Sawtooth Mountain Range: A view of a portion of the Sawtooth Valley and the Sawtooth Mountain Range are seen from the Bethine and Frank Church Overlook Viewpoint where visitors get their first panoramic view of the Sawtooth Mountains and the Sawtooth Valley. The overlook is located near the Galena Summit on the Sawtooth Scenic Byway. The headwaters of the Salmon River are near this viewpoint but it is a small stream. The river increases in size by the time it reaches Stanley, Idaho, just a few miles farther north. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Ranch and Boulder Mountains: While driving the Sawtooth Scenic Byway we passed many ranches. These beautiful ranches are in the valley between mountain ranges where some crops are grown but many head of cattle are raised. The Boulder Mountains are seen in the background. What a view from the pastures! Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos
Deep in the heart of Idaho lies some of the most pristine landscape that you will find anywhere in the country. More than 750,000 acres make up the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, which includes four mountain ranges, grassy valleys, hundreds of mountain lakes, many rivers including the headwaters of the Salmon River, wildlife, and unlimited recreational opportunities. The list could go on and on.
This Post From the Road will feature the Sawtooth Mountain Range and scenes from the Sawtooth Scenic Byway, which takes visitors through the valley as they approach the Sawtooth Mountains.
Stanley, Idaho is known is the “Gateway to the Sawtooth Wilderness” and sits in the Sawtooth Valley at the base of the Sawtooth Mountains. The Salmon River winds its way through the valley and the mountains can be seen from almost everywhere. Tourism and outdoor recreation activities draw thousands of visitors to the small village every year.
In addition to tourism and outdoor recreation, another source of income is farming and ranches. There are many cattle and horse ranches scattered through the valley.
The permanent population of this area is small because of the cold and snowy winters but the area is bustling with activities during the summer months.
What makes the Sawtooth Mountains special? The majestic peaks of which there are 77 peaks in the Sawtooth Range that are more than 10,000 feet in elevation. The 77 jagged granite peaks all fall between 10,000 and 10,751. That is a tremendous number of peaks grouped together in one range that are all essentially the same height when viewed from a distance. As you view the range it is clear how the mountains earned the name Sawtooth Mountains. because the peaks look like teeth on a saw.
While peaks of 10,000 feet may not seem impressive, the valley floor is about 5,000-6,000 feet in elevation so the peaks rise four to five thousand feet. Another factor is the granite peaks are all above tree line in this part of the country making the peaks more majestic.
Recreational activities make this area a destination at all times of the year. Summer activities include hiking, back packing, numerous campgrounds, horseback riding, mountain and trail biking, boating including kayaking and canoeing, and hunting. These are just a few reasons people flock to the Sawtooth Mountains. Of course, winter brings another list of activities based on the outdoors and the snowfall which accumulates every winter.
Nearby towns of Ketchum, Idaho and Sun Valley, Idaho are the larger towns which can accommodate the thousands of visitors. These towns sit in the valley just south of the Sawtooth Mountains. Offices from the Sawtooth National Recreation Area are based in Ketchum.
This was our first time to visit this area and it truly is the heart of Idaho. We would like to return and spend an extended time in the area to try and see and experience as much of this pristine wilderness as possible. The few days that we camped and toured in the area was not enough to scratch the surface of what is available and possible in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area.
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country, and he shares his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
Salmon River and Stanley: The small trickle which were the headwaters of the Salmon River a few miles south now flow as a nice wide river as it passes through Stanley, Id. The small town hosts thousands of visitors every year who come to enjoy this beautiful country. The Sawtooth Mountains serve as a majestic backdrop for the town from many angles. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Pasture Land: Fences constructed from tree timbers line a section of pasture land in an area just to the west of Stanley, Idaho. The Sawtooth Mountains make another perfect backdrop. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Alturas Lake: There are six major lakes and hundreds of smaller lakes within the Sawtooth Mountains. The crystal clear waters can be seen in the foreground near the lake’s shore before the lake becomes too deep to see the bottom. There was a group canoeing on the lake the day we visited the area. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
