Trip Report
I was in Ketchum for the premier of Summit Idaho, a new show featuring numerous friends of mine and myself on the show Outdoor Idaho.
After a great night watching the show, then having a few drinks with the cast and crew; it was off to bed to rest up for Parks Peak in the Sawtooths the next morning.
I picked Parks because I hadn't been in the Sawtooths yet this year and because the route up it was south facing. Several storms had dumped a lot of snow in the mountains, but I figured the Indian Summer would have melted out the south sides of the peaks. I was relying on this "guess" about the snow levels, as I knew the finish to the peak was quite steep and snow would make it dangerous.
As I drove to the Sawtooths, I did my typical worrying... Would there be snow on the route? Would my new boots cause blisters? The one thing I DID know was that the weather and scenery would be incredible.
Sure enough as I rounded a curve and saw Pettit Lake, I was looking at an incredible scene... a light fog was hovering over a perfectly still lake with the sun-lit Sawtooth peaks rising behind and reflecting into the lake. With my limited photography skills, I tried to capture it as well as I could, but I am sure I won't accurately relay how incredible the scene was!
I left the Tin Cup hiker trailhead with the temperature at 17 degrees and the sun still low. It remained quite cool for the next 4 miles through the canyon, until the trail finally climbed higher up the valley to catch the rays. Now in full sun, it was warm!
Instead of waiting until 8400' to leave the trail (as suggested by a guide book and summitpost), I thought it made more sense to leave at 8200'. In hindsight, it probably makes even more sense to leave the trail at around 8100', where the gully coming down from Parks Peak meets the trail.
My route from 8200' worked fine, just added a little mileage, as I had to backtrack to the east to get into the gully. The gully works its way to the base of the summit. As I got up the gully I could see the remaining route to the top. Thankfully I had guessed correctly that the snow had melted and I could relax a little knowing I wouldn't have to fight snow covered steep slopes.
Once at the top of the gully, directly in front of me was a rocky fin that looked too technical. I worked my way east (right) and up a bit and saw a line on my right skyline that looked like it would go. The rib for the last 100 feet is spicy, but the handholds are good and you can carefully pick your way up to keep exposure minimal.
Once on the summit ridge, the highest point is to the northeast, but a quick and easy walk.
The weather was perfect. The deep blue of autumn was in full affect. This peak has terrific views. Not only do you get the typical Sawtooth views, but you also get views of the lakes in the Sawtooth Valley, like Pettit and Yellowbelly.
The gully provide an easy return to the trail. Once back on the trail, it's a long walk back to Pettit Lake, but well worth it!
Glad I got in another great peak before winter set in!
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