mountain Pass, descended past Toxaway Lake, then passed a gorgeous unnamed green glacial lake. We climbed up and paused on the Snowyside Divide to admire the jaw-dropping views over the Twin Lakes.
We descend the pass, made our way past Twin Lakes, and found an amazing tent site next to Alice Lake. We were far from alone, but it was easy to understand why it’s such a popular destination.
It wasn’t the most colorful sunset, but I took some long exposure shots to create a silky smooth effect on the lake surface as El Capitan flanked the eastern end of the lake.
Day 5 – Alice Lake to Pettit Lake. 6.5 mi, +200 ft
On our final day, we watched the sunrise and then broke camp. We made pretty good time and walked the mostly downhill 6.5 miles to reach the Tin Cup Trailhead before 10:00 am. From there, we had a long 7+ hour drive north to Glacier National Park for a few days of hiking and sightseeing .
