I went on a backpacking trip around the Sawtooth Mountain Range a few weeks ago! Awesome from the car (better IRL than in crappy pics). This pic is not good, but awe-inspiring when it happened. The land around here for miles and miles is desert, keep in mind!
Started getting nervous on the route to our hike trail. A fire two years back created a barren wasteland here. Fun fact: I worried for miles about peeing in nature 'just in case somebody came down the road.' The forest rangers did just that immediately after I started marking my territory. Awkward waves with little eye contact ensued.
Next issue was snow. Deeper in the woods we found (no joke) about 19" of snow in June. I wanted to soldier on, given it was only about a mile to our destination. I gave up quickly. Like 100 yards quickly. Once snow got in my boot, I got out. The locals said that Fourth of July Lake is called that because you can't go there before the Fourth of July....
Half a day and numerous scouting missions later, we found the perfect spot! I love this pic. Wish I had a better camera for the capture. It was a few miles away from Redfish Lake, very near Maiden Head Falls. We didn't find the site until after night fell, and the exhaustion of backpacking made me irritable. Picture taken the next morning.
I named this stump by our tent, "Sauron, the Vanquisher of Bears and Big Cats, and Wolves, and Whatever Else Wanted to Eat Me." Good name, yeah?
A neat stream on the way to the falls. Waaaay too small to splash about in. My photoshoot goal of the day was to recreate the scene in 'Wild Things' where Denise Richards climbs out the water, but this one ended up with wet socks and a new fear of leeches.
This is the best shot of Maiden Head Falls i got. Sad story. The falls are literally around the cliff to the right, but much more courage than I have is required to get the shot. I went all the way there, and noped the fuck out at the goal line. My pal lost his glasses trying to lean 45 degrees over the cliff face. Once that happened, I was just done. Only had my phone camera anyhow...
