This blog post is a review of my favorite backpacking trip that we have taken so far. 

On August 29 of 2019, my dad and I flew into Boise, Idaho, with the feeling of excitement over the beginning of a new trip. We hurried to baggage claim, grabbed our packs and luggage, and headed out the doors of the airport. Our first stop was at the hotel to drop off our gear and luggage and then we made our way to downtown Boise to explore the restaurants and the college. 

The next day, we began the 3 hour drive from Boise to Stanley. Once we finally arrived in Stanley, we checked in at the Redfish Lake Lodge, dropped off our packs, and walked along the shore of Redfish Lake. Cell service is very limited at the lodge, which is not a complaint from me, however, we needed to make a few calls home, so we headed into town. We made a few calls, grabbed some snacks, and went back to our cabin. 

The following day, we began the backpacking portion of the trip. We drove to the trailhead and started hiking. Starting at Pettit Lake, we hiked 11 miles into the Sawtooth Wilderness. Stopping at Farley Lake for lunch and crossing our first ever mountain pass. On the other side of the pass, we were greeted with the sounds of pikas hiding in the rocks. Once we heard them, we began looking for them. We found a few and managed to shoot a few pictures of them before they jumped back to their hiding

places in between the rocks. After the pass, we hiked down to find a campsite near Imogene Lake. Day one was complete, and we made dinner and enjoyed the views of the sun setting over the lake at our first campsite. The views so far had been unlike anything we had ever seen. The landscape was full of peaks towering over us. There were lakes almost every 4 miles. And the views never stopped. 

Day 2 on the trail was spectacular. We went back up the same pass that we had gone over to find camp and continued the loop. We hiked about 6 miles from our previous camp to Toxaway Lake for lunch. We found a great spot to take a break and eat lunch with an amazing view of the lake. Then we continued on the trail another 5 miles to Alice Lake to set up camp. We found a campsite with another wonderful view and watched the sunset as we ate dinner. 

On our final day, we hiked 6 miles back to the trailhead. The final 6 miles of the trail were filled with views of the White Cloud Mountains and the sounds of the Pikas. Once we reached the tailhead, we packed the car back up and drove back to Boise. We found a nice restaurant and stayed in the same hotel as our first day. We flew out the next morning and returned home with lots of stories about our experience in the Sawtooth Mountain Range. 

If you are interested in seeing any of the other photos I took in Idaho, please check out my portfolio or my Instagram account (@aevittalphoto).