More Sawtooth Scenes and More Cat Problems

 

With the threat of thunderstorms Saturday we took a drive south to check out some lakes in the area. Our first stop was Petit Lake, where we got a little rain under some really dark skies. We wanted to hike along the lake but decided to stop back by on our way home if the weather cleared.

Next we stopped at Alturas Lake. There were a lot of families on the beach but not too many people in the cold water.

We continued over 8,701’ Galena Summit to see what the road was like for driving with the Lazy Daze (not bad but we won’t hook up the car), and to find our Hemet, CA friends George and Tina, who are camping off Prairie Creek Road south of the pass. They have a nice spot along the creek, and our plan is to join them today. Unfortunately the smoke came back again Sunday as there is another fire near Stanley Lake, so the weekend wasn’t very pleasant around here for hiking. Too bad because there are many more trails we would like to check out.

We did get to hike along Petit Lake on our way back, starting at the Tin Cup Hiker Trailhead, and walking the mostly level trail for about 1.2 miles to the beginning of the wilderness at the end of the lake.

We started packing up yesterday morning due to the smoke, and then the air suddenly began to clear so we decided to spend one more night and go for one last hike at nearby Redfish Lake. We started from the same trail as the hike we did on the Alpine Way trail last week, but this time took a left to Bench Lakes. It’s a four mile gradual climb gaining around 1,200’. We’ve yet to have a really clear day here but the views were still nice.

Looking down over Redfish Lake.

Redfish Lake from much higher up.

Not much in the way of wildlife sightings. We accidently spilled a bunch of trail mix by the lake, so I’m sure some of these guys were having a feast after we left.

First Bench Lake, elevation 7,750’, our turn around point.

We are definitely moving on today. There is no signal of any kind at our next location, but we already have plans to meet up with fellow bloggers at a brewery in Ketchum tonight where we can get our fix of both beer and internet.

There is a big problem we need to come up with a solution for, and that is the cats. They had another incident last night while looking out the screen in the living room. Our neighbor’s German Shepherd escaped and was running around near our site. Neither of us saw exactly what happened but we suspect one of the cats got startled by the other and a fight ensued. Jim finally got Elvis back in the bedroom before they killed each other, and we had to keep them separated all night, which meant not much sleep for us due to the scratching and meowing at the bedroom door. I thought things were fine this morning when I decided to let them be back together while I got their food ready. All was well until Sophie finished first and then tried to put her head in Elvis’s bowl. He hissed, then they both hissed and started swatting, while I snatched up Elvis and threw him back in the bedroom.

I think they really need more space, and we are all going to lose our minds unless we find them a better home. Maybe they will become permanent residents of Idaho. Any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated.