An opportunity arose to spend some time exploring the Idaho mountains with my brother in law, so i jumped in the car and set off with grand plans to scout some areas i’d not been to before.
There are a good number of photography locations, some much harder to get to than others, but there are definitely issues to think about. The Sawtooth Mountains, for example, are beautiful. Two of the popular camping/base locations are Stanley or GrandJean – but these are at around 6,200ft and 5,400ft in elevation respectively. Ketchum is a popular location for those exploring the Sun Valley area, with the town at about 5,800ft. Hiking around these locations can easily mean additional elevation gains of 1,500ft or more….in some cases, a lot more. There are 57 peaks within the 678 sq mile Sawtooth Range with an elevation over 10,0000ft. So if you wish to explore on the 700+ miles of trails, searching out 300+ alpine lakes, then bear in mind that oxygen is thinner at that altitude so any physical activity will likely leave you short of breath much quicker, especially for those of us who practically live at sea level! If you are planning a trip then seriously consider a trip specific excercise regimen for several months leading up to your trip – on top of whatever you already do. The human body is a wonderful thing and it will adapt to the lack of oxygen….over time. Once there ensure you don’t overdo it and do keep hydrated.
Also be aware that it can get quite busy in the tourist locations, over 600,000 tourists estimated annually. With the elevations mentioned, the season is short with trails possibly having snow into July (i’ve been there in August and have seen patches of snow on certain peaks) so that short window really concentrates the visitors into a few months….meaning roads are busy, car parks can be full and accommodation difficult to find.
Our intended destination was the mountains heading up towards McCall, specificaly around Lake Cascade, to find some hidden gems off the usual tourist path. It was mid May, which is considered early in the year for trail access and as we drove towards the area we could see snow hanging around on the mountain tops. Undeterred, we drove on, knowing that we had options.
Unfortunately, the first location we headed for was blocked by snow – we’d departed our vehicle before we got into too much trouble and gone wandering up the track on foot only to see it getting progressively worse before we found a bank of snow that we simply weren’t getting through. As an avid backcountry explorer, when my brother in law says we should probably turn around, then that’s past the point that i would have already turned around! The next location was pretty much the same situation; at the third we found a gate across the track, with a sign indicating that the track would likely be open in 7-10 days. Finally, we found our way up a track to a quiet little pull off where we could unload and start our hike into the mountains.
As i mentioned earlier, the lack of oxygen makes a big difference! We had hiked a different area a couple of days earlier, just a short little 4 mile round trip with a fair elevation gain, to loosen the legs and get the blood pumping round the body and the lungs burning. For this hike we were carrying in camera equipment (obviously), plus camping gear for an overnight stay. Despite not having to go a great distance to get into the scenery, we started with what i consider a relatively hard climb. After the first half a mile or so we had alrady climbed over 800ft vertically. My legs were doing ok; my lungs were simply doing the best they could under the circumstances!
I was much happier once the ground levelled out and we found ourselves wandering through the trees along a track which was still quite snowy and had evidence of ATVs attemtping to navigate it….although after a short distance further down the track it clearly seemed they had given up and turned around. The snow was deep in places but mostly firm on top as we made it to a picturesque pond…or small lake (technically, i believe the area of water needs to be greater than 10 acres for it to be called a lake…and this probably wasn’t quite that size). My brother in law disappeared for a quick look around and soon came back, having found the perfect spot to set up camp. As quickly as he’d reappeared, he disappeared again, hopping through some undergrowth and across a pair of downed trees spanning a stream. Once i’d caught up with him the tent was almost up, so i set about gethering some firewood – it was going to be a chilly night and we also had food to cook.
We had taken more clothing than the weather forecast had suggested would be needed and before the sun had even set we were happy that we’d done that! I’ve built a few fires in my time so before long we had a rip roaring flame starting to throw out some much welcomed heat. With the fire going, i scouted around the edge of the lake looking for compositions. Ice on the water made for a great foreground interest, the sun was dropping and all was set for what i hoped would be a fabulous sunset. Within ten minutes all hope of a sunset had been extinguished as it was now completely socked in with clouds and snow was falling….the kind of snow that’s not picture postcard…no, the kind that is the sharp, jagged ice crystal type snow that feels like razor blades as it hits your face.
We consoled ourselves with a warm brew, some mashed potato (Idaho potatoes, of course) and some cubed venison, cooked on willow sticks over the open fire. Very tasty it all was too. With the temperature dropping still further and more snow falling (not in the weather forecast) we hunkered down for the night and i dreamt of a gorgeous sunrise awaiting me when i woke up.
When i woke up it was fresh…like, really fresh. A light dusting of snow on the ground and the lake had large areas of ice across the surface which had formed overnight as the temperatures had plunged below freezing. With the morning sun in a cloudless blue sky, I took a few shots of the patterns in the ice before we had a discussion of what our plans for the day would be. It didn’t take much discussion, to be fair.
There was a lovely diner….back in town….a few miles away…at a lower altitude…which would be much warmer….
So we packed up and headed out. And that it was it’s sometimes like when you go photographing landscapes. But i still loved every minute of it……except maybe that climb.
Lake Cascade Location Scouting Gallery
We hope you have enjoyed our little journey together – the story and the video; if so please head over and leave a comment on youtube – and a like and subscribe is always much appreciated!
Until next time…..