Overheard a couple arguing about the best way to plan a 3-day loop in the Sawtooths

Willow Robinson · 2026-03-09T20:50:07.563885+00:00

I was grabbing a coffee in Boise last week and the people next to me were really going at it. One was saying you should always plan your route around established campsites with water access, using a guidebook. The other said that's boring and you should just pick a general area, bring a good map, and figure it out as you go for a real adventure. They were talking about a specific 3-day loop near Sawtooth Lake. I've always been a planner myself, but the 'figure it out' side made a decent point about flexibility. Which approach do you guys usually take on a new route? Do you stick to a strict plan or leave room to wander?

pat1425mo ago

Hearing people argue about this in a coffee shop is wild. I'm a big planner too, but the idea of just wandering gives me serious stress. I picture myself exactly like @nathan_hill, digging a sad little trench on a slope at sunset because I got cocky. My last trip I had a plan, but a creek was way too high to cross. Had to change it fast. That's the only kind of "figure it out" I can handle, not a total free-for-all from the start.

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jamie_price6mo ago

Figure it out as you go" sounds great until you're the guy wandering around at dusk looking for a flat spot. My last "adventure" involved a very slanted campsite.

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nathan_hill6mo ago

That "very slanted campsite" is the exact reason I bring a small trowel. Sometimes you have to make your own flat spot, and it's never as good as finding a real one. I've spent a night sliding into the tent wall.

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