Summer in the Sawtooths

We went to the Sawtooth Mountains this week - us, Katie and our little camp trailer. It is always a treat to be there and we always see interesting things. This time Jim spottted what he thought was a leaf floating in the creek but it turned out to be the tail of a spawning chinook salmon. She was at least 18 inches long. Her tail had already lost color and she was obviously near the end of her life. It was a beautiful fish and we felt privileged to have seen it.

We hiked to 4th of July Lake and on to Washington Lake. It was a spectacular day - sunny, warm but not hot, and very few people on the trail. Late summer flowers bloomed in profusion - royal blue gentians, pale yellow and red columbines, white yarrow, creamy death camas - more than we could have hoped for at this time of year. Even the birds came through - a mountain bluebird, a downy woodpecker, a mountain chickadee and a nuthatch.

Elizabeth visited us some years ago and hiked to this lake with us. There were at least a million tadpoles along the water's edge. I wonder if she remembers it.

PS

And I forgot, we went to the Shoshone Ice Cave.

Grandchildren

Each of our son's six children has spent a week in Idaho with us. The youngest was here last week. We went rafting, horseback riding, to a ghost town, the ceramic shop, the waterpark, a gospel concert and the Sun Valley Ice Show. Whew! Good thing it's his last one.