Outdoor Idaho - Never Say Quit II

Margaret Fuller's Favorite Hikes

Easy:
Fourth of July Lake in the White Clouds
Farley Lake in the Sawtooths
Halverson Lakes near Celebration Park south of Melba
Little City of Rocks near Gooding
Golden Trout Lake in the Bighorn Crags
Heavens Gate Lookout in the Seven Devils
Lost Lake and Sleeping Deer Lookout in the Frank Church Wilderness

Moderate:
Born and Phyllis Lakes in the White Clouds
Cathedral Lake in the Bighorn Crags
Merriam Lake in the Lost River Range
Washington Peak from Washington Basin in the White Clouds
Stroud Lake in the Lemhis
Bear Creek Lake in the Lost River Range

Strenuous:
Baron Lakes in the Sawtooths
Ship Island Lake in the Bighorn Crags
Bear Valley Lakes in the Lemhis
Sheep Lake in the Seven Devils
Shadow Lakes in the Lost River Range
Crimson Lake in the Frank Church Wilderness
Webber Lakes in the Beaverhead Mountains

Cross-country:
Upper Redfish, Saddleback, and Goat Lakes in the Sawtooths
Big Boulder, Castle, and Second Washington lakes in the White Clouds

Favorite "Idaho freeways" (rough and rocky access roads suitable only for high-wheelbase and four-wheel drive vehicles:
Sleeping Deer Road in the Frank Church Wilderness
Washington Basin (jeep trail) in the White Clouds
Black Lake Road in the Seven Devils
road to Crags Campground in the Bighorn Crags in the Frank Church Wilderness

Margaret Fuller's Tips For Successful Hikes:

1. Be sure to figure the elevation gain in a hike ahead of time. If you don't, you companions may complain as one man's family did that the miles you tell them are "Fuller miles" and not accurate!

2. Choose hikes to fit your companions' interests and abilities. Consider their age, physical fitness, sense of balance, fear of heights, tendency to car sickness, fear of bad roads and desire to catch fish or photograph mountains with cliffs.

3. Children aren't into scenery. They need snacks, stories, fishing poles, small toys, warm clothes, sandy streams or lakes to wade or mini-mountains to climb, and SHORT distances. With young children, having your gear spot packed in to a base camp works much better than backpacking. Our granddaughter, Sierra, then three, walked all the way to Born Lakes and back when we had our gear carried in by llamas.

4. Even on day hikes always take rain gear (pants and jacket or poncho) AND warm clothes, including at least a fleece jacket, insulated vest, long underwear, wool hat and gloves. A sunny morning can turn into a thunderstorm with hail as cold as snow by mid-afternoon.

5. Make sure your car is in good condition and can handle the access road you plan to drive. Drive slowly (10 or 15 miles an hour on rough roads) to avoid flat tires and damage to your car.

6. When backpacking, too much weight can make the trip an ordeal rather than a delight. Very fit young adults can carry more weight without problems and without reducing their enjoyment, but most people can't. Try to travel as light as possible but still have everything you need.

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