{"id":22940,"date":"2025-07-04T02:46:16","date_gmt":"2025-07-04T02:46:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/?p=22940"},"modified":"2025-07-04T02:46:19","modified_gmt":"2025-07-04T02:46:19","slug":"backpack-shakeout-hardesty-to-sawtooth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/goatbells.blog\/?p=22940","title":{"rendered":"Backpack shakeout Hardesty to Sawtooth"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

To prepare for upcoming PCT adventure, a backpack kit shakeout was definitely needed. After driving last week to ID and planned adventures, driving more than 1 hour away was not an option. 3 hikes were possibles: Alpine Trail to Tire Mountain<\/a>, King Castle to Macduff Mountain<\/a> and finally Hardesty<\/a> to Sawtooth (or June). The decision tipped on a) driving distance, b) tree age (along the trail) and c) solitude probability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hardesty won given shorter drive and older trees with fewer forest service roads. Just a green forested path the entire way and probably 4 different forest types.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Backpack kit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Started with 4 days \/ nights of food and 1.5L water with a pack of 28 pounds – only camera was not included. A base weight diet exercise will be done with goal to get 4 days to <25 pounds. Mariposa was stripped simple – no shoulder pad adds, no extra gimmicks. Only new gear added was sun umbrella (Gossamer Gear<\/a>)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Route<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A simple up and down – from Hwy 58 straight up the ~6 miles to Hardesty and then down to the saddle between Sawtooth and Hardesty. Up Sawtooth and around to the end of the meadow where the decent starts to the saddle between Sawtooth and June (the junction of Hardesty and Sawtooth trails) – turned around there to have lunch in the meadow and then return to car – a bit fatigued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sawtooth meadow is infrequently visited but worth the time imho.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I left the trailhead about 5:45 and returned about 1:00pm for the drive home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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