Fall in Idaho’s Sawtooth Mountains

I left Hailey expecting a two hour drive to Stanley, but the Sawtooths had other plans. I kept stopping for mountain views, patches of brilliant fall aspens and photographs as the road climbed into the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. At Redfish Lake, I spent a windy evening along the shore photographing White crowned Sparrows and discovered something unexpected about how closely birds watch our eyes. As darkness approached, I found a quiet place in the National Forest overlooking the Salmon River and settled in for the night.