Final Day of Mini-Vacation in the Sawtooths

Another (better) version of this picture from our day hike.

 After another great breakfast at Smiley Creek Lodge, we checked out and drove back toward Redfish Lake for some beach time.  We made one quick stop at the Sawtooth Fish Hatchery on our way, before heading to the lake.  How amazing are Salmon?!  Wow.

 After a little walk along the beach, we went back to the Jeep and suited up for some swimming and snorkeling.  We took some snacks and drinks, along with our snorkeling gear, down to a quiet little beach.  These photos were taken when we first arrived, before we got ready to swim.  When we returned, there were white caps and some chilly winds blowing, so we took our time getting in the cold water...but eventually we ventured in and took a little dip in that crystal clear -- seriously! -- super clean and refreshing water.  

Such an absolutely beautiful place!

 Can't say it enough - I love it here!

 Another lovely day!  We enjoyed several hours at Redfish Lake, soaking up the sunshine and fresh air, along with the remaining quiet time of our little getaway for two.  Mid-afternoon we wrapped up our trip by making some final purchases in the gift shop for the kids, Mom & Dad, and even found a nice hat for Gary and a pretty t-shirt on sale for me.  Little reminders of this rejuvenating trip together.

These photos and memories will provide my "happy place" during the non-vacation days and dreary winter  months ahead, and I'll look forward to the next time we can get back to this incredibly beautiful place....  

On a side note, the end of July will mark the 18th anniversary from when I moved out here to Idaho from my (also lovely) home state of Minnesota.  It's hard to believe it's been 18 years -- I sure do love Idaho and am so grateful God led me here to this amazing & adventurous place.

Relaxing Evening after Day Hike in the Sawtooths

 Maybe it's because we've both hit our 40's now, but after our 10 mile hike, we weren't as eager to go snorkeling, swimming, and kayaking as we imagined we might be.  So instead, we cooled our feet in the clear water of Redfish Lake, relaxed and enjoyed the view of the Sawtooth Mountains, and leisurely perused the gift shop outside the Lodge, looking for thank you gifts for Mom & Dad and also some little souvenirs for the kiddos.

Then we drove into Stanley and returned to our favorite, Sawtooth Luce's for some dinner.  We found a fine, furry friend on the patio.  This golden retriever was so sweet - Codgy is his name, and he belongs to our server, Abby.  Such a big friendly dog with such a puny little stuffed toy.  ☺  We enjoyed his company.

 We split a small pizza - pesto sauce, artichoke hearts, red onions, mushrooms, and Italian sausage.  Delicious!

 After dinner, we did a little bit of exploring along the river and saw some pretty wildflowers and more of the amazing scenery so abundant in this area.

Before driving back to our tepee, we stopped and treated ourselves to some dessert - huckleberry ice cream cones ~ yum!  A tasty way to wrap up a very full and extraordinary day in the mountains.  ♥

Day Hike to Hell Roaring Lake

The local tip we got from the guys working at Smiley Creek Lodge didn't disappoint.  We set out here at the trailhead for a five mile hike into Hell Roaring Lake.

 

The steepest parts of the trail were right at the start and toward the end of the trail, just before reaching the lake.  And these steeper climbs were nothing as strenuous as the hike we pursued a couple years ago.  This was a relatively level hike, a very gradual climb. 

 Shortly into the hike, the weather was already heating up and a quick head dunk in the river was too tempting to resist.

 This felt so refreshing...it was a hot day.

 We stopped about half way in for a light lunch/snack of summer sausage, cheese & crackers, apples, granola bars, and plenty of water.

 These maps show our route.

 We made it!  A fellow hiker took this photo for us.

 A little celebratory "hikers' champagne!"  Refreshing.

Gary waving from a rock in the water.

That's me, looking up at the "Finger of Fate."

 What a beautiful place and a gorgeous day!

Tried to brighten up our shadowed faces, but now we look a little orange.  Don't worry; we did wear sunscreen.  ☺

 We serendipitously stumbled upon this little pond just off the trail.  It had a lot of frogs and tadpoles in it, which made us miss Gordy and Grayson.  They would love it here!

Frog, calmly floating in the pond.

Almost back to the Jeep.  We were tired and ready for some refreshments.

We enjoyed cold iced tea and chilled blueberries from our cooler when we reached the Jeep. 

This is what my pedometer showed when we returned from our hike.

What a great day and a rewarding hike! 

Weekend Away For Two - Gary's 40th Birthday Trip

 As hard as I tried to be really creative in planning something extra special for Gary's 40th birthday, nothing I considered really surpassed the great memories we shared from two years ago, when we celebrated his 38th birthday in the Sawtooth Mountains.  So I basically planned the same trip and made reservations once again at Smiley Creek Lodge.  We left Sunday afternoon, July 1st, picked up some grocery items to take along with us, and enjoyed a beautiful drive in the Jeep up to Stanley, Idaho.  We are so grateful to my Mom & Dad for staying with our kids during our little mini-vacation!  The kids are in the best of care with Grammy & Papa, which meant we had no worries.

We stopped for dinner at one of our favorite restaurants in Stanley, Sawtooth Luce's.

Pastrami on rye and a Sawtooth cheese steak sandwich - As usual, we ordered two different items then shared them.

 The drive as always meant stunning scenery the entire trip, and especially as we round the corner into the Stanley basin.  That first real glimpse of the Sawtooth Mountains never disappoints.

 After dinner in Stanley, we drove to Redfish Lake, just to see if the music on the lawn was still going.

 The road to Redfish Lake Lodge, striped with evening shadows.  Heyburn Peak in the background.

 If I could look at these mountains every day of my life, I'd never grow tired of this view....

 We went to Stanley with no itinerary, so while at Redfish Lake we looked into kayak rentals.  One of the things we considered doing on Monday....

 We just missed the live music on the lawn of Redfish Lake Lodge, but there was still much to see. 

 

 After taking in the dynamic views of the Sawtooth Mountains with Redfish Lake in the foreground, we drove to Smiley Creek Lodge to check into our tepee.

Gary, Almonzo (the Jeep), and our teepee (the one on the right).

 When we checked in at Smiley Creek, we asked the guys working there if they had any good trail recommendations for a day hike.  They eagerly advised we try Decker Flat Road to the trailhead that leads to Hell Roaring Lake.  So we decided we'd get up and have breakfast at Smiley Creek Lodge, then go check out that trail tomorrow....  Possibly spend some time Monday evening at Redfish Lake, either kayaking, snorkeling & swimming, or just relaxing on the beach.

 This flock of sheep added to the serenity of our accommodations.

 We took several pictures of these sheep because Greta happens to be really interested in them lately.  ☺

Pretty flowers, right outside our tepee.

 We enjoyed our stay in the Smiley Creek tepees so much two years ago, I decided to book another couple nights here.  It's not really fair to say we were "roughing it."  They're pretty nice and cozy inside.

Queen bed with heated mattress, electricity, lamp, wooden flooring...and the unique experience of sleeping in a tepee.

A little toast...to Gary's 40 years.  ☺

I took these photos on the short walk back from the nearby shower/restroom building.

Woke up to this view after a great night's sleep.... 

We enjoyed a scrumptious breakfast in the Smiley Creek Lodge.  We split a Mexican omelette and eggs Benedict, both with hash browns and toast.  The coffee was delicious, and they even filled our travel mugs with hot coffee to go, as well as refreshing our Nalgene bottles with ample ice and water for our day hike.

Next we set off for our Monday adventure.  First up, our day hike to Hell Roaring Lake.  Five miles in on a relatively gradual climb with no rock scrambling like the strenuous hike we took two years ago.  ☺  Pictures and details of our hike coming up in my next post....