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Week 8: Back in the Sawtooth Wilderness

8/27/2017

Posted by Sarah

Aug 22: Calamity Rerun

Snow is off the high passes and the creeks are no longer at flood stage, so Bob wants to cross part of the Sawtooth mountains we weren't able to do in July. I want to stay at the East Fork ranch and read and write but he has no interest and scoffs at the idea. I am the reluctant wife but join him. The Sawtooth Mts are my favorites so it is an easy choice. They are also a popular destination and are full of Eclipse watchers- many have left but the over flow trailhead parking at Pettit Lake is still almost full of vehicles. We expect and do find numerous hikers, mostly in pairs or solo, on the trail or camped at Farley Lake where it is hard to find a camp for us and two llamas. Just as it is getting dark, we locate the stock camp site with plenty of room and adequate graze. Both llamas are hungry and are happy to eat their llama cookies. Bob and I finish our lunch of chicken, potato chips, and cheese. Eating dinner at 10pm doesn't appeal and after milkshakes in Stanley we are not particularly hungry. We go quickly to sleep.

I can't stop worrying about Johnny and Bono. Are they fully rested after their eight days at the ranch? Are they eating enough along the trail? Are they getting along? Then, I realize these are thoughts that I am having about myself....No, I am not rested enough and still have trail burn-out after 40 days and am not getting along with Bob because he seems uncaring about my concerns for the llamas. Bob, as he watches them, thinks they are doing just fine and he's tired hearing my anxiety about the "big boys" .This comes to a head when I tell Bob, and Bob suggests, that I hike out, drive to Ketchum, and meet him at Redfish, because my worrying is ruining his experience of the wilderness. Rather than get defensive, I agree. I will try to stop worrying, and if after today, I am not enjoying the Sawtooth hike, it is still an easy hike out and I will leave.

Of course, clearing of the air shifts everything! I stop fretting and the enjoyment of the wilderness returns. I am still footsore and my knee hurts on the mountain passes but the scenery is spectacular and the trails and mileage doable. Johnny and Bono are eating well, there is plenty of grass for them and they are carrying light packs. The adage relating to the power of positive thinking is true. Helped by honest communication in our relationship, the aches of aging are more than offset by the shared love of the backcountry and the stunning beauty of the Sawtooths.

Aug 23: Farley Lake to Edna Lake

Llamas are a magnet! We had a family from Detroit visit our camp this morning before we finished packing. The daughter hoped to see horses but they were thrilled with the photo op with Johnny and Bono! Two brothers from the East Coast insisted on a selfie.

Lots of comments and conversation with people leaving the backcountry after the Eclipse. A saleswoman in River Wear in Stanley said that she thought there were more people in the backcountry than in Stanley for the Eclipse. There were 25 people on Alpine Peak above Sawtooth Lake and they could hear people cheering on peaks surrounding them. In Bob's 55 years in the Sawtooth wilderness, he has never seen such crowds but it is great seeing them love our beautiful peaks, lakes and trails.

Aug 24: Edna Lake to Cramer Pass and Temple Lake

This is a much easier ascent to Hidden Lake and Cramer Pass than anticipated. We climb through meadows above the tree line which are full of small creeks, Indian Paint Brush, showy penstemon,
heather, and buttercups. Johnny and Bono love to munch along the way, so we average only 1 mph so they get enough to eat and drink. Plus there are numerous stops to tell folks about them; llama magnets! The vistas of Snowyside peak, Sevy peak and the distant lake basins are pure Sawtooths!

Across Cramer Pass and navigating the tight, steep switchbacks turn serious for our "Big Boys"- fortunately horse packers preceded us and there was an easy detour around a small snowfield. Bob videos while I lead the llamas. We take it slow and reach Temple Lake-2:30 pm, beautiful. No one has camped here since our last visit in 2015. I could stay forever. Afternoon swim and 8:30 pm to sleep. Bob photographs and recalls the wonderful memories of bringing the early Wild Gift members here 15 years ago. It is a favorite place, and then he wonders how many more years he will be able to return with his knees aging.

Aug 25: Temple Lake to Flat Rock Junction

Bob and I spend some time giving each other appreciations after we reach camp in a small green llama pasture surrounded by green trees with a small spring nearby.

Appreciations of Sarah from Bob

Rebounds and comes back quickly after a hard day
Forgives easily
Never wants to get or think old
Looking like a cover girl after being on the trail 40 days
Early bird, up and at 'em
No laments

Appreciations of Bob from Sarah

Care for the llamas
Picking good campsites such as the one we are in with green grass and a cold clear spring
Forgive and Forget
No new annoyances have cropped up, only have had to deal with the same ones as 25 yrs ago. (backhanded appreciation - doesn't count)
Supports my carving my own path, such leaving the trail and the llamas and taking the boat shuttle to Redfish Lake Lodge for the day and having dinner. We both hike and then have dinner together!
No laments/regrets
Reads all the time and is smart, very smart.

Aug 26: Flatrock Junction to Redfish Lake

We both make a bee line for the Lodge so we can have dinner tonight with friends who are camped here. I should have taken the boat across as my knee flared up and I limped most of the 8 miles up and across the bench towards the Lodge. It helps to soak my knee and foot in Fishhook Creek.

The Sawtooth Mountains are stunning. I so happy we were able to do part of our original route. It is a place that we will always call home and return as often as possible. This is truly home country for us.

Aug 27: Say Goodbye to Johnny and Bono

Beau Baty from Wilderness Ridge Llamas in Idaho Falls is bringing us two fresh llamas for the White Cloud Mts, and another three llamas for Reuben, Charlotte and Louise who will be joining us.

After 7 weeks with Johnny and Bono, it is a tearful goodbye. We have learned their habits, their preferred grasses, how they cross downed timber and manage rough terrain,where they like to be scratched and be petted, the best places for them to roll, dust baths they love, how to brush and saddle them, spray them with bug repellent and cater to their every whims. They have been such faithful pals. No drama llamas. Thank you, Big Boys, we love you.

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Weeks 5-7: Big Creek, the Big Horn Crags, and a Week of Rest in Llama Paradise

8/21/2017

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Posted by Sarah

Aug 3: Yellow Pine, Idaho

Good friend, Andy Munter, helps Bob launch our new attack on the Salmon River country. He plucks us off of the Middle Fork of the Salmon River by driving a horse trailer many, many hours on dirt roads which skirt the River of No Return wilderness.

I have now been to Yellow Pine, home of Idaho's Music and Harmonica festival, no gas station or general store, but fortunately gas can be brought for $4.50 a gallon from a gasoline storage tank. The saloon keeper from the Yellow Pine Saloon is more than happy to fill our tank and then serve us a beer with the change.

It is 100 degrees at 5 pm and the beer hits the spot.

The town is filling up with people coming for the Festival, some 300 filled the saloon the night before, probably 200 over capacity. We couldn't get food at the Saloon -they are too busy making money serving drinks. Thankfully, the Yellow Pine Lodge is open, has air conditioning, wi-fi and offers a very good chocolate milkshake, burgers and a special tri tip sandwich on white bread.

I observe that the Lodge is the only business without a For Sale on it which gives me a little confidence that they might be looking for repeat customers.

After a pleasant respite, we drive in the growing darkness to Big Creek, another 1 1/2 hrs on a single lane road and find camping paradise for the llamas and ourselves at the Big Creek airport campground. If I ever get a yearning for dusty back roads, the funkiness and food will draw me back to Yellow Pine. Big Creek is a great spot for Backcountry pilots and place to rest the llamas.

Aug 4: Big Creek rest day

Johnny and Bono are so resilient. They are completely relaxed after yesterday bouncing in a horse trailer over hot, bumpy and dusty roads and they quickly settle into the meadow of green grass.

After the log-jumping, rock hopping trails along the Middle Fork, we are pleased to hear from Patrick Brown, the Forest Service trail guru, that the trail down Big Creek are clear of trees so our llamas will have a gradual and easy descent. They deserve an easy trip after a month with us.

Aug 5: Heavy smoke and burned out country

As we descend Big Creek through the smoke from distant forest fires, I find the fire-ravaged country bleak and depressing, almost like a warmer version of Cormac McCarthy, The Road. Thankfully, it is easier than Teddy Roosevelt's descent of the River of Doubt on the Amazon River! Roosevelt's trip account is spelled out in detail in a marvelous book I am reading by Candice Millard.

Aug 6: Llamas and black bears

You know you are in wild country when there is bear scat every hundred feet on the trail.
Johnny and Bono give the alert today when they spot a black bear. This is the first edginess over anything that either llama has exhibited in the past 5 weeks. Bear scat lines the trail so they remain nervous and wary. It is smokey all day with ash on our gear in the morning. Camp on Hard Boil Bar, a dry barren spot, has little grass for our boys

Aug 7: Cabin Creek backcountry airstrip

A short day today down Big Creek, encountering 4 fisherman led by Frank Batcha, MD, from WR Valley. Big Creek is known for its fishing- pristine water with not many fishermen because of being very hard and/or expensive to get to. We find a lovely green bench along the river and stop for an early camp. Grass for the llamas, easy access to the Creek. It's a nice change from the burnt out canyon.

Aug 8: Cabin Creek

Smokey and hot. More bears and also rattlesnakes on the trail. Cabin Creek valley, however, is a lovely verdant valley that reminds me of a Gregory Kondos' painting with a swath of green meadow, occasional trees, granite rocks, and vibrant golden browns every where else.

August 9: Big Creek

The Taylor Ranch is an oasis on this stretch of river operated as a research station by the University of Idaho.

Aug 10: Waterfall Creek

To our delight, we are invited to lunch by Lisa Whisnant and the fine folks of Canyons Rivers Co from McCall Idaho who are outfitting a twelve day yoga rafting trip on the Middle Fork and Main Salmon Rivers. Great group of guides and clients who loved seeing the llamas and the joy on our faces as we ate fresh food for lunch and drank cold beer. From McCall, Lisa or Whis( sounds like Wiz), as she is called, operates a x-country ski dinner yurt in Ponderosa State Park, the Blue Moon Yurt cafe. Bob had a dinner yurt in the past so it is a great connection.

After lunch, we stagger on full stomachs and light heads from the beer, a short distance to our Waterfall Creek camp, a prehistoric site of Indian pit houses.

The big question is Can we make it up Waterfall Creek? A group of horsemen were rumored to have gotten through the downfall, but can we?

Aug 11: Valley of the Standing Dead

Long switchbacks through steep, very steep hillsides of golden grass with mighty views of the Middle Fork, give way to the terraces accessing the Big Horn Crags along Waterfall Creek. The terraces consist of the standing and fallen dead/burnt trees everywhere. We saw and circumambulate downed trees but the trail is passable.

Camp is on the rocky trail in a place where there are fewer dead trees and less of a chances of being hit by a widow maker (Bob's nightmare). I am asleep by 8 pm after 10 hours on the trail. Stays cool all day; thunder and lightning in the distance never draws close.

Aug 12: Terrace Lakes

Standing green trees, a green undercover of grass, flowers and small streams grace our entrance to the Big Horn Crags and Barking Fox and Terrace Lakes. A strong sense of relief lighten both of Bob's and my moods. We know we can don't have to back track to exit the Frank Church Wilderness. We love hearing distant thunder, the clearing air, having the warm lakes to swim in and the lush grass for llamas. We have climbed 5,000 feet above the smoke at 8,500 feet, and have well maintained trails for the rest of our trip out to meet Heather Mack who is retrieving us with her horse trailer.

Aug 13: Big Horn Crags Campground

We pushed hard today to reach our pick-up point at the Crags Campground. It is very emotional to be with a tired animal who is so stoic and faithful. But Johnny keeps going as the brave heart that he is.

Aug 14-21: East Fork of the Salmon River

Rest, llamas grazing, eating hay, hikers enjoying good food and comfy beds. Thank you, Heather Mack, for her paradise ranch.

Aug 22: On the trail again!

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Week 4: Middle Fork of the Salmon River

8/3/2017

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Posted by Sarah

The past 8 days exploring the Middle Fork of the Salmon River have been filled, at times, with serenity, hope, delight, fear, and dismay. We love the easy companionship and routine of being together alone on the trail. It is meditative, relaxing and supportive when the trails are safe and easy. Then there is tension and dismay with each other as we fall into old patterns of communication when I get fearful. The tough trail conditions pose hazards and I fear that there is the possibility of serious injury to both of us and the llamas. Bob calls this my "calamity" mode. I feel his immediate reaction is to dismiss my fears and I am upset because I feel trivialized. What he tells me, however, is that he believes he can find a safe way forward despite what is in front of us. It takes him more time to reach the same conclusion that I have, or, in many past instances, he does, in fact, find a route through.

This is the "ying and yang" of our wilderness trails, our different needs: Bob's desire to explore and his confidence in handling any situation; my need for more certainty and less physical risk. On this route, it takes another day of difficult travel before Bob reaches the same conclusion and we turn back. Great.

I am ready to quit the Middle Fork altogether and go to the summer symphony. Bob is dogged about finding another route in the Middle Fork. So what is next?

July 26: Swamp Creek to the top of Marsh Creek

Our first (and only?) easy day. We fall into a trail companionship of decades traveling solo. Nina leaves and I rejoin Bob and it's a beautiful rainy day crossing the lush meadows west of Stanley along Valley Creek. It's also our first cool day.

Bob and I are happy to be alone. We fall into a companionable routine forged by decades of trails together. I let him lead, as always. When I pick the trail, he never likes it, wanders off, and then I have to look for him. Today, he picks the driest crossings through marsh grass and bogs. Bono and Johnny enjoy the grazing. I feel like it is 150 years ago as trappers moved through these valleys. Without the salmon in the streams, the abundance for hunter gathers has sadly disappeared.

My knee hurts so we stop early in a grassy meadow at the top of Marsh Creek, one of the main tributaries of the Middle Fork. Six miles down stream from where we are camped, Marsh Creek joins the Bear Valley Creek to form the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. Locals just say Middle Fork and everyone knows what they mean.

Tomorrow is another short day so my sore knee warrants an early stop.

July 27: Marsh Creek to the Middle Fork of the Salmon River

Our short day lasts 9 hours, with a 2 hour lunch stop and nap in our hammock. It is delightfully cool and the trails are clear and well maintained to the junction with Bear Valley Creek, and passable after that. I stretch my knee at every opportunity according to instructions from PT guru and friend Colleen Coyne whom I saw on my Ketchum break. It helps.

What we confront after lunch, however, is terrifying. The trail becomes a quarter-mile jumble of rocks along river's edge with no way to know if it is really a trail or the route is washed out. The rocks are sharp, slippery quartz and because of high water, entering the river is necessary. I take sure-footed Johnny who moves like a zen master while Bono jumps and lurches, sometimes unbalancing Bob who is leading him. So much for an easy day.

We find a lousy campsite of deadfall trees at 6 pm. We stop, just too tired to go on, particularly the llamas after the stressful trail. After feeding and watering the llamas, my reward is soaking my knee in the river now a pleasant temperature for bathing. Bono eats the llama cubes for the first time.

July 28: Late Start, Thunderstorm, Campsite #4 at Dagger Falls

The trail is passable and easy but we're already 5 hours into the hike and we haven't stopped for lunch. For me the 1 mph llama pace is tough. Today we have 10 miles, so we have to pick it up, but at 2 pm, with rain threatening, we stop for lunch. Johnny and Bono appreciate having their packs off. We decide to stop early when reaching Dagger Falls at 5 pm and see Campsite #4 which has grass for the llamas. There's a sign saying horses have to stay on the trail but nothing about llamas, so I pay our camping fee and settle in. We are surrounded by other campers readying themselves for a 6 day raft trip on the Middle Fork. One woman said that she floats every year because it is so beautiful she has to come back! A rowdy group of guides show up- we hope they don't party all night. A couple from Utah brings us barbecued chicken. We must look hungry. Bob is so skinny he describes himself as a skeleton walking in clothes. No parties and we're asleep at 9 pm.

July 29: A Day Spent in Hammocks

Bob promised hot springs but it turns out they're privately owned, so we spend the afternoon in hammocks. I love the Middle Fork Trail- it's wide, deadfall has been cut and it's gentle, so gentle, my knee stops hurting. My only job this afternoon is to move Bono to more grass and to soak my knee in the cold Creek water.

The big debate of the day is whether a single hammock is more comfortable than a double. It is for one person but not for two- ha, ha. I didn't know Nina lent Bob a hammock so I bought a double for us at Backwoods. They are a wonderful place to nap.

Knees soaked, clothes washed, now we're off to fish. Or we were going to go together but Bob just told me "to get out of his face" when I suggested he get organized faster and quit dallying...we're just going fishing for 1/2 hour! Finally, he's ready and we bushwhack along Sulfur Creek to catch 3-4 inch fish. It joins the Middle Fork River in no time. It's a lovely.

July 30: A Nine-hour Thrash from Sulfur Creek to Trail Camp

Yesterday... "I love the Middle Fork Trail- it's wide, deadfall has been cut and it's gentle, so gentle, my knee stops hurting."

Our stroll down the Middle Fork Trail ends in disbelief and dismay after 2 1/2 miles this morning. When we reach our first trees across the trail, we rationalize that they fell after the trail crew left and that the next trees would be cut. We analyze the age of the saw marks- last year's?, surely they have worked the trail this year. We clear the downfall and our spirits bounce for the next three hundred yards, the llamas chomping on the trail side grass as we move along, white water rafters below on the River capturing the llamas' interest. The temperature is pleasant, there are no bugs, and there's the prospect of the hot springs at the end of the day. It is gorgeous! I love the Middle Fork Trail.

Ahead we, at first, see a luscious meadow and more green treats for our boys then a mass of dead trees broken and scattered like "pick-up sticks", the result of a micro-burst. Oh, this is just another problem that occurred after the trail crew left.

Bob's scout to find safe passage takes 45 minutes. I contemplate my naval while the llamas eat happily at trailside even as the day grows warmer and flys find their sensitive ears. There are gleeful yells of rafters going through Staghorn rapids below when Bob returns from his scout.

Now it's time for the fine art of navigating the maze of fallen trees, gently easing the llamas over logs, doing tight turns, tripping over dead branches, and breaking and sawing dead limbs. Bob chooses the route well. In another 1/2 hour we finally coax the llamas through the mess, and come to the stark realization that the trail crew never got this far, probably ran out of money now that fire season has started!

I despair. I worry about injury to llamas crossing so many high logs and re-injuring my knee on side hill detours. I want to turn back which, of course, Bob dismisses immediately, claiming that I am just being "my calamity character", visualizing too many disasters and giving up too easily.

Calamity has been a role I've played over the past 25 years of exploring. While I feel that I am just being realistic, I know that Bob is unmoved by my alarm and that we always go on. Over the years, most of the times he is right and he led us safely through many unexpected, seemingly insurmountable, obstacles. Our retreat through the Peters Icefall at the base of Denali to Wonder Lake was one of his great triumphs.

On this trail, however, I feel I am just being realistic. I know first hand the physical effort of cutting trees and branches and scouting detours, but I am resigned to continue and hope that it doesn't take an injury before he concedes defeat and retreat.

The Middle Fork of the Salmon River runs through beautiful cliffs of balsaltic lava rocks. Tall rock spires and steep slopes of quartzite boulders intersperse terrain of lovely river glades, pleasant tree covered benches, cascading side streams. The trail is carved into and across all of these water and geologic features. Without a cleared trail, all of these features are potential obstacles. By hour 7 into our 5 mile day, we are descending a steep boulder field to the Middle Fork, skirting around dramatic rock edifices with slide paths framing the kayakers and rafters gliding below, dousing themselves with water to deal with the late afternoon sun. Bob is able to lever a 20 inch log completely blocking the rocky path of sharp, uneven boulders that frame the trail and in another two hours we reach Trail Camp, too tired to get to know the party camping there, too tired to ask for a beer. Nine hours, five miles.

July 31: Retreat to a Deserved Hot Springs

Another lovely morning started out on the gentle scenic trail that follows the Middle Fork River. The enjoyment is a short-lived. In the next mile, a three hour tree removal and navigation ordeal is needed to clear the last downfall. After scouting and finding three more major tree blown downs in the next half of a mile, Bob finally agrees to turn back.

Retreat is always disappointing, though on this one we had the Trail Camp Hot Springs all to ourselves.

August 1 & 2: Retreat to Sulfur Creek and Boundary

We know the detours and the log cuts so retreating is always faster but emotionally and, with the logistics, it is always much harder. Joint planning efforts are not one of our strengths as a couple. Bob is a process guy who likes details, and I am a "get it done yesterday" person, who likes abbreviated messages, so fairly quickly, we start to argue. I want to take a break- skip the Middle Fork, the smoke from the Yellow Jacket fire whose smoke and flow may impact us, and what if there are more bad trails. Bob is already planning an alternate route. Not doing the Middle Fork is out of the question.

Andy Munter will meet us with truck and horse trailer, Aug 3, and then where?

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WILD TRAILS

Week 8: Back in the Sawtooth Wilderness

Weeks 5-7: Big Creek, the Big Horn Crags, and a Week of Rest in Llama Paradise

Week 4: Middle Fork of the Salmon River

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