An Evening at Sawtell Peak

It seemed as though we were stuck with days and days of gloomy, rainy weather. We finally got a little bit of a break one evening, so after dinner we drove to the top of Sawtell Peak near Island Park, Idaho, as we were camped in the plains just below it. Since there were still a few clouds on the horizon, it seemed like it could be a good evening to go see the setting sun. It did not disappoint. We twisted and turned our way along the gravel road to the top of Sawtell Peak at 9,884 feet. Being able to drive almost to the very peak, it is an easy way to see the surrounding landscape. Once we reached the top, the 360 degree views were stunning. Every direction we looked, the views seemed endless. The waters of Henrys Lake reflected the evening light against the dark backdrop of Black Mountain and Targee Peak to the north. The Island Park Reservoir with Moonshine Mountain anchored the view to the south. The valley of Henrys Fork was laid out to the east and Mount Jefferson and the rest of Centennial Mountains were to the west.

We took our time and watched the ever changing colors as they melded together to create the scene. We saw the blue of the sky, together with the various shades of green of the grassy alpine meadows and the pine forests, and the black and browns of the rocky slopes of the mountains, accented by the yellows and oranges of the impending sunset. The leftover clouds punctuated the late day sky. I thought the views from up top would be spectacular any time of day, but the sunset made it all the better, making us take more and more photos. Tom and Suki took the low road and photographed some splendid views of the valleys and mountains to the south. They even captured the winding roadway we drove up on. I climbed up on the rocky ledge to the north and watched the sun go lower in the sky from the highest part of the peak.

We sure were glad we wore our jackets, since it was cool and windy up there. The cold dampness was creeping in making it almost blustery, but not quite. There is an FAA Radar Station occupying most of the peak, but there is plenty of room to park, walk around, and enjoy the views. We encountered several switchbacks to make it up the side of the mountain. There isn’t any guardrail along the edge of the road, and there are a couple switchbacks that you could easily miss in the dark, and end up over the edge of the mountain. We left a little before official sunset, taking time to admire all the wildflowers that covered the hillsides on our trip down. Raindrops from earlier in the evening still clung to the blooms and leaves. We could sympathize with the bees, who didn’t seem like the cold wetness; they were hugging tight to the flowers, motionless, almost like they were frozen in time.

Even when the weather is crappy, there’s a chance it will clear up. I’m glad we ventured out as the views were much better than expected.

Today was just the opposite kind of day. It started out really nice and the late afternoon had the rain showers. The girls, especially Cassie, have not been feeling the best the last couple days. Not sure if it was something they ate, or what. Finally tonight they seem to be felling better, we will have to keep a watch on them.

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