Last week, we took a trip to the Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho. We backpacked, camped for 7 days, and hiked a total of ~50 miles.

Our group of 11 had 5 adults and 6 teens. We ventured out to experience part of the world that so few people see in real life. This was no quick hike to a peak. To get to each camp site, we hiked from 6-10 miles, up and down 500-3000 ft in elevation every day. It was grueling for me. The teens were barely phased by the effort.

But during the whole hike, if you stopped and looked up from your feet, there was some kind of new beauty to behold.

But why go through this much effort when you can do a much shorter hike and get a pretty good view? Well, that’s a good question, and I’m still pondering how I feel about it.

Here are my first thoughts:

1) You can’t see the lakes, mountains, and rivers we saw unless you hike into the Sawtooths. If you want to see it, you’ve got to commit to a longer trip.

2) There’s something about preparing and then accomplishing this kind of challenge that ignites your inner fire. One day, we hiked up 3000 ft, climbing over downed trees, boulders, snowbanks… It was tough and awesome that we could finish it.

3) It was sooo pretty. Def worth it to sit and soak in the beauty.

My ankles still hurt. We’re still telling the stories and looking at all the pictures. We’re still basking in the awe. I was definitely inspired by the ancient terrain, but also by the gear technology that allowed us to be comfortable while we were out in the wilderness.

Ok, I love ya. Buh bye.

-Cozy Little Llama

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