Exploring Central Idaho

On the 4th of July this year, my friend Ben @m3bassman and Venice and I had the opportunity to explore the area around Stanley Idaho.

We came into the area from Boise, up highway 21 to Stanley. Then explored along the southern boundary of the Frank Church River of No Return wilderness, a little north and west of Stanley.

Here are some photographs from that adventure.

Stanley (not much there actually):

IMG_3124 by mike digirat, on Flickr

IMG_3118 by mike digirat, on Flickr


IMG_3120 by mike digirat, on Flickr

IMG_3126 by mike digirat, on Flickr

IMG_3132 by mike digirat, on Flickr

 

IMG_3129 by mike digirat, on Flickr

IMG_3130 by mike digirat, on Flickr

IMG_3134 by mike digirat, on Flickr

IMG_3137 by mike digirat, on Flickr

IMG_3139 by mike digirat, on Flickr

 

The wildflowers were spectacular on this day, with the Sawtooth Mountains in the background.

IMG_3138x by mike digirat, on Flickr

IMG_3143 by mike digirat, on Flickr

IMG_3144 by mike digirat, on Flickr

IMG_3145 by mike digirat, on Flickr

 

Into the wilderness...

IMG_3147 by mike digirat, on Flickr

IMG_3149 by mike digirat, on Flickr

IMG_3151 by mike digirat, on Flickr

Oopps!!!! WTF happened here?

IMG_3152 by mike digirat, on Flickr

What we have here is a prime example of treading lightly. Notice how Venice is also enjoying this moment.

IMG_3153 by mike digirat, on Flickr

IMG_3154 by mike digirat, on Flickr

 

That was pretty slick Ben. How'd you do that?

IMG_3155 by mike digirat, on Flickr

IMG_3157 by mike digirat, on Flickr

 

After being blocked by a snow drift across the trail, we turned around a found a great campsite with a creek nearby.

IMG_3163 by mike digirat, on Flickr

IMG_3170 by mike digirat, on Flickr

IMG_3173 by mike digirat, on Flickr

IMG_3162 by mike digirat, on Flickr

 

Beautiful. Looks like you hit it at a perfect time for green and wildflowers.

All the trees were beetle or fire? (looks like fire, I think, since it's fir) Pretty sad to see all the beetle around the last few years - seems to have accelerated so quickly.

 

Pretty sure that is all a result of fires. In the wilderness areas like the Frank Church, they no longer fight wildfires except to protect property/building and there ain't much of that.

 

IMG_3175 by mike digirat, on Flickr

IMG_3177 by mike digirat, on Flickr

 

Letting fires go seems like totally the right call to me. That, or it takes a lot of pro-active forest management that just doesn't scale.

 

The next day we headed out of the wilderness and followed the pavement to Ketchum and then back to Boise.

Some views from the highway 75 south of Stanley, Idaho:

IMG_3178 by mike digirat, on Flickr

IMG_3180 by mike digirat, on Flickr

As always, there is so much more to explore out here that we had time for.

IMG_3185 by mike digirat, on Flickr

 

It looked like someone was getting the land ready to put a house on. Quite the view.

IMG_3192 by mike digirat, on Flickr

IMG_3193 by mike digirat, on Flickr

IMG_3194 by mike digirat, on Flickr

IMG_3195 by mike digirat, on Flickr

 

According to the signage, the origins of the Salmon river (the River of No Return) is in the valley below us. If nothing else, it was certainly a spectacular view.

IMG_3209 by mike digirat, on Flickr

IMG_3207 by mike digirat, on Flickr

IMG_3205 by mike digirat, on Flickr

IMG_3204 by mike digirat, on Flickr

 

IMG_3211 by mike digirat, on Flickr

IMG_3212 by mike digirat, on Flickr

IMG_3213 by mike digirat, on Flickr

IMG_3216 by mike digirat, on Flickr

 

nice thanks for sharing!

 

awesome pics, looks like a good time.

 

Thanks. I was a great time.

 

Thanks Ben.

 

Very nice. Glad you added these to this thread.