I’ve volunteered for the BACKPACKER Magazine CDT Mapping project as a team leader, and my first task is to meet my two team members at Monarch Lake. I figure it’s about 16 miles of hiking, but Sawtooth Mountain looks very tempting, and the trail is quite wiggly on the west side. The elevation profile ends up looking like this:
I just barely make it to Monarch Lake when I’m supposed to be there. Bob is just wandering up to meet me. Fortunately he’s already secured a campsite, because all I can manage is to stay upright and smile. Bob’s son Jeremy, my other teammate, pulls in after dark.
Beaver Reservoir to Monarch Lake Via Sawtooth Mountain at EveryTrail