[The Lead Dog]

Full trip report on Monday. Just wanted to say a huge thank you to all that went with me and enjoyed a beautiful place! Healing up with 2nd degree sunburn on my right leg. Glad I went. We made a great group! Planning another great trip in 2020. Have to take 2019 off from the mountains. Again. Thank you each and every one that came with me!

[The Lead Dog]

Brief trip report. If you do this trail and have plans to go up to Sapphire Lake the next day, hire horses. If we hadn't done so, we could not have made it to Sapphire Lake the next day. The trail is steep all the way from the car and exposed to the worst #$@damn sun and heat I have ever seen or felt. I went without shouts for 5 hours and came back with 2nd degree sunburn on my legs. Even after sunscreen. Sapphire Lake is Pretty, but people trashed the camp we stayed at. Limbs chopped off trees. Tampons in the Outlet stream. Toilet paper on top of the ground. Fishing line all over the shore. People were through our camp every day we were there. Not the place I looked forward going to all year long. Our group was the high point of the trip. Made it all tolerable. Pioneer Motel in Challis was clean and cool inside. The Stagecoach Motel in Salmon the same. One huge plug for a great Restaurant in Salmon. Walk by every place. Esp. Bertram's and eat at For The Love Of Food. Just a few doors down from Bertram's. Check out their Website to see the food they make! First class. Gnome, AlpineDil and Waterman have pictures they can post. You have been warned.

[Marshall_Dylan]

Challis has everything we needed for RR. It’s a very small town with not much to do. It was hot and dry. Town day pics.

The White Clouds is definitely a beautiful place.

[The Lead Dog]

Great pictures Dillon!!! Nice shots of the Toilet paper,Tampons and fish guts too! Freaking pigs.

[Chief Joseph]

Glad I knew better than to let y'all talk me into hiking in...would not have been fun!

[The Lead Dog]

If I would have know how steep/hot it would be. I would have tried to stop you!

[RichP]

I'm over in Idaho right now and the skies are certainly not that clear presently. One of these days I sure hope to visit this area. Nice pics AlpineDill.

[The Lead Dog]

Spend the $$$ and takes horses in. Get 2 or 3 other people with you to split the costs. I think that the trailhead is around 4000'? Sapphire Lake is at 10,000'. Sign says 7 Miles to Walker. Big fat lie! More like 8-9 Miles and the trail is uphill 85% of the time. 1/2 of that is in direct sunlight. And once you get there, good luck in finding a Campsite. Oh and the trail up to Sapphire. Totally exposed on a steep trail that gets sun as soon as the comes up. And it's another 3-4 miles up from Walker. Horses can only take you as far as Walker, but at least you will have the energy not having to walk the death march to Walker.

[the Zachster]

We were in Sun Valley/Sawtooths/White Clouds from 7/10-7/26 and I agree wholeheartedly...the heat and intensity of the sun was unbelievable! Such gorgeous country though! Glad you had blue skies and some pretty white clouds!

[The Lead Dog]

For sure! Never have I had the heat and sun than on that trail. Even in the Winds, at 13, 000 feet, the sun/heat wasn't as bad. Like I said, when we came out it was 107. Couldn't drink enough water. My feet are still too swollen to lace up my boots all the way and my legs are just now better. And I came home on Sunday the 29th of July.

[Waterman]

Nice place to visit well worth the effort. The name comes from a collection of limestone peaks. 5 of those reach over 11,000'. Lot of options for rambling cross country, with many smaller lakes close by. I was amazed by the amount of people who made it Sapphire lake, most of them passed through our camp which was located by the outlet stream between two lakes. A large majority thrashing the water in pursuit of very large fish. Those fish get alot of pressure. Bill is right about using horses for access. Although I would hike in with a daypack letting horses carry the gear. Between the high temps and the high altitude I was pretty worked over for the first couple of days. I live and work at sea level and we were just under 10,000' elevation at sapphire. After 3 days it wasn't so bad. We had a good group, met some great locals who had suggestions for future trips. Thanks for putting this together Bill.

[The Lead Dog]

Thank you for being a part of our group! Putting together another trip for 2020. God willing! Will be a good one! Maybe something a little closer.