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Elephant's Perch — Mountaineer's Route

Sawtooths, ID III 5.9 Alpine Trad 8–9 pitches / Redfish boat + full-day to Saddleback Lakes alpine Exposure · loose descent · pendulum risk

🚐 Join the caravan

🥾 Boat shuttle + full-day off-trail approach to Saddleback Lakes 🦟 Mosquitoes early; easing by August ❄️ Mostly melted mid-July onward

The crown jewel of Sawtooth alpine rock — clean granite high above Saddleback Lakes. The Mountaineer's Route (~III 5.9, 8–9 pitches) is the classic line: the exposed 'Triple Roofs' traverse and a sustained final 60m off-width. Approach via the 7am Redfish Lake boat shuttle, then a full-day hike to a Saddleback Lakes bivy. Best mid-July through September; afternoon thundershowers common.

🚗 Getting there & comms

Trailhead: Redfish Lake (boat shuttle to the inlet)

Redfish Lake Lodge, ~5 mi S of Stanley, ID

⛽ Last services: Stanley, ID (gas, small store) + Redfish Lake Lodge

📶 Cell signal: None in the cirque; spotty at Redfish — carry inReach

🧗 Routes

Mountaineer's RouteIII 5.9
8–9 pitches; 'Triple Roofs' traverse (~5.5, very exposed) and a sustained final 60m off-width (5.8+)

🎒 Gear & food

Rack: Singles .4–.5 and #3; doubles .75–2; nuts + a few tricams

Ropes: 60m doubles — 4 rappels on descent

Footwear: Approach shoes for the talus + slabs

🪢 Skills needed

  • multi-pitch trad
  • exposed traverses
  • off-width
  • alpine routefinding

⏰ Start & altitude

🌄 Timing: Pre-dawn from the Saddleback bivy to beat afternoon storms

✅ Before you leave the trailhead

Auto-built from this dossier — ticks save on this device.

🏕️ Land · camp · water · permits

🪧 Land & passes: Sawtooth Wilderness (Sawtooth NRA / USFS) — free self-issue wilderness permit at the TH

🆓 Free camping nearby:

  • Dispersed along Redfish Lake Creek, outside wilderness

Camp:

  • Saddleback Lakes bivy sites (immediately SE of the Perch)

💧 Water: Saddleback Lakes · Redfish Lake Creek (treat)

📋 Permits: Free self-issue Sawtooth Wilderness permit at the trailhead

⚠️ Hazards · fire · emergency

  • Severe exposure on the Triple Roofs traverse
  • Pendulum-fall risk (a fatality has been reported on a traverse section)
  • Loose, low-visibility descent gully
  • Afternoon thunderstorms / lightning

🪂 Bail / retreat: Descent is a loose, low-visibility gully — careful routefinding; rappel the route if conditions turn

🆘 Emergency contacts

  • Custer County Sheriff (Stanley) — Sawtooth Wilderness SAR 208-879-2232 — Call 911 first if you have any signal; this is the non-emergency line

🌤️ Live conditions

🟢 Send window: Fri
Fri
☀️
52° 34°
💨20
Sat
☁️
53° 32°
Sun
☁️
57° 29°
Mon
☁️
61° 34°
Tue
☁️
61° 37°
💨24

Auto-updated 20h ago · °F · tap a link for the mountain-specific picture ↓

🌦️ Weather ⛰️ Mountain Forecast

👀 In the field

Tap any for ID, edibility & first-aid.

📍 Nearby & other interest

  • Saddleback Peak
  • Grand Mogul
  • Warbonnet Peak

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