Good Beginner All-Day (or possibly Overnight) hiking trips in the Sawtooth Mountains

Good day everybody,

I introduced myself briefly in the Newbie's forum, and this seemed like the most obvious place to post next.

I would really love to get into backpacking but I don't really have the funds yet for the gear, so I will have to stick to shorter hikes for now. I camped at Grandjean just south of Stanley, Idaho in the Sawtooths and instantly fell in love with the area and found myself wanting to hike every peak I saw.

As far as hiking in that sort of terrain goes I am a beginner, though I am very comfortable out in the wilderness. I was curious if anyone on this forum knew of any good trails for me to start out on.

Gear-wise I've got some quality boots and a very dependable sleeping bag as well as a tent, and I am sure I could rig up some way to pack it all with me on a trail. Any suggestions on other things I may need to bring with me (aside from the obvious such as food and water) would also be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance for any advice or hints! I look forward to getting out on a trail and coming back with some great pictures so I can put together a Trip Report.

-Robert

There is a good loop out of Grandjean buts its three days I think. There is a good book (Older Print) by Margarete Fuller....Hiking the Sawtooths and White Clouds. Still very relevent.

There a few editions on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/091...SIN=091314049X

Many trails and routes there, written up in books and on the web. My best advice is to read up--you're in Boise? Boise has a fine public library, with many copies of area guidebooks. Or go to Idaho Mountain Touring or REI. Or even the BSU library, and look for the call numbers GV199. And pick up the Earthwalk Press map of the area. These books will get you started and have the general advice you might be looking for:

Fuller's book--agreed, this has lots of info, but it's a little dry compared to others, like Backpacking Idaho and especially Luther Linkhart's Sawtooth book, which is a pleasure to read. Lopez's book Idaho: A Climbing Guide is more for mountaineering but also notes unofficial trails that climbers and others use, for example to the Saddleback Lakes. Adventures in Idaho's Sawtooth Country is another take on the area, with some bike routes as well. Also, see this link for a pretty new book on the mountains just a little south of Stanley, which is quite good:

http://www.exploringsunvalley.com/front.html

Finally . . . you've consulted summitpost.com haven't you?

Good luck.

Thank you all for the great advice! I will be heading to the Library as soon as I get some time, and after checking out summitpost.org I think Observation Peak is going to be my first that I take on in the Sawtooths. Now I just need to get prepared and pick a good weekend!