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25 images Created 27 Mar 2012

View favorite Idaho photos by Tom Dempsey: hike the Sawtooth Mountains, explore gold mining history in Custer and “Land of the Yankee Fork” State Park, and admire rainbows glowing in the mist of Mesa Falls.

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  • The peak of El Capitan (9901 feet or 3018 m elevation) reflects in Alice Lake Creek in Sawtooth Wilderness, Blaine County, Idaho, USA. Grass swirls in patterns in the water. The Sawtooth Range (part of the Rocky Mountains) are made of pink granite of the 50 million year old Sawtooth batholith. Sawtooth Wilderness, managed by the US Forest Service within Sawtooth National Recreation Area, has some of the best air quality in the lower 48 states (says the US EPA).
    07SAW-0468.jpg
  • Sawtooth Wilderness reflects in Stanley Lake at the boat dock. Sawtooth National Recreation Area, Idaho, USA. The Sawtooth Range (part of the Rocky Mountains) are made of pink granite of the 50 million year old Sawtooth batholith. Sawtooth Wilderness, managed by the US Forest Service within Sawtooth National Recreation Area, has some of the best air quality in the lower 48 states (says the US EPA), except when compromised by forest fires. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    20.10US1-1137-38-Pano.jpg
  • Baron Lakes, in Sawtooth Wilderness, Blaine County, Idaho, USA. Backpack or day hike 11.8 miles round trip to Baron Lakes viewpoint: From Redfish Lake Lodge (redfishlake.com) take the earliest boat in the morning to Redfish Lake Inlet Transfer Camp, riding about 10 minutes. Hike 3.2 miles then turn right at the fork and begin climbing. At 4.2 miles see Alpine Lake, then switchback past three smaller lakes. At 5.9 miles, see the breathtaking view of Baron Lakes (Upper, Baron, and Little) and jagged points along the ridge of Warbonnet Peak (10,210 feet elevation). Optionally descend past the Upper Lake to reach the shore of Baron Lake at 7.9 miles one way. The Sawtooth Range (part of the Rocky Mountains) are comprised of the pink granite of the 50 million year old Sawtooth batholith. Sawtooth Wilderness, managed by the US Forest Service within Sawtooth National Recreation Area, has some of the best air quality in the lower 48 states (says the US EPA).
    07SAW-0213.jpg
  • Hike with children in Sawtooth Wilderness Area, Idaho, USA. Sawtooth Wilderness, managed by the US Forest Service within Sawtooth National Recreation Area, has some of the best air quality in the lower 48 states (says the US EPA).
    07SAW-0050.jpg
  • Upper Mesa Falls plunges 114 feet over a 300 foot wide cliff face along Henrys Fork (also known as North Fork, a tributary of the Snake River) in Caribou-Targhee National Forest in southeastern Idaho, USA. Turn off Highway 47 on the Mesa Falls Scenic Byway about 15 miles north of the city of Ashton. On sunny days from about 9 am until 1 pm, the mist from powerful Upper Mesa Falls creates a beautiful rainbow. The falls flow over Mesa Falls Tuff, which formed 1.3 million years ago. A cycle of rhyolitic volcanism from the Henrys Fork caldera depositing a thick layer of rock and ash which compressed and hardened over time. Between 200,000 and 600,000 years ago, the river eroded a wide canyon which was subsequently partly filled with basalt lava flows. The Henrys Fork of the Snake River carved a channel through the basalt to create today's inner canyon.
    04ID-0040.jpg
  • Heyburn Mountain and other impressive peaks of the Sawtooth Wilderness reflect in Little Redfish Lake in Sawtooth National Recreation Area, Blaine County, Idaho, USA. The Sawtooth Range (part of the Rocky Mountains) are made of pink granite of the 50 million year old Sawtooth batholith. Sawtooth Wilderness, managed by the US Forest Service within Sawtooth National Recreation Area, has some of the best air quality in the lower 48 states (says the US EPA), except when compromised by forest fires. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    20.10US1-1202-1206-Pano.jpg
  • The peak of El Capitan (9901 feet or 3018 m elevation) reflects in Alice Lake Creek in Sawtooth Wilderness, Blaine County, Idaho, USA. The Sawtooth Range (part of the Rocky Mountains) are made of pink granite of the 50 million year old Sawtooth batholith. Sawtooth Wilderness, managed by the US Forest Service within Sawtooth National Recreation Area, has some of the best air quality in the lower 48 states (says the US EPA). Panorama stitched from 3 overlapping photos.
    07SAW-0448-50pan_El-Capitan.jpg
  • Yankee Fork Gold Dredge operated from 1940-1952 near near Custer Historic Site, in Idaho, USA. This floating gold dredge chewed a wide swath of stream gravel leaving rocky dredge tailings along 5.5 miles of the Yankee Fork, a tributary of the Salmon River, near Stanley, Idaho, USA. It recovered an estimated $1,037,322 in gold and silver at a cost of $1,076,100. Visit Land of the Yankee Fork State Park in Salmon-Challis National Forest near Stanley, Idaho.
    07SAW-0770.jpg
  • A ranch gate frames the Sawtooth Mountains near Stanley, Idaho, USA. The Sawtooth Range (part of the Rocky Mountains) are made of pink granite of the 50 million year old Sawtooth batholith.
    07SAW-1161.jpg
  • Rock pattern at Little Redfish Lake. Sawtooth National Recreation Area, Idaho, USA. The Sawtooth Range (part of the Rocky Mountains) are made of pink granite of the 50 million year old Sawtooth batholith. Sawtooth Wilderness, managed by the US Forest Service within Sawtooth National Recreation Area, has some of the best air quality in the lower 48 states (says the US EPA), except when compromised by forest fires.
    20.10US1-1286.jpg
  • The peak of El Capitan (9901 feet or 3018 m elevation) reflects in Alice Lake in Sawtooth Wilderness, Blaine County, Idaho, USA. On October 6-7, 2020, starting from Tin Cup Trailhead, I hiked the Alice-Toxaway Loop clockwise for 20 miles including an overnight stay at idyllic Twin Lakes. The first day to Twin Lakes was a moderate 7.4 miles with 2090 feet gain. The second day returned via Toxaway Lake and Farley Lake for 12.5 miles with 1260 feet up and 2940 feet down. For the most dramatic scenic build-up, I recommend backpacking 3 days counterclockwise staying at Toxaway Lake then Twin Lakes. (On a 2007 backpacking trip in August, we enjoyed staying 2 nights at Alice Lake and day-hiked to Toxaway.) The Sawtooth Range (part of the Rocky Mountains) are made of pink granite of the 50 million year old Sawtooth batholith. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    20.10US2-182-183-Pano.jpg
  • At sunrise, peaks of Sawtooth Wilderness reflect in Little Redfish Lake in Sawtooth National Recreation Area, Blaine County, Idaho, USA. The Sawtooth Range (part of the Rocky Mountains) are made of pink granite of the 50 million year old Sawtooth batholith. Sawtooth Wilderness, managed by the US Forest Service within Sawtooth National Recreation Area, has some of the best air quality in the lower 48 states (says the US EPA). Panorama stitched from 4 overlapping photos.
    07SAW-1115-18pan_Little-Redfish-Lake.jpg
  • Under Snowyside Peak lies a pretty silty green pond at 8779 feet elevation in Farley Lake Creek, high in Sawtooth Wilderness, in Blaine County, Idaho, USA. On October 6-7, 2020, starting from Tin Cup Trailhead, I hiked a clockwise loop 20 miles with an overnight stay at idyllic Twin Lakes. The first day to Twin Lakes was a moderate 7.4 miles with 2090 feet gain. The second day returned via Toxaway Lake and Farley Lake for 12.5 miles with 1260 feet up and 2940 feet down. For the most dramatic scenic build-up, I recommend backpacking 3 days counterclockwise staying at Toxaway Lake then Twin Lakes. (On a 2007 backpacking trip in August, we enjoyed staying 2 nights at Alice Lake and day-hiked to Toxaway.) The Sawtooth Range (part of the Rocky Mountains) are made of pink granite of the 50 million year old Sawtooth batholith. Sawtooth Wilderness, managed by the US Forest Service within Sawtooth National Recreation Area, has some of the best air quality in the lower 48 states (says the US EPA). This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    20.10US2-501-510-Pano.jpg
  • Valve wheels and meters. Yankee Fork Gold Dredge operated from 1940-1952 near near Custer Historic Site, in Idaho, USA. This floating gold dredge chewed a wide swath of stream gravel leaving rocky dredge tailings along 5.5 miles of the Yankee Fork, a tributary of the Salmon River, near Stanley, Idaho, USA. It recovered an estimated $1,037,322 in gold and silver at a cost of $1,076,100. Visit Land of the Yankee Fork State Park in Salmon-Challis National Forest near Stanley, Idaho.
    07SAW-0754.jpg
  • The peak of El Capitan (9901 feet or 3018 m elevation) reflects in Alice Lake in Sawtooth Wilderness, Blaine County, Idaho, USA. On October 6-7, 2020, starting from Tin Cup Trailhead, I hiked the Alice-Toxaway Loop clockwise for 20 miles including an overnight stay at idyllic Twin Lakes. The first day to Twin Lakes was a moderate 7.4 miles with 2090 feet gain. The second day returned via Toxaway Lake and Farley Lake for 12.5 miles with 1260 feet up and 2940 feet down. For the most dramatic scenic build-up, I recommend backpacking 3 days counterclockwise staying at Toxaway Lake then Twin Lakes. (On a 2007 backpacking trip in August, we enjoyed staying 2 nights at Alice Lake and day-hiked to Toxaway.) The Sawtooth Range (part of the Rocky Mountains) are made of pink granite of the 50 million year old Sawtooth batholith.
    20.10US2-204.jpg
  • A plunge bath tub and old wooden rocking chair sit in a bare room with peeling wallpaper in the former gold mining town of Custer which dates from 1879-1910. Custer Historic Site now preserves this ghost town near Stanley, Idaho, USA. The city of Custer was named after General George Armstrong Custer, who was killed in battle in 1876. Custer is now part of the Land of the Yankee Fork State Park and Challis National Forest Historic Area.
    07SAW-0777.jpg
  • Sunset turns clouds orange in a blue sky over Idaho, USA.
    04ID-0014.jpg
  • Sunrise light illuminates virga clouds over Pettit Lake, near Stanley, Idaho, in Sawtooth National Recreation Area, USA. The Sawtooth Range (part of the Rocky Mountains) are made of pink granite of the 50 million year old Sawtooth batholith. Sawtooth Wilderness, managed by the US Forest Service within Sawtooth National Recreation Area, has some of the best air quality in the lower 48 states (says the US EPA).
    07SAW-0314.jpg
  • The peak of El Capitan (9901 feet or 3018 m elevation) reflects in Alice Lake Creek in Sawtooth Wilderness, Blaine County, Idaho, USA. The Sawtooth Range (part of the Rocky Mountains) are made of pink granite of the 50 million year old Sawtooth batholith. Sawtooth Wilderness, managed by the US Forest Service within Sawtooth National Recreation Area, has some of the best air quality in the lower 48 states (says the US EPA).
    07SAW-0432.jpg
  • A ranch gate frames the Sawtooth Mountains near Stanley, Idaho, USA. A horse stands behind fencing. The Sawtooth Range (part of the Rocky Mountains) are made of pink granite of the 50 million year old Sawtooth batholith. Panorama stitched from 2 overlapping photos.
    07SAW-1156-57pan_Sawtooth-Mountains_...jpg
  • The peak of El Capitan (9901 feet or 3018 m elevation) reflects in Alice Lake in Sawtooth Wilderness, Blaine County, Idaho, USA. On October 6-7, 2020, starting from Tin Cup Trailhead, I hiked the Alice-Toxaway Loop clockwise for 20 miles including an overnight stay at idyllic Twin Lakes. The first day to Twin Lakes was a moderate 7.4 miles with 2090 feet gain. The second day returned via Toxaway Lake and Farley Lake for 12.5 miles with 1260 feet up and 2940 feet down. For the most dramatic scenic build-up, I recommend backpacking 3 days counterclockwise staying at Toxaway Lake then Twin Lakes. (On a 2007 backpacking trip in August, we enjoyed staying 2 nights at Alice Lake and day-hiked to Toxaway.) The Sawtooth Range (part of the Rocky Mountains) are made of pink granite of the 50 million year old Sawtooth batholith. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    20.10US2-212-13-Pano.jpg
  • The peak of El Capitan (9901 feet or 3018 m elevation) reflects in Alice Lake Creek in Sawtooth Wilderness, Blaine County, Idaho, USA. The Sawtooth Range (part of the Rocky Mountains) are made of pink granite of the 50 million year old Sawtooth batholith. Sawtooth Wilderness, managed by the US Forest Service within Sawtooth National Recreation Area, has some of the best air quality in the lower 48 states (says the US EPA). Panorama stitched from 2 overlapping photos.
    07SAW-0400-01pan_El-Capitan.jpg
  • Bridal Veil Falls on Stanley Lake Trail. Sawtooth National Recreation Area, Idaho, USA. Hike Stanley Lake Trail to Lady Face Falls & Bridal Veil Falls (9.1 miles round trip with 1000 feet gain to both). The main trail is wide and easy, but the side trip to each falls requires scrambling with steep exposure on slippery, loose rocks. The Sawtooth Range (part of the Rocky Mountains) are made of pink granite of the 50 million year old Sawtooth batholith. Sawtooth Wilderness, managed by the US Forest Service within Sawtooth National Recreation Area, has some of the best air quality in the lower 48 states (says the US EPA), except when compromised by forest fires. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    20.10US1-1182-85-Pano.jpg
  • Smoke obscures the peak of El Capitan (at left, 9901 feet or 3018 m elevation), seen from Alice Lake in Sawtooth Wilderness, Blaine County, Idaho, USA. On October 6-7, 2020, starting from Tin Cup Trailhead, I hiked the Alice-Toxaway Loop clockwise for 20 miles, with an overnight stay at idyllic Twin Lakes. The first day to Twin Lakes was a moderate 7.4 miles with 2090 feet gain. The second day returned via Toxaway Lake and Farley Lake for 12.5 miles with 1260 feet up and 2940 feet down. For the most dramatic scenic build-up, I recommend backpacking 3 days counterclockwise staying at Toxaway Lake then Twin Lakes. (On a 2007 backpacking trip in August, we enjoyed staying 2 nights at Alice Lake and day-hiked to Toxaway.) The Sawtooth Range (part of the Rocky Mountains) are made of pink granite of the 50 million year old Sawtooth batholith.
    20.10US2-556.jpg
  • A peak reflects in Twin Lakes at sunrise in Sawtooth Wilderness, Blaine County, Idaho, USA. in Sawtooth Wilderness, Blaine County, Idaho, USA. On October 6-7, 2020, starting from Tin Cup Trailhead, I hiked the Alice-Toxaway Loop clockwise for 20 miles including an overnight stay at idyllic Twin Lakes. The first day to Twin Lakes was a moderate 7.4 miles with 2090 feet gain. The second day returned via Toxaway Lake and Farley Lake for 12.5 miles with 1260 feet up and 2940 feet down. For the most dramatic scenic build-up, I recommend backpacking 3 days counterclockwise staying at Toxaway Lake then Twin Lakes. (On a 2007 backpacking trip in August, we enjoyed staying 2 nights at Alice Lake and day-hiked to Toxaway.) The Sawtooth Range (part of the Rocky Mountains) are made of pink granite of the 50 million year old Sawtooth batholith. This image was stitched from multiple overlapping photos.
    20.10US2-397-405-Pano.jpg
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