Stanley, ID
Saturday, October 3
Saturday began for us at Bonneville Campground in Lowman, Idaho. We had such a fun day yesterday soaking in the many hot springs of the area, and today we’re excited to continue our travels along Highway 21 toward Stanley, Idaho — a place Andi and I traveled in 2017 and absolutely fell in love with. This morning, we had about an hour’s drive to Stanley and were on the road by 9:00am.
In 2017, Andi and I flew to Idaho for our first backcountry hiking experience. Looking back, we made so many mistakes preparing for that trip, but it goes down in history as one of our favorite vacations. We had a blast hiking a difficult (to us, at least!) mountain pass, camping in the wilderness and experiencing a new state. Today, Andi and I are planning to go back the same place we traveled three years ago, this time with Tory and Aden in tow, and hike a portion of the same trail. Will it be easier now, or as difficult as we remember? We shall see!
First things first, breakfast — Andi had an idea to take Tory and Aden to a popular bakery in Stanley for donuts, but the line to get in was wrapped all the way around the building when we arrived. Instead, Andi decided to get donuts for the kids at the town grocery store, but they didn’t have any for sale. Bummer.
Instead, we pulled the RV into an empty parking lot and cooked our own breakfast. Andi whipped up some chocolate chip pancakes for the kids as a consolation prize. Once our bellies were full, Andi drove the RV to the Redfish Lake Lodge in Stanley. Andi and I stayed at the lodge during our hiking trip a few years earlier, and it was so beautiful there with views of the lake in the foreground and the Sawtooth Mountains in the distance. Except today, there was a marathon taking place at Redfish Lake Lodge and the area was packed with runners and spectators. Strike two on our plans today!
No worries. Andi drove our RV to the Tin Cup trailhead on Petit Lake so the four of us could go for a hike. It was special for Andi and I to reminisce about memories hiking this very trail a few years ago. Being a Saturday at Noon, the parking lot was busy but we were able to find a spot for the RV and hit the trail.
Confirmed! The Alice/Towaway Loop was just as challenging as Andi and I remembered. Almost immediately, the trail started to climb in elevation and all four of us were peeling off layers of clothing. Tory and Aden took off their shirts to keep cool, and complaints from the kids starting rolling in. “I’m hot! I’m tired! How much farther?” they both groaned in unison.
“I’ll make you a deal,” Andi told both kids. “If you want to come back to Stanley one day when you are older and hike the Alice/Toxaway Loop with friends, Mom and I will pay for your trip.” It really is an amazing trail full of adventure.
Our intention today wasn’t to hike the entire 21-mile loop. Andi and I simply wanted to experience the thrill again, even a small part of it. A mile into our hike, we decided to turn around and walk back toward the RV. On the way, Andi detoured to the shores of Lake Petit and took a swim to cool off in the icy water. It didn’t take long for Tory and Aden to join him.
After we made it back to the RV, we all realized we were starving so I put together a quick and easy “snack lunch” for everyone. Deli meat, cheese, bread, crackers, hummus, raw veggies, fruit and olives. Yum! It hit the spot. Then, we ventured off to find a campsite for the night. Fortunately, there’s a ton of free dispersed camping in the Stanley, Idaho area. We found a spot off Fourth of July Creek Road along the shores of the Salmon River & set up camp for the night.
We saw a group of guys fishing by the river bridge when we pulled in, so Andi decided to take the kids fishing that evening. The four of us walked about a half-mile to the bridge and found a spot to stand along the shore. A young boy about Tory’s age was fly fishing on the other side of the creek and told us he’d caught five fish that afternoon. Andi helped the kids take turns casting a line, but they didn’t have much success.
About a half-hour into fishing, an older man called to Andi from across the river and invited us over to fly fish with him. He was having a lot more success than we were! Aden was losing patience for fishing, however, so he and I decided to walk back to the RV to play while Andi and Tory continued fishing. Andi said Tory caught seven rainbow trout in the next hour of fishing, and Andi learned more about the Stanley area from the local.
After an afternoon of fishing, Tory and Aden worked to collect sticks from the woods for a campfire. Believe it or not, this was our first campfire of the trip! There’s currently a Level 2 fire ban in Colorado and Utah was too dang hot, so Idaho is our first opportunity. Aden wanted hot dogs for dinner cooked over the open fire, so Tory helped him roast some weiners while Andi grilled pork chops for the rest of us. We ate dinner while enjoying the calming sounds of the river running.
Tomorrow, we’re leaving Stanley and heading toward Craters of the Moon National Monument in southeastern Idaho.
