besthike.com

One of the great hikes of the world is a well kept secret. So says the trekking guidebook author Peter Potterfield:

… I wouldn’t go so far as to say a veil of secrecy protects these mountains, but it’s clear those who know the range best tend to keep their secrets close. Unlike mountains such as the Tetons, where topography and heavy visitation make them more of an open book, this compact range of steep mountains, twisting valleys, and hidden alpine basins lends itself to exploration and discovery. The fact is, finding the most interesting corners of the range can take persistence, and time.

“I call it ‘quiet pioneering’,” said Kirk Bachman, the founder and long time owner of Sawtooth Mountain Guides. “There truly is a unique ethos here in the Sawtooths. You could describe it as a certain reticence, or reserve, on the part of the climbers and backpackers who come here. They are quiet about where they’ve been. There’s a reluctance to share with the world their favorite places because here, the way to learn about these mountains is to go see for yourself.” …

read Peter’s trip report on Great Outdoors – Sawtooth Traverse – A trek across the mountains of Idaho’s Sawtooth Wilderness