A Baker's Dozen (& R-rated Content)

 Several people suggested hiking to Baker Lake and the 4 mile round trip was just right for us.  This area was burned in the Beaver Creek fire last summer, which burned 100,000 acres.  The devastation was very apparent, and the trail to Baker's Lake just opened this month, so we felt lucky to get to  hike in.

Some of the fire was intense and in other areas the fire skipped around.  The regeneration and wildflowers portend the the long term recovery of the area.

These burned Lodgepole pines, Doug Fir and Hemlock frame the wildflowers that form a carpet under their canopy.

The burned trees were like ebony alligators and almost an art form.

These Mariposa Lilies were just one of the many wildflowers that were profusely blooming in the forest.  We don't know most of the names of the flowers, but there are many varieties blooming, hence the reference to"baker's dozen."

We do know these Columbines...

and these blue penstemon.

Baker Lake was cold but not icy, and I could not resist wading in.

Ben, however, went Full Monty and dove right in.  I shed my clothes and joined him. The water was amazing!  We were rather daring, but there was no one to offend.

John and Lisa, meanwhile hiked on, oblivious to us treading water in the lake.  John circumnavigated the lake and climbed through some snow patches.  He made a few snow balls and hurled them towards the lake.  

The Forest Service has done a great job of restoring the trail and built this new bridge near the trailhead.

We got back to the condo in time for the kick-off for the final World Cup game.  Ben and I were rooting for Germany, and John and Lisa were pulling for Argentina.  The final win by Germany brought Facebook messages from friends in Germany.  Though it was after midnight there, people were celebrating like crazy.

What an amazing world - early in the day we are hiking in a remote area, far from cell service, and hours later we are in touch with our kids watching the game in various places around the country, and we can ultimately share the victory with friends in countries and time zones far, far from here.

Another day in Idaho....

The Art of Vacation

This weekend Sun Valley is hosting a 3 day Arts Festival and the big grassy field is full of neatly arranged white tents manned by artists and filled with arts ranging from hand-made furniture, to sculpture, textile art and paintings.  John was grousing that Lisa had put him on "art restriction" because of his propensity to buy art both in Costa Rica and while traveling.  

I was really taken by a textile artist whose "quilts" more closely resemble fine modern paintings.  This is because she actually paints and dyes the the fabrics before assembling her abstract designs.  But my heart was stolen by the watercolors of Kim Howard.  Kim is a children's book illustrator and her booth had both her paintings and books.  I was drawn to a small painting in her "Pairings" series, in which she paints bird mates.  Kim is holding the humming birds painting I (we, right Ben?) bought.  

Lisa and I both bought copies of one of the children's books - we both have Baby Olivias to buy for.  Kim signed our books and wrote sweet dedications to the Olivias.

Lisa and John really liked the art glass in one booth and debated quite a while whether to buy one or two like this one.  They have recently bought a bed and breakfast suites that their son Ian is running in La Fortuna, Costa Rica and thought the glass garden art would look great against the white stucco walls.  The decision was finally made to buy this one and take in home carefully in carry-on.

The sun got pretty hot at the festival and we had each bought something, so we decided to take them to the Taylors Loop hike we did with the Botanical Garden ladies, but just the short hike to see the flowers and butterflies.  The Little Blues were massed on the creek edge, sipping up their minerals and held still for a picture.

 This picture is actually from the previous day, but Ben wanted to show everyone how cleverly Ketchum manages to save pedestrians from disaster - bright red flags are stashed at busy intersections on each side of the crosswalk and pedestrians can walk and wave the flags.  It really works.

Kathy and Betty recommended Trail Creek Cabin restaurant for dinner or at least drinks, so we decided to give it a try.  It is a rustic cabin built in 1937 and surrounded by cheerful gardens and bordered by Trail Creek, noisily burgling right beneath our table on the deck.  Before our food arrived, it started sprinkling, but the big red umbrella over us was perfect shelter.

Lisa ordered this refreshing salad of watermelon, feta, cucumbers, etc.  Twice now here I have made a salad with crisp watermelon, thinly sliced onion, greens and a light vinaigrette.  It tastes like summer.  I am going to call it my Idaho salad...

After dinner, we drove the length of Fairway Drive, because we heard this is the Sun Valley street of multi-millionaires.  Since we were told the street is home to the rich and famous, we stopped to ask these bears for their autographs and they agreed have their picture taken with Ben and John.

The final picture of the day - a breathtaking sunset with sunbeams streaming through the clouds.  No art can compare.  And nothing is better than to share such a spectacle in the company of friends.

Making Friends in High Places

Today we wanted to scout out a perfect hike for John and Lisa, who arrive tonight.  We got an early start and headed north, over Galena Pass, 40 miles past these open meadows and snow covered peaks to the turn off to 4th of July Lake. Along the way we spied two herds of antelopes grazing.

In the last few years the Sawtooths have had some gnarly fires, and so as we headed up the ten mile gravel road to the trailhead, we entered the burn area.  The stark remains of the trees are in contrast to the abundant and colorful wildflowers carpeting beneath them. 

We got the to trailhead just behind a van of boy scouts camped a mile down the road.  They were lined up in rowdy fashion to use the one pit toilet.  They liked to pepper the kid enthroned inside with pebbles bouncing off the door.  Their leader graciously swept them aside and let me cut in front of the line.  I made them promise not to throw rocks.  "No, ma'am!" they said politely.

We headed out on the hike to 4th of July lake (elevation 9400 feet) and the scenery was immediately charming.  Verdant meadows, a sparkling stream and easy crossings. The peaks above us ranged to almost 11,000 feet.   We had noticed another couple arriving at the time we did and it was not long before we caught up with them.  They were so friendly, we struck up a conversation.  

Gene and Diana were also first-timers to Ketchum - Gene "bought"a week in a cabin at a silent auction and this suited Diana perfectly, as she loves to hike.  They live in Irvine, CA and are getting close to retiring full-time.  Gene works to develop programs to serve emancipated foster children and they told us stories of many successes - foster kids who have ended up at Harvard, pursuing advanced degrees and eventually building families of their own.  Diana has had first-hand experience, taking in two foster daughters when she lived in Hawaii.  

As so often happens to us when we travel - we found lots of intersections in our lives - Diana and I both graduated from Cal State Fullerton (though I was there 12 years earlier).  Diana's Communications degree served her well - she worked in entertainment casting, then in higher education.  Gene and Ben discovered quite a connection - they both had open-heart surgery at age 56.  Like Ben, Gene avoided a major heart attack, and it was his own persistence with his doctor that finally led them to give him an angiogram that detected the serious blockages.  That same test saved Ben's life.

It was so fun to have our new companions along for this beautiful hike - we could enjoy the small things like these gorgeous shooting stars or the dramatic vistas behind the two lakes we visited.

This picture gave me a little jolt because I think Ben looks SO much like his Dad in this shot.  He doesn't see it...

The snow reflected in the water below looks like a Rorschach test, don't you think?  A family was trying to climb up the steep icy front and the kids kept slipping and sliding, giving us a little entertainment.

This hike was just perfect and we can't wait to take John and Lisa there to experience it.  In the meantime, we made wonderful new acquaintances with Gene and Diana, exchanged contact info and who knows?  We may meet again.  We shared our enthusiasm for home exchanging with them and they gave us some inspiration to someday try a bike tour in Europe, perhaps with Vermont Bike Tours, their favorite.

Today was just one in a stream of days that makes us glad we hit the road to Idaho!

Frenchman's Ben(d) - Oo-la-la!

Oh, what to do today?  A Google search led to directions to Frenchman's Bend Hot Springs, just 8 miles outside Ketchum in the Sawtooth National Forest.  We wondered if the hot springs would be crowded and would it be hard to find?  No worries!  A big sign welcomed us as long as we followed the rules (see above).   Here's a picture of the empty pools, but we found them occupied by a nice young family.

We were warmly welcomed by Heidi and Alex and ther two and a half year old twins, Hazel and Claire. 

After we settled in the pool, Heidi asked Ben about his chest scar and told us that Hazel also had open heart surgery.  Hazel declined to show off her scar, but Heidi told us how they knew she had a heart defect while the twins were in utero and about the incredible doctors they had, the success of Hazel's surgery and so on.  Like Ben, Hazel was a model patient and out of the hospital in 6 days.  They are Californians who dreamt of moving to Ketchum and finally were able to do so.  They say there is no where better to raise a family, so SLO - we have some big competition!

Heidi snapped this picture of us - the water was perfect - the pool on the far right had hot spots, but the larger one was just right.  The river water, however, was icy!

When it was time to go, Hazel and Claire just took off down the road.  Mom and Dad said they do that all the time, on their own twin adventures.

Heidi also told us about the ski fence on Warm Springs Road - we sailed right past without even noticing on the way in, but on the way out, we had to stop for a gander.

Remember that I mentioned the YMCA had a 130 foot slide?  This was our reward after taking the Yoga Stretch class again.  We took a few turns on the slide and went into the hot pool after a turn in the "river".  

That's Ben's arm sticking up - I could not take the picture fast enough to get his expression, but you get the idea!

Last night was our dinner party with Kathy and Betty from SLO, out on our deck, eating on the red picnic table with our great view of Mount Baldy.  We had a classic dinner of Copper River salmon, corn on the cob and of course, the raspberry rhubarb pie from the pie ladies.  We had such a great time sharing stories, hearing about families, and past Sun Valley adventures.  We failed to take a picture last night, so we got one today:

Though not twins, these two could be imagined heading down the road together, adventure awaiting.

We also got to visit with old friend Chuck Jones and his mom, Ann.

Ann is another Sun Valley lover, coming here regularly since before 1980.  Ann told us about how she would drive the 900 miles from La Jolla to Sun Valley by leaving at 3 AM and driving her Jaguar with a heavy foot. One time she got 2 speeding tickets in one day, one in California and one in Nevada.  Another time she got off with a warning from someone she remembers well - Nevada Patrolman Simon who told her,  "Lafmdy, don't drive that fast in MY territory". Chastened, she took it easy, for a while, at least.

We can really see why people are in a hurry to get here...

The Zen of Ketchum

Ketchum has an enormous, modern YMCA with 130 foot water slide and a plethora of exercise classes.  We signed up for Yoga Stretch this morning and Yogi Richard led us through a relaxing and energizing routine in the near dark.  We walked out a little taller and with stress fallen away.  We had a little time before the Germany/Brazil soccer match, so we stopped into this amazing nursery.

Hanging pots in rainbow colors hang on street posts and on decks - they are breathtaking.

A certain friend of mine had a birthday just after we left SLO, so I found a gift (hope you like it Ilona!) and the guy behind the counter was not gift-wrap skilled, so he let me wrap it myself.  As my HumanKind pals know, this is my favorite retail activity.

We snapped a picture of these little guys in honor of John and Lisa, who are joining us from Costa Rica in a few days. John, you are going to like your own gnome's fresh coat of paint by yours truly.

Game time!  Though we were initially sorry that our new soccer fan friend took our pic with Brazil on the screen, we were later glad that at least at that time Brazil was still smiling.  We were glad Brazi finally scored a goal.  7 - 1 was pretty demoralizing and we had to think of our Brazilian AFSers feelings!  Marie did not respond to our FB texts during the game, so we wonder if she somehow knew her team was doing fine without her.

We had been given the low down on homemade pies at Farmer's Market, and so we pre-ordered two a few days ago.  Ben picked them up (Raspberry-rhubarb and Marionberry) and got some pie facts.  The Mennonite pie ladies made 6000 pies last year and sold 450 just last week.  They make 13 varieties and it is so hard to choose.  The ladies bake their pies in a huge brick oven, baking 14 pies at a time.  We are sharing these pies - tomorrow evening Kathy C. from church and her friend Betty are coming for dinner.  These SLO gals have been vacationing in Sun Valley for 40+ years.  John and Lisa, we are saving one for you, too.

A few nights ago we took a ride south on the bike trail and saw a sign for the Sawtooth Botanical Garden.  We rode in - it was not locked up and no one was around.  We rather hoped we would not run into Ann, the hike leader we abandoned on the first day!
The garden is a work in progress, with various garden themes and lovely plantings.  We discovered The Garden of Infinite Compassion, which was blessed by the Dalai Lama during his visit in 2005.  The Dalai Lama presented a giant prayer wheel as a gift to the American people in response to the 911 tragedy and it is one of only two in North America. When Tibetan monks finished it, it was too large to fit through their workshop door and had to be lifted and lowered through a second story window.

The Prayer Wheel was inadvertently diverted to London during its journey to the US, and it was in London on the day the subway bombings occurred.  The Dalai Lama thinks the wheel was meant to be in London on such a tragic day to comfort the people of London.

Spinning the Prayer Wheel in a clock-wise direction disseminates spiritual blessings.  I hope you all felt the blessings coming towards you on Sunday, July 6.   We need all the blessings we can get :)

Retracing Ben's Climb

Last summer, Ben and a hearty group of guys rode their bikes 500 miles from Lewiston, Idaho to Ketchum.   He emailed pictures and nightly explained the ride of the day, but only until we drove over Galena Pass between Ketchum and Stanley did I fully grasp what they accomplished.   Galena Summit is 8701 feet in elevation - it is the highest paved road in Idaho.   From Stanley they rode a punishing uphill grade for 6 miles to the summit.  Ben recalls thinking the first curve ahead was the summit, but DK came along in the van and told him he had a LONG way to go.  Once they got to the top, they then had to be careful not to burn out their brakes for the 10 mile downhill rush!

Ben has been extolling the Sawtooth mountain range since his ride last summer.  We started out early from Ketchum and headed north to drive to Stanley, in search of his favorite breakfast place of the trip and to see the Sawtooths for myself.

On our way to the top, we pulled off for the first hike of the day, to Titus Lake, near the headwaters of the Salmon River.  

The wildflowers along the way were sparkling in the sun.  Again, an "easy" hike that took us a good two hours to do.

We didn't linger too long because the Stanley Baking Company closes at 2 PM and there is always a line out the door,  Ben warned.  The mile and a half return to the car went fast.  We drove to Stanley, just gasping in wonder at the views and landscape along the way.  The Sawtooths are just gorgeous and the high desert floor was a watercolor fest of creamy buckwheat and coral paintbrush.

We got to the cafe in time and realized everyone in line would get fed... and well!

On our return we stopped for another hike - above Petit Lake.  One more hour of hiking was enough for the feet, but not the soul.  We will get back to the Sawtooths before the trip is over.