Hi everyone. I've edited this to now include Glacier as a possibility, due to the fire near the Sawtooths. Again, I appreciate the comments and advice.
Hoping some of you Sawtooth vets with experience might be able to answer a few questions for me! Sent out a couple of pm's, but, haven't heard back from anyone yet, so, thought I'd try here.
Possible upcoming trip with my son, who lives in Missoula, to the Sawtooths this weekend, extending into the week until . . Tues, as he has to be back to work midday on Wed in Missoula.
Anyway, I was in Stanley last summer, eating breakfast at that gem of a place, and was memorized by those Patagonia-like mountains jutting up from the near horizon. Been wanting to get back ever since, and while our time is limited, this is an opportunity.
Questions are: With limited time, wondering if we should backpack in to somewhere, ie, Sawtooth lake, be up high, etc. or, car camp at a less popular spot, such as Alturas lake, maybe Stanley lake if we can get in, and do day hikes, etc? Would love to get some exercise on this trip, so the idea of scrambling some peaks, swimming in lakes, sounds fantastic. I'll be coming up from Portland, btw.
If we backpack, do a small loop or find a good spot from which to do dayhikes and scrambles from?
So, that's one of the big questions, whether to car camp, or backpack. Crowds? If we backpack, and say, head into somewhere on Sunday morning, will we be able to find a spot? How crowded is it right now? Read some magazine article recently that hyped it up, saying it was a place of "solitude," etc. I find that hard to believe, but, wish that it were so! Same with car camping; what's the best spot to find a place to pitch are tent, if we're pulling into the area from Missoula, roughly late Sat. afternoon?
I heard there is a music festival going on this weekend, so the area could be crowded, etc. If the whole area is packed, I certainly don't want to drive the 4-5 hrs. from Missoula and be skunked on car camping, or backpacking, and would therefore just do something closer to Missoula, and sadly, save the Sawtooths for another time. .
Thanks in advance to anyone with any insights, experience, and advice on this!
Cheers!