Hell Roaring Lake
Abby starting out on the Hell Roaring Lake Trail
This summer was not good for hiking. Fire season started early in July, earlier than ever before. The smoke was bad in Boise but whenever I checked the webcams up in the Sawtooths it was really bad. Unfortunately, this is probably the new normal. I didn't do any hiking in July or August this year.
In September the weather finally cooled, the winds shifted, and the smoke cleared. While Sandy was gone, teaching at Quiltworx University, it was the perfect time for Abby and me to do some hiking. When the forecast was for sunny weather and no smoke, it was time for us to go to the mountains.
We got an early start. We were on the road at 7:30 am and got to Hell Roaring Trail Head by 10:30. When we parked there was another party, two people and two dogs, just getting ready to leave. I asked if their dogs were ok with other dogs. The guy said they were fine. That was good because after riding for almost three hours Abby wanted out. Fortunately she just did sniffs with the other two dogs.
The other people and dogs started off while I was still getting ready. They were already out of sight by the time we started on the trail. It was just as well - we had the trail and the mountains all to ourselves. Abby, of course, was ready to go. I started off slowly going up the first hill, but Abby was away and raced far ahead up the trail.
Not so roaring once the slope leveled off
It was a beautiful day to be hiking in the Sawtooths. The trail started by climbing up a ridge but leveled off when it neared the crest. At first Hell Roaring Creek was far below us but soon it rose to our level. Abby of course wanted to get in the water so she was off the trail and wading in. For quite a while the trail was close to the creek and Abby was always in the water. Of course as soon as she came out she would brush up against me (soaking wet) and then shake herself off (all over me). I'm sure she did it on purpose. She's a regular canine comedian.
At the beginning of the hike Hell Roaring Creek lived up to its name as it tumbled down to the Salmon River. There wasn't much flow but in high water in spring it would be really impressive. It wasn't long though before we reached the top of the ridge and then entered a hanging valley. There the terrain leveled off and from then on the trail was pretty easy. There were no expansive views, but it was pleasant hiking through the woods. Much of the time the creek was nearby, now peaceful and slow moving.
At the Wilderness boundary
When we had parked the car the thermometer read in the thirties, but I started out with just a warm hat and long sleeve shirt and was fine. Before long I was comfortable hiking in just a tshirt. Then the warm hat and gloves came off too. The temperature was perfect for hiking. All the way to the lake we had the trail and the mountains to ourselves on a beautiful fall day. Whenever the trail came close to the creek Abby continued to take advantage and would be in the water. Sometimes it was clear, cold water. Sometimes it was just mud puddles. Whichever, she was always out of the water and next to me to shake off. Pretty soon I was wet and muddy too. It's one of the pleasures of having a lab for a hiking partner.
It was five miles and six hundred feet of elevation gain to the lake. I hiked at an easy pace and it took us two and a half hours. Just as it reaches the lake the trail crosses the outlet stream. There is a bridge of sorts, two logs side by side with the top of each log planed off to make a relatively flat surface about ten inches wide. The logs are at least five feet above the water so care is required when crossing. There are rocks in the stream and a fall could easily result in a broken leg. When we reached the outlet stream we suddenly came upon a traffic jam. The two people and two dogs we had seen at the trail head were just crossing, the people on the logs and the dogs just going through the stream. There was another person on the other side, with another dog, who was playing with the other two. It was a regular people/dog convention. Abby plunged right in and soon all four dogs were running around and shaking off and sniffing each other. I waited patiently untill all the people and dogs were well clear of the stream before crossing. On the other side, I found a big rock near the lake and sat down to enjoy the view.
Classic view from Hell Roaring Lake - but no Arrowhead!
The people (and dogs) we had followed kept going up the trail. They were probably planning to camp at Imogene Lake, which is another four miles beyond Hell Roaring Lake. The other guy and dog disappeared too. I could see a tent off through the trees. It was probably his campsite and that's probaby where he had gone. I was just happy to have some wilderness solitude again while I admired the scenery.
I have been to Hell Roaring Lake many times over the years so the view was familiar. The backdrop to the lake is the crest of the central portion of the Sawtooths, from Sevy Peak in the south to Cramer Peak (the second highest mountain in the Sawtooths) to Decker Peak in the north. Many years ago I had backpacked around Hell Roaring Lake and camped at a high, off trail lake with my old climbing partner Brian. Together we had done quite a few Sawtooth summits and on that trip we ascended Decker Peak, which is the third highest mountain in the Sawtooths. Cramer Peak has always been on my list too but somehow I never got around to climbing it.
Abby emerges from her hundreth dip in the creek
Although the Sawtooth crest is impressive, the most prominent feature from the lake is the Finger of Fate, a huge rock tower about a thousand feet high. Reaching its summit is a technical climb, nine pitches rated 5.7 by it's easiest route. Another prominent feature is the Arrowhead, a rock outcropping about 75 feet high that sits along the Sawtooth crest and looks...wait for it...just like an arrowhead. I couldn't pick it out this time although I thought it was visible from the lake. I figured I must have been mistaken and that is was visible from some other viewpoint.
But I wasn't mistaken. I learned afterwards that on March 31, 2020 there was an earthquake with an epicenter near the Sawtooths. In the earthquake, the Arrowhead collapsed. The summit block of the Finger of Fate also fell off. It's now about twenty feet shorter. There is a detailed description of the changes to the Finger on the website for the Idaho Climbing Guide. It's a reminder that although the mountains seem permanent, they really aren't.
Home stretch and Abby is anxious to get to the car
Abby didn't care about the collapse of iconic Sawtooth rock formations, or admiring the view. All she cared about was the baggie full of dog cookies that I had brought along. She is obnoxious enough anytime that she is climbing on you trying to get food. It's even worse when she has just climbed out of a cold mountain stream and is soaking wet. I could have stayed at the lake for quite a while but Abby didn't understand when the food was gone. I decided that it might be better to get moving again.
The hike back to the car was pleasant. At one point there was a squirrel on a log near the trail. Abby took off after it and chased it up a tree. Once it was on a branch about ten feet off the ground, it turned and started chattering at Abby, telling her what it thought of being chased. Abby jumped all around the tree, barking at the squirrel, giving it a piece of her mind. It was pretty funny.
Abby eating weeds - she'll be sorry
When we reached the trail head Abby was quick to climb in the car. I had a cooler with a cold Diet Pepsi waiting, which tasted pretty good. It capped off a good hike. The only bad thing was that I think I set my trekking pole down when we reached the car and forgot to put it away. That was a bummer. I bought that pole in Namche Bazaar on my last trip to Nepal in 2017 and I really liked it. Oh well. Once again, nothing is permanent.
After the hike Abby and I were both hungry. We stopped at Papa Brunees in Stanley since they have a patio that is dog friendly. We split a small cheese pizza before making the drive home. Not a bad day for the first day of fall.
POSTSCRIPT: Whenever we go on hikes Abby is always eating grass. I try to stop her but when she wanders off on her own it's impossible. Usually the worst thing that happens is that the next day she throws up a wad of grass. This time she got pretty sick. It took several days but eventually she threw up a huge plug of weed stalks. She had diarrhea for a few days and even had her first ever accident in the house. We ended up taking her to the vet. Fortunately after some antibiotics, stomach medicine, probiotics and a few days rest she was back to herself again. After that episode though, her hiking days may be over for this year.
