This was definitely a steep hike to get up over the saddle and drop into Baron Lakes. Crossing over is one of my favorite elements of backpacking. All morning we were enveloped in an impressive valley leading out from Redfish Lake. When we finally make it to the top to make the descent into Baron Lakes we were immediately met with all new peaks and valleys. The view can be a little overwhelming, in the best possible way. We could now see both sides of the range, looking out over mountains for miles in every direction.
After a while, the peaks became familiar again. From here we could see the backside of Thompson Peak, the tallest mountain in the range and iconic landmark from just about anywhere in the Sawtooths. So we sat and drank as the sun set on Baron Creek Valley, pointing to different mountains doing our best to name them.
