No Admission Fee: The Beauty of Public Lands and Free Museums By Megan Nelson During my time at the Stanley Museum, I have noticed visitors always ask the same questions when they first walk through the door. The questions range from mundane to inquisitive, but perhaps the most common question asked is “do we have […]
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Light Bulb Moment
“History is an unending dialogue between the present and the past.” -E.H. Carr The subject of history has a reputation as dusty as the objects studied by historians. Regurgitating names and dates and events conjure up fond memories of afternoon naps taken on the hard top of a high school desk for multitudes. I’m a […]
How the Peaks Got Their Names
The name of the mountain range that runs through this region is fairly self-explanatory; the jagged peaks resemble the sharp, crooked teeth of a saw blade. The Sawtooth Mountains run 43 miles long and 25 miles wide, covering 678 square miles. Within this range, there are 57 peaks that are over 10,000 feet high, and […]
An Evening Excursion
These long days provide for longer adventures. After a day of work, there are still plenty of hours of daylight left. The Sawtooths offer endless peaks, valleys, lakes, and streams for exploring. As the snow slowly recedes with the warmer weather hikes to higher elevations are slowly opening up. I am eager and impatient to […]
Flying Balloons
It’s almost a right of passing, at least in my neighborhood growing up. You go to a restaurant with your family, the restaurant hands out balloons to any kids who ask for it. That kid gets the balloon and almost immediately after leaving the door the balloon magically slips out of their hand and floats […]
Early Summer Fun!
Summer is arriving in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area! Days are getting warmer and the lakes are beginning to look inviting for swimming. It’s easy to forget that snow can still be found at higher elevations, and that trails may not be clear for hiking. Adventure abounds regardless, and there are plenty of opportunities for early-season […]
Digging Up History in the Sawtooth N.R.A.
When I took the job at the Stanley Museum, I never expected that I would be using my geology knowledge as much as I have this summer. I expected to enlighten folks with information regarding the mining in the Stanley Basin and up the Yankee Fork, but little did I know that I would use […]
A Child’s Wonder
We are on an adventure. Mom says our adventure today will take us to Lady Face Falls. We finally pull into a parking lot and I can see where we will start our journey. But first, sunscreen and bug spray. Mom pulls my tight curls into a pony tail and pulls it through a ball […]
Through the Eyes of a Red Fox
Poking my head out of my hiding place, I look around at the gradually darkening world. This is just the way I like it. Everything starts getting quiet around this time. The animals awake during the bright light start moving towards their own dens and make way for me to come out. The cold powder […]
Fire Ecology: How Does Fire Benefit Our Forest?
While growing up in Western New York there was no such thing as “fire season” and wildfires were far from anyone’s minds. After moving to the west I quickly learned that fire season is a very real thing and wildfires will always be a part of life here. While living here in Idaho it’s been […]
Grateful in the Sawtooth’s
On a calm morning, near the edge of a high alpine lake in the Sawtooth wilderness, I have found a sense of freedom and awe at the happenings around me. It is inspiring to watch the many plants and animals gathering their breakfast and starting their day, as am I. I can’t help but feel […]
A National Park Discussion
It has been quite the experience living in Stanley, Idaho this summer. Stanley’s Sawtooth National Park is a beautiful and hidden gem inside the Gem State! The park has three separate entrances. One from Highway 21 and the two other entrances are on Highway 75. When visitors arrive to the park, they are treated with spectacular […]
Climbing in the Sawtooth Range: A Historical Perspective
The wild, glaciated, granite wonderland of the Sawtooth batholith soars above Stanley. Waking up each morning and going to bed each night under a sky soaked in oranges, pinks, and purples, the mountains have become my constant companions and my favorite playground. I’ve delighted in the bone chilling bliss of alpine lakes and the instantly […]
Solitude In The Sawtooth’s
Its 4:45 pm and I find myself half walking, half running through the crowds of people at Redfish Lodge in an effort to catch the 5 o’clock shuttle across the lake. I make it just in time to hop on the boat with a few other hikers. We exchange a few words about our plans […]
Dawn at Redfish
Mist crossing Redfish Lake, grebe and merganser skating across the water, bird’s chorus, and the glass reflection of a calm lake. This is what greets you at dawn at Redfish and inspires not only my love of birds, but of photography. No two days are the same; each brings another way to capture the beauty […]
Where’s the Fun in Love at First Sight?
Our van whined in the December twilight as it struggled to carry eight riders and a month’s worth of supplies on the road that wound its way up Galena Summit. It was a moment full of anticipation: I was anxious to see the Sawtooth Valley hidden on the other side. My father called it […]