No guitars

[Spudman]

I've been completely away from guitars for over a week now and am anxious to play again. The Spud family just returned from a week in the Idaho wilderness. We had a great time and I even managed to lose 5 pounds just by climbing and hiking every day...and eating lean.

Here are a few pictures from the trip.

This is Hell Roaring Lake which is where we made camp the first day. It was an easy warm up for Little Spud. The narrow point on the right is The Finger Of Fate. It's a technical climb.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/hiking/IMGP0960.jpg

Day 2 we camped at Imogene Lake which is pictured here in the distance. We then hiked up the mountain and the girls played at a hidden lake on the bench while I climbed a peak above the hidden lake.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/hiking/IMGP1063.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/hiking/IMGP1020.jpg

We left Imogene the next morning and camped the rest of the week at the middle lake pictured here. It was 15 minutes from Imogene and vacant of campers. We decided to leave Imogene because when we got back from the bench lake people had moved into our camp area and were extremely noisy. I guess they didn't understand what the 'wilderness' was all about. So we had blissful peace and quiet the rest of the week except for the nightly visits from the resident mountain goat.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/hiking/IMGP1216.jpg

The following day I bagged the peak seen here on the far left. Below is the unnamed hidden lake. It was a beautiful oasis with very tasty water and a warm rock to bathe on.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/hiking/IMGP1033.jpg

The route I took was just above the snow patch then into the left part of the dark rocks in the center of the photo. For reference the snow patch is about 20x40 feet. It looks small, huh?

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/hiking/IMGP1286.jpg

Here is the peak seen from back down the valley.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/hiking/IMGP1334.jpg

Alas, the Dragon showed up and ended the high altitude exploring. So we played cards in the tent and hiked back out the following morning and drove home. That's when I stepped on the scale and realized the weight loss. Now it's back to guitar playing and Cheetos...after the Willie Nelson concert this weekend that is.

The Dragon is what my first climbing partner referred to as the heavy, weather laden clouds that always showed up to test your mettle on every climbing trip. This is the snow that was left behind this morning by the Dragon. The Dragon also graced us with some very intense wind, lightning and thunder too.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/hiking/IMGP1328.jpg

[sunvalleylaw]

Ain't our backyard great?! BTW, I was told recently that backpacking is what mandolins are for. Sounds like a good excuse to get one!

[otaypanky]

Are there fish in those lakes Spud?

[sunvalleylaw]

Yup. Most of of the lakes have some nice trout and some good fly fishing if you are so inclined. Many of the lakes, you can look right down at the darned fish.

[Spudman]

BTW, I was told recently that backpacking is what mandolins are for. Sounds like a good excuse to get one!

God no! My pack was 65 pounds. I don't want to carry anything else...and no I'm not getting a llama or a goat.


Are there fish in those lakes Spud?

Oh ya baby there are! You don't even need a fly rod. I use a short collapsible spin casting rod with a fly on the end of a tapered leader and a small bobber. Usually have a fish on the first cast just like this week. First two casts netted two fine rainbow trout.

[Brian Krashpad]

Florida boy does not like heights.

Be careful out there.

[Retro Hound]

Oh man, that's beautiful.

[Tone2TheBone]

Oooooo this reminds me of Mammoth Lakes area in the Sierras. Great photos and a beautiful place I really wish I was there right now.

[marnold]

I was just out your way, visiting my brother-in-law in Utah. Went through Minnesota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming, a tiny corner of Idaho, and Utah. I had never seen real mountains before. Very impressive, although a serious pain to drive through if you are not used to it.

[Eric]

A couple of those shots remind me of some backpacking I've done in the white mountains of NH and up in Maine. I think the lakes you camped at were a bit nicer, however.

Very pretty stuff. I love mountain vacations.

[Spudman]

Oooooo this reminds me of Mammoth Lakes area in the Sierras. Great photos and a beautiful place I really wish I was there right now.

And the fishing is like taking candy from a baby. They are really hungry and strike just about everything.:dude

[Tig]

OK, its Official now... I hate you! :punch:
:D (just kiddin')

Wow, that was some week! Your family will remember it for the rest of their lives, no matter how many other cool trips they make. You guys are very lucky to have all that so close.

It is too hot here to camp between May and mid September. My Dad took me camping all over Colorado when I was about 12. What an incredible time it was!

[Spudman]

Here are a couple shots taken from the top of the second peak I climbed looking northwest into the Sawtooth Wilderness.

This first one you can see the fire burning north of Stanley Idaho to the north.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/hiking/IMGP1302.jpg

This shot is just to the south of the previous photo. You are looking at the headwaters of the Payette River and North Fork of the Boise river. These two photos could be stitched together to get a panorama of the area.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/hiking/IMGP1300.jpg

This looks like smoke but it was the clouds the morning after the snow as we hiked out.

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/hiking/IMGP1329.jpg

http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w149/srspud/hiking/IMGP1330.jpg